181. Joe - My Name Is Joe (2000)

One of the smoothest R&B singers going around (now and for the past 15 or so years) is Joe. Joe has always been someone that only the real R&B heads listen to. Not sure why but he has never really managed to break into the mainstream. Maybe thats a good thing. Joe knows his market, he knows what they want to hear and he consistently delivers smooth, laid back tracks that belong well and truly in boudoir rather than the club or the car. This albums choice cuts include 'My Name is Joe', 'Table for Two', '5 6 3' and the duet with Case 'Faded Pictures'. This isn't his best album but it is probably the most representative of Joe's style and so finds itself included on the list at 181.

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182. Dru Hill - Enter The Dru (1998)

Apologies for the lack of updates, christmas time and all that. Anyways...

Dru Hill. I think that of all the Male groups spawned by the success of Jodeci and Boyz II Men, Dru Hill showed the most promise. There wasn't a weak voice among them, their first album was solid from start to finish and they had a somewhat flamboyant frontman that got them the attention any new group needs. So it was somewhat of a disappointment when (in my not so humble opinion) 'Enter the Dru' was released and was kind of, 'meh'. There were a couple of notable tracks on there, namely 'How Deep is Your Love', 'Beauty' and the bangin 'Real Freak'. The rest of the album found itself mired in pretentiousness, and came off as thoroughly pedestrian. The first album sounded like Dru Hill, the second like Dru Hill singing the songs of Diane Warren (or someone). Having said that, even on their worst day Dru Hill can sing circles around 90% of the other male groups out there. So here they are at 182.

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183. After 7 - After 7 (1989) & Takin My Time (1992)

Ok i'm cheating a bit with this post. When it came time to make a decision between these two After 7 albums for entry on the list I simply couldn't choose. Both albums have some great songs on them, both are eminently friendly and listenable and both are equally overlooked.
I've never been able to work out if being Babyface's brothers (well 2 out of 3 anyway) helped or hindered After 7's career. Were they just a poor man's Babyface? The Babyface you listen to when you're not listening to Babyface? Or were After 7 a viable group on their own terms? It's difficult to tell given that Babyface had his
fingers all over all three of their albums but I for one am prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt. I certainly prefer the singing voices of Kevon and Melvin over Kenneth, and when you sit down and listen to these two albums you start to get a real appreciation of just how good they really were. After 7 were a great group and well and truly earn their spot at 183 on the list.

Download 'After 7'
Download 'Takin My Time'

184. Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It (1995)

If you weren't bumping 'This Is How We Do It' during the summer of 1995, then you must have been vacationing in Kazakhstan or not born yet.... This was a huge album at the time and had a great summertime vibe that really connected with people. Montell was never spectacularly compelling as a singer and yet he has somehow managed to craft and sell some great songs over the course of his career. He has generally gone against the trend of working with every producer and his dog, often electing to craft his own songs. This album doesn't stand the test of time as well as some of his later work but it's great for a trip down memory lane and the title track still gets rotation on the ipod every now and again.

*This version includes an Australian Tour Edition bonus disc.

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185. Allure - Allure (1997)

As I live in Australia I don't get to see many of my favourite R&B groups live. However back in 2000 I had the opportunity to see 112 when they toured here and their support act on the night were a group called Allure. They put on a good show that night and so I have a bit of a soft spot for their debut album. Its not perfect and it is certainly a product of its time, but there are enough songs on here that poke at you till you sing along that it rests easy at 185 on the list.

P.S I paid $75 to see 112 and they sang four songs. I kid you not.

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186. Donell Jones - Journey of a Gemini (2006)

I am a big Donell Jones fan. I actually walked into the show late as my first experience listening to Donell was on his 1999 album 'Where I Wanna Be' (which you will see later on in the list). This album is slightly different to that album in that it isn't primarily produced by Donell himself. When I first heard that I asked myself, Why? Why would a man who is so obviously a talented song writer need any outside help? Well, as it turns out Donell knows Donell. This album is full of top notch tracks and surprisingly a lot of the good tracks are the uptempo ones (see 'Better Start Talkin'). This album would have been farther up the list but for the fact that it is only a year old. How will it stand up in 10 years time? I don't know but for now, I'm diggin' it.

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Part 1
Part 2

187. Lo-Key - Where Dey At (1992)

Lo-Key are a strange group. They made some beautiful songs ('Don't You Know By Now', 'Stay Awhile' & 'Hey There Pretty Lady') but they sure surrounded them with some steaming turds. The uptempo songs on this album are like a sad melange of rap and ......well, nothing really. I know that during this particular period of time combining rap and r&b was the thing to do but still...

If this album had've had more songs like the ones above and less 'Lo-Key...Where Dey At' type songs this album would have been a lot higher on the list. That being said, the above songs are just so good that this album gets regular rotation and so finds itself at number 187.

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188. Vybe - Vybe (1995)

This is one album that i cant really say with any certainty is really any good. I like this album but I think that may have more to do with it being something I listened to a lot in my youth (because I didn't have anything else to listen to), rather than it actually reaching any sort of creative zenith or pushing any sonic boundaries. Its just a pleasant little album full of slow to mid-tempo tracks that all meld into one another upon first listen. It has a very summery feel to it (the track 'Warm Summer Daze' might have given that away) which takes you back to a time when music could simply do that and not always take itself so seriously. Unfortunately time moved on and left Vybe stuck in 1995 never to release another album. I almost envy them. *sniff*

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Bonus: Im going to try out the embed video function. If it doesnt work, ill get rid of it..

*edit* didn't work but theres a link anyway!

Video for 'Take it to the Front'

189. LSG - LSG (1997)

The word 'supergroup' gets bandied around a lot these days, but really in the R&B world they don't get much more 'super' than this particular group. As you will come to learn as I progress through my list, I'm an unashamed Keith Sweat fan. He has been plying his trade in the Biz now for around 20 years with a vocal style that is (.....whats a good word......) distinctive, while still being accessible. Personally, I love it and his consistency really is something to admire in this day of one album wonders. So when Keith got together with Johnny Gill, one of the best voices to grace a contemporary R&B album in the last 20 years and Gerald Levert, someone even more prolific than Keith himself, to form LSG, I was there with bells on.
The fact that after that gushing intro, this album ended up at number 189 might tell you something. There are a lot of things to like to be sure. 'Round & Round' and 'My Body' are quality tracks. Unfortunately, as often happens, outside producers were brought into the mix to provide some singles (Puffy and JD, i'm looking at you) and the results were less than spectacular. They aren't bad songs per se, but they weren't what I wanted from an album of these three artists. Still, it's Keith Sweat. And Johnny Gill. And Gerald Levert. So it's on the list.

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Bonus: And heres the second album 'LSG2' for the same reason. RIP Gerald Levert.














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190. Ready For The World - Long time Coming (1986)

Although I haven't been a fan from the beginning (RFTW were a bit before my time) once I discovered them I ploughed through their back catalogue with abandon. Their earlier Prince inspired stuff I can do without, especially (surprise surprise) the uptempo stuff like Digital Display and basically the whole first album with the exception of 'Oh Sheila'. ahem
Anyway, this is the album i'm putting on here at #190, maybe I should rabbit on about it for a bit.....
'Love You Down', 'Baby (Let Me Love You)', 'Long time Comin', 'In My Room' and 'Its All A Game' are just awesome tracks. Ive heard people say that they cant stand Melvin Riley's voice and I guess I can see where they are coming from but to me its what makes these songs what they are. Like Al B Sure a greatest hits of RFTW would read like a guide on how to make a really, really great ballad. I think there are a few modern era artists who could do with a guide like that... (oh god, i sound old).

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Bonus: Their self titled first album from 1985 starring the aforementioned 'Oh Sheila'.



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191. Al B Sure - Sexy Versus (1992)

I first got into Al B Sure through his work with Jodeci so I was quite surprised to find that Al could sing as well. As usual its the slow jams that I like the most on this album. In fact there are quite a few up-tempo jams which consistently get the FF button. Nevertheless, 'Right Now', 'Natalie' and 'Thanks for a Great Time Last Night' more than make up for any shortcomings. Despite the fact that this is the only album by Al B Sure on the list, he and Kyle West have had a hand in many more albums to come on the DID200.

*Split archive for this one, sorry folks.

Download Part 1
Download Part 2

Bonus: Al B Sure's second album 'Private Times and the Whole 9!'. This album also has some nice tracks and could easily have replaced its companion above. Matter of fact, a Greatest Hits from Al B would be pretty cool....



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Download Part 2

192. Uncle Sam - Uncle Sam (1997)

Boyz II Men launched their Stonecreek label in 1996 having had 2 massive albums and a couple of the highest selling singles ever. Their first (and only) signee to this ill-fated label was Uncle Sam, and despite the somewhat dodgy cover there is a lot to like about his debut album. He certainly has the vocal ability to stand his ground on an album awash with Boyz II Men backing vocals and stylistic tics. The album has a number of nice tracks such as "Can You Feel It", "You Make Me Feel Like", and the absolute stand out, the Shawn Stockman penned "Leave Well Enough Alone". It does tend to fade a bit toward the end of the album but overall, this is a nice album to just chuck on and chill out to.

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193. Bobby Valentino - Bobby Valentino (2005)

This is one of the newer albums on the list and one that might surprise many. 'Slow Down' was a huge hit from this album and it well and truly put the long time production duo of Tim & Bob back in the spotlight. Many artists subsequently used Tim & Bob to try and duplicate the success of 'Slow Down', but none captured the fresh new sound quite as well as Bobby did on his self-titled Debut album. Songs like 'Tell Me', 'My Angel' and 'Come Touch Me' are highlights of what was a solid all-round first effort from Bobby Valentino.

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194. Nicole (Wray) - Make It Hot (1998)

A nice little album here by Missy Elliott. Oh wait sorry, this is Nicole's album. My mistake. Honestly this album by Nicole could have had anyone singing the lyrics and I would have liked it. Its all about that Missy/Timbaland combo for me. This isn't their greatest effort by a long shot but it still has all the quirks and idiosyncrasies you would expect to hear. Nicole does a serviceable enough job, but you can thank Missy and Timbo for this album making into the Top 200.


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Bonus: Damn, these bonuses are starting to get regular. For all those people who haven't been able to track it down, here is the unreleased album by Missy's first group 'Sista' called 'To All The Sistas Around The World'. Produced entirely by Timbaland and Mr DeVante Swing.












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195. TQ - They Never Saw Me Coming (1998)

Remember TQ? What do you mean no? Well, I cant blame you I guess. While he has had three albums released (his second album 'Second Coming' was released in the UK only, his third 'Listen' found limited only minimal success) TQ is probably best known for his 1999 single 'Westside'. I remember being quite surprised when I heard this album as I had never really liked listening to singers who, for all intents and purposes, sang rap lyrics. It always sounded incongruous to me and ended up sounding like someone who couldn't decide whether they wanted to be a singer or rapper. If you are going to sing, sing. If you are going to rap, rap. Simple right? Well, TQ made me see the error of my ways and led me from ignorance. Well, almost anyway. What this album does is capture the feeling of what the artist wanted to convey at the same time as telling you exactly whats going on in TQ's world. Most R&B is generic. Lets face it, thats part of its appeal. The guys are singing to all women. The women are singing to all the fellas out there. This album sounds like someone is telling you a story about their life. I can only assume thats because of the balance between rap and r&b. Its quite possibly the only time i've come across it. DRS tried, but failed (IMO). So for its uniqueness, TQ's 'They Never Saw Me Coming' gets to set up shop at number 195 on the Top 200.

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Bonus: Like a lot of artists, TQ started out in a group before going solo. Coming of Age released two albums in the early nineties, 'Comin Correct' in 1995 and their debut self-titled album in 1993. Check out the latter at the link below.














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196. Hi-Five - Keep It Goin' On (1992)

While their biggest hit was 'I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)', from their debut self-titled album, my favourite Hi-Five song has always been 'She's Playing Hard to Get'. So when it came time to pick between the two, 'Keep It Goin On' eventually got the call up. Thats not to say I didn't have my doubts about putting this album on here. I have to say, I've never been a fan of Tony Thompson's voice at all. It always sounded a bit too whiny and high for my liking. At the end of the day though, the melodies and sing-along-ability ( I just made up a word) of their more uptempo tracks have you singing so loudly you cant hear Tony anyway (of course having the likes of R Kelly and Teddy Riley producing for you doesn't hurt either. At least in my book). This album is a real slice of early nineties New Jack Swing, and while it hasn't necessarily aged well, its great for a bit of nostalgia. (R.I.P. Tony Thompson)

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Bonus: And since I'm a generous guy and figure a lot of people will disagree with me about this being a better album than their first....

Hi-Five - Hi-Five (1990)


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197. Tyrese - Tyrese (1998)

Tyrese's first album is one of a few albums on the list that aren't necessarily spectacular, but are good enough that you can listen the whole way through without skipping a track. It is a very consistent album that shows of what Tyrese can do with his voice while at the same time being careful not to stretch him too far. Its a little bit funky, a little bit soulful and really a pretty decent debut.

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198. Jack Knight - Gypsy Blues (1999)

A nice little album here that probably flew under a few people's radars. Jack has primarily been known as a producer working with Diddy and the Bad Boy crew, and most notably as the producer of Monifah's hit song 'Touch It'. On this album Jack proves that he is as good in front of the mic as behind the scenes. While Jack's voice may not be everyone's cup of tea, (think Prince meets Marvin Gaye) he shows with this album that he knows how to craft a good song and deliver it with conviction. Favorites include 'Blueberry Winter' and the haunting, string laden 'Rescue Me'.





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199. Blackstreet - Finally (1999)

Not the last Blackstreet album you will see on the list but definitely the weakest. I remember really wanting my money back after listening to the first few tracks of this album this for the first time. Starting out with 'Can You Feel It' and the lamest of the lame 'Boyfriend/Girlfriend' just about made me want to puke. How could one of my favorite producers make such crap?

Then came 'Yo Love', 'I Got What You On' and 'Drama/Misery interlude' with Terrell singing his absolute ass off. Those three songs are really all I listen to on the cd but on the strength of those three tracks and my general good will towards anything Teddy touches, this album creeps into the Top 200 at 199.

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200. Dalvin DeGrate - Met.A.Mor.Phic (2000)

WTF? Mr Dalvin? Are you crazy? This is how you start your blog? I can hear the comments now...

Im sure a lot of people used to wonder what exactly Mr Dalvin used to bring to Jodeci (I did) and upon listening to this album you may still find yourself scratching your head. Lets get one thing out of the way though, it sure wasn't his singing voice. Describing it as mediocre would be doing him a great service. His rapping was never much to write home about (not that it mattered back then) so that leaves us with....hmmm. You might be asking yourself "why is this fool putting this album in his top 200 and then talk shit about it?" Well thats the thing, I cant really figure it out. There are a lot of things Dalvin isn't great at and yet, somehow, he managed to make an album with a lot of good songs on it. Its weird. I don't know how much of that can be attributed to Dalvin's long time cohort Stevie J who produced the bulk of the tracks on here but I suspect that its the two of them together that resulted in this album sneaking into my top 200. This is no Jodeci album but if you aren't into vocal gymnastics and just like a good song then this might be the album for you.

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Welcome to DID200

Welcome to my very first blogging experience. May it be as painless for you as it is nerve-wracking for me.

The general idea behind this blog is to post up my favourite 200 R&B albums. As it happens, most of them are from the recent past. So while i have much respect and admiration for the many fine artists that laid the groundwork for the young whipper snappers i will post about, you wont find any of them on this blog. For the most part all the albums on this list are from about the mid 80's to current, with a disproportionate showing from the early 90's ;)

Music is a very personal experience and this is why i am making it quite clear from the outset that these are my favourite albums. As you can tell by the title of the blog, these are the 200 (who can choose just 1?) albums that i would take with me to a desert island (on my ipod, since nobody actually uses cd's these days..). So while I look forward to hearing everyone's opinions on my list, I dont want a constant barrage of abuse and outrage. Tell me why im wrong and we will most likely agree to disagree, and move on to the next album. Im hoping to update regularly (time permitting) and hopefully we can generate a little healthy debate about the list. Looking through it, there are bound to be some upset people out there!

So without further ado, here we go...... and remember, dont talk, just listen.

- GMC