Brandy
Artist: Brandy
Community Score: 8.28

This teenage R&B singer hit the Top Ten late in 1994 with "I Wanna Be Down," a representative track from her solid debut album. Brandy knows her way around a hip-hop beat, layering tender-tough vocals over spare arrangements like a lower-key Janet Jackson or a more stripped-down Mary J. Blige. Good songs and crisp production make Brandy a moody,... Read More

The Best of Lillo Thomas - BRUNSWICK
Artist: Lillo Thomas

A suave, smooth best-of compilation from Lillo Thomas, at least they didn't call it a greatest-hits set, since he had few of them. Thomas recorded mostly ballads and mid-tempo floaters in his light tenor/falsetto. His renditions of "My Girl," and "Just My Imagination" are smooth, fluid and majestically done, many can't distinguish his version of... Read More

For Life
Artist: Soul for Real
Community Score: 10.00
One in a Million
Artist: Aaliyah
Community Score: 8.62

Aaliyah's second album doesn't necessarily prove that she is indeed One in a Million, but it does showcase more depth and talent than her acclaimed debut. That's not only due to the greater variety of material on One in a Million, or to the way that her producers (Vincent Herbert, Jermaine Dupri, and many others) immaculately produce each track,... Read More

Mission to Please
Artist: The Isley Brothers
Community Score: 10.00
R. Kelly
Artist: R. Kelly
Community Score: 7.82

With the salacious 12 Play, R. Kelly established himself as one of the top R&B hitmakers of the mid-'90s, rivalled only by Babyface and Dr. Dre for overall consistency. 12 Play was marred by occasionally slight tunes which were obscured by the explicit sexuality of the lyrics. R. Kelly isn't hampered by those flaws, although it isn't a perfect... Read More

Do You Wanna Ride?
Artist: Adina Howard
Community Score: 7.67

Do You Wanna Ride is the lackluster debut release from Michigan native Adina Howard. Although the album includes the somewhat catchy 1995 hit single "Freak Like Me," there's not much more to recommend the album. The main problem with Do You Wanna Ride is more work was put into the production than into the songwriting. The employment of several... Read More

All Time Greatest Hits
Artist: Barry White
Community Score: 7.70

It took quite a while for a definitive Barry White compilation to hit the market, but All-Time Greatest Hits -- part of Mercury's Funk Essentials series -- finally filled the bill in 1995. Boasting a full 20 tracks from White's heyday of 1973-1978, more than half of which made the R&B Top Ten, All-Time Greatest Hits is easily the most generous... Read More

I Believe I Can Fly - US SINGLE #2
Artist: R. Kelly
Community Score: 3.75

A song utilised in the film Space Jam, "I Believe I Can Fly" is a lovely piece of work with pleasant lyrics juxtaposed against a soothing, swirling orchestral track. The EP comes with three versions of the title song, plus the LP version of "Religious Love" and a remix of "I Can't Sleep Baby (If I)." A nice little package. ~ Steven McDonald, All... Read More