149. Sisqo - Return Of Dragon (2001)

Back to our regularly scheduled program....

I know it's probably not 'cool' to like a Sisqo album but fuck it, I'm uncool and proud. One of my favourite songs on this album (surprisingly) is the Teddy Riley 'produced' 'Can I Live'. I think Teddy might have been on something when he produced this but after a while it grows on you. Despite this being a blog about R&B, its the rap on this song that blew me away. Why dude never showed up again anywhere i don't know because that is a hot 16.. I was looking for the lyrics to post but every single one I came across was wrong so i won't bother... Anyway other good songs on this album include 'Without You', 'Homewrecker' and 'Not Afraid'. There does seem to be a formula being applied here on occasion that is so obvious that it just grates on your nerves.... (Dance for Me = Thong Song 2). Still this is an energetic album with a fair amount of catchy tunes. Download only if you can stand being labeled as uncool....

P.S Where is a new Dru Hill album? Get your act together guys...

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My Top Albums of 2007

Wow, so here we are, 50 albums down, 150 to go. Given my rather short attention span, i'm slightly surprised that I actually managed to stick with the list this long. I guess it wouldn't be very fair to those of you who actually read what i write to just leave you hanging.... so I guess that means i'll just have to finish the damn list.

Hopefully some of you may have found some albums on here that you have grown to like, or at the very least, have filled a few holes in your collections.

I said previously that I was going to do a top ten of songs from 2007. It wasn't until I started doing this that I realized how many albums were released last year and just how many of them just weren't that good. I ended up having 3 or 4 songs from each of a handful of albums and thought that this just wouldn't make a very interesting list. So i will instead mention a few albums here (in no particular order) that I think deserve an honorable mention from the year that was 2007.

Trey Songz - Trey Day








OK so anyone who has ears knows that Trey Songz has a near perfect voice. Sure some of the material isn't up to par but with songs like 'Wonder Woman' and 'Cant Help But Wait' this album bangs.

Tank - Sex Love & Pain


Nice Production, nice vocals, nice album. Check out the Timbaland produced 'I Love Them Girls'.

Ne-Yo - Because Of You


Probably close to being the best R&B album of the year. Fuck all that try hard neo-soul shit, I want a song I can sing to.

Mario - Go


Hmm.. seems to be the year of the 20 something male vocalist.... Another great album vying for top spot.

Luke & Q - Luke & Q (advance)


Not exactly sure if this was released (my copy is an advance i believe) but you should check it out if you have the chance...

Keith Sweat: Sweat Hotel Live


Hey, its Keith Sweat....

Joe - Aint Nothin Like Me


Another quality effort from Mr consistent.

Jagged Edge - Baby Makin Project


Didn't think much of it in the beginning but it grew on me and hey, it's JE.... 'Round and Round' = favourite track.

Chris Brown - Exclusive


Ok so usually i hate that southern flavoured shit and I despise T-Pain's tired old, vocoder dependant, ugly ass, but 'Kiss Kiss' is damn near my favourite track of the year. Go figure. Thats not the only hot track either. Damn, i'm turning into a 14 year old girl....

Bobby Valentino - Special Occasion


Follow up to his debut solo joint that appeared earlier in the list. Another good effort supported with the highlight once again coming from Timbaland in the form of 'Anonymous'.

Boyz II Men - The Remedy


I dont know what the deal was with the release of this album. Japan gets this and the rest of us get the Motown album? Insane. This is probably their best album since Evolution and really should demonstrate to whoever makes decisions at the major labels that the Boyz are relevant and a viable act. Or maybe I should just move to Japan....

Timbaland - Shock Value


Ahh Timbo, what would we do without you. When it came out I called this the album of the year and was promptly shouted down. The rap heads didn't like the rock elements, the R&B cats didn't like the rap elements. It's definitely a difficult album to categorize but it flows from one track to another with such skill I found myself forgetting all about categories and just listening to the music. The R&B tracks on here ('The Way I Are', 'Fantasy', Scream') are just awesome and I dare anyone to say that Timbaland didn't own R&B in 2007. I double dare ya. Thought not.


Thats about it for 2007, like i said not much happening but still a few nice albums to sink your teeth into.

150. Maxwell - Now (2001)

Now i'm not really one to gush over artists but if I was going to gush over anyone a likely candidate would be Maxwell. My first exposure was actually through his unplugged CD which just left me stunned and amazed at the man's vocal prowess and his ability to convey emotion through a song. His studio albums don't always have the same power but Maxwell is still a very obviously talented artist. This album is a front to back listener. There isn't a single weak song on here and there are a couple of stellar ones. A special mention must go to the cover of Kate Bush's 'This Womens Work' however as it really stands out even amongst some other very strong songs. The live version is better but this studio version still makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Listen. Now!

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151. Smooth - Smooth (1995)

I'm sure this one will come as a surprise to many, if only because it can only barely be classified as R&B. Smooth is a part time rapper, part time singer. She does both serviceably, but probably ends up sounding like a singing rapper most of the time. That having been said there are a few nice tracks on this album. The favourite by a country mile is 'Mind Blowin', a mid-tempo jam featuring a very catchy melody and a nice mix of raps and vocals. Other favourites include 'PYT' featuring none other than 2Pac, 'Good Stuff', 'Jeeps & Benzos' and 'Undercover Lover'. This is one album that i actually bought when it first came out and has a nice summery vibe to it as well as some sentimental value. Keep this in mind when listening, we might file this under my strictly 'personal favourite' file.

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152. Joe - And Then... (2003)

The second album from Joe to make it to the list is 2003's 'And Then...'. This album features quite a few good songs, which is what Joe has lacked on some of his other albums. Joe is always a great singer, but he can only do so much if the material is lacking. The album starts off strong with 'Sweeter than Sugar', 'And Then..' and the R Kelly produced 'More & More'(no need for credits to make that deduction - the track couldn't sound more 'R Kelly' if he had of sung it himself). 'Ride With U' is alright for an obvious attempt at some crossover pop appeal and 'You Dropped Your Dime' is another good, typical Joe song. All in all a solid effort from a solid entertainer.

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153. Ricky Bell - Ricardo Campana (2000)

This is a bit of a strange one. For me this album may as well only be 3 songs long because they are the only songs i listen to. The songs are so good though that this album made it all the way up to 153 on the list. You guys might like some of the other songs on here, but for me its all about 'Cant Stay Away', 'Its All About You' and 'Come Back'. I only found out about this album about 2 years ago and i swear i listened to those three songs for a week straight. That is unusual for me and so cemented this album in my brain as being list worthy. I probably should mention that New Edition and BBD are two of my favourite groups (as you will see later on) so Ricky had a head start on a lot of other artists...

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154. EOL - Elements Of Life (1998)

Sometimes you really just have to scratch your head and say wtf? Why didn't these guys ever get a second album? Sure there was a glut of male r&b groups at the time but the good ones stand out. Don't they? Apparently not because if that were the case we would have more albums from Elements of Life.

The album starts off with a beautiful little interlude, then jumps into the bouncy familiarity of 'Freaky Tonight'. There are a couple of missteps where things get a little too syrupy (coming from me thats saying something) but tracks like 'Gift of Love', a great rendition of 'Sweet Love', 'Get it On', the heartfelt 'Not Afraid to Love' and 'All I Need is Your Love' are just some of the reasons that this disc accompanies me to my Desert Island hideaway. EOL are a pinch of Boyz II Men, a dash of Shai, a dollop of 112 and all good......Do yourself a favour...

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155. Ashanti - Ashanti (2002)

People give Ashanti shit for her (lack of) singing ability but I for one think she has been judged quite harshly. Granted, she's no Whitney but she can hold a tune and she makes some genuinely catchy songs. This album is a light, poppy affair that has familiar sounding beats and hooks, allowing the listener to just chill out and enjoy the music without having to think too much. The beginning of the album has quite a few singles which will appeal to some people but my tracks appear a bit further into the album. 'Scared', 'Rescue', 'Voodoo' and 'Movies' are all downtempo, yet interesting tracks that lets Ashanti show off her more sultry side.

Yes Ashanti is hot, but don't hate her because shes beautiful.

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156. Babyface - For The Cool In You (1993)

I think i've mentioned previously that I don't care much for Mr Face's vocals, but I'll' be damned if he doesn't make some nice songs though. Back around the early middle nineties, i would be hard pressed naming a producer i liked more. If I hadn't been a broke student at the time i would've bought stock in LaFace records.
When i originally compiled the list i dont think it even crossed my mind to put a Babyface album on here, they just don't stand out to me like other albums do. When i actually got around to listening to his albums again, i realized that I really had to put the man on here somewhere. This album came out right around the time when his sound started to change a little bit. This album in particular sounds more mellow and less contemporary than stuff he had produced for other people previously. That almost sounds like a bad thing but the thing is it actually suits his voice quite well. Its a grown-up album for grown-ups. Highlights include, 'Never Keeping Secrets', 'For the Cool In You' and 'Ill Always Love You'.

There is another Babyface album on the list but you'll have to wait to see which one... ;)

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157. Tamar - Tamar (2000)

Despite what the 'internet' might tell you, Tamar (Braxton) isn't just Toni's little sister, she is a decent singer in her own right. She has a similar breathy quality to her singing but overall she sounds ...younger, than Toni. You take Toni out to fancy restaurants and operas, you take Tamar to Maccas and the beach. But enough of my fantasies...

This album has a soft spot for me due to when i first heard it, but thats not to say you cant look at the album discerningly and find some good songs. It is 'poppy' and 'Jermaine Dupri'y', but songs like 'Your Room' and 'You Dont Know' are quite pleasant for what they are. My favourites on this album are 'Once Again' and 'The Way It Should Be' and there are a few others that I will happily listen to when they come on. For those interested in producers, this has quite a list, including, Jermaine Dupri, Missy Elliott, Tricky Stewart, Tim and Bob and Darell Allamby. Not bad...

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