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Teddy Riley is an impeccable craftsman and genius of sorts, not to mention a trendsetter. In releasing so much product, however, his music can also occasionally descend into a pedestrian, formulaic version of new jack swing, the production style he himself invented, fine-tuned, and perfected. That pitfall plays out intermittently on Blackstreet's debut album. Some of the music and vocal harmonies blend together or sound like new jack retreads, and a handful of the songs are so commercially savvy and obviously directed toward the mainstream public that it is hard to wholly enjoy them. Some of the songs, too, are less than fully formed, consisting of just a single melody or groove that exists for the sole purpose of moving feet and/or giving the quartet an excuse to harmonize. More often, however, Blackstreet hits the spot with a sleek and inventive progression on the new jack template, sharpening and filling out the sound that Guy made famous. Riley makes sure the beats are hip-hop savvy and the bass is booming, and then slathers squealing synthesizer lines all over them. Frankly, he is not technically a fantastic singer, at least in comparison to his three harmonizing mates, but his voice has such a distinctive character that it has always been entirely ingratiating, making up in expressiveness for any lack in range or virtuosity. The songs on which he takes lead invariably stand out the most and tend to be the most appealing cuts. The glue on the album, though, is the tight four-part harmony singing of Blackstreet, and it leads to some brilliantly catchy R&B tracks, songs that easily stood out in the mid-'90s urban soul crowd.
© Stanton Swihart /TiVo
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C. Smith, ComposerLyricist - Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Chris Smith, Producer, ComposerLyricist - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Richard Iverson, Participant, FeaturedArtist, ComposerLyricist - Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - Joseph Stonestreet, ComposerLyricist - David Roland Williams, Participant, FeaturedArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Richard Iverson, Participant, FeaturedArtist, ComposerLyricist - Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Hollister, ComposerLyricist - Chris Smith, Producer - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - Markell Demont Riley, ComposerLyricist - Walter "Mucho" Chauncey Andrae Hannibal, ComposerLyricist - Raymond James Calhoun, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Leon Sylvers III, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - MARKELL RILEY, Producer, Assistant Producer - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - Antwan Dickey, ComposerLyricist - Leon Frank Sylvers Jr., ComposerLyricist - Antwone Dickey, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Menton Smith, Participant, FeaturedArtist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - MARKELL RILEY, Producer, ComposerLyricist - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - CHAUNCEY HANNIBAL, ComposerLyricist - Levi Little, ComposerLyricist - Sprague Williams, Producer, Assistant Producer - Meredith Graham, ComposerLyricist - Menton L. Smith, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - L.R. Brown, ComposerLyricist - S. Linzer, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - David Wynn, Producer, ComposerLyricist - D. Callis, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Chris Martin, ComposerLyricist - Keith Elam, ComposerLyricist - Joe Tex, ComposerLyricist - MARKELL RILEY, Producer, ComposerLyricist - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - CHAUNCEY HANNIBAL, ComposerLyricist - Big Bub, ComposerLyricist - David Roland Williams, Participant, FeaturedArtist, ComposerLyricist - Markell Demont Riley, ComposerLyricist - Walter "Mucho" Chauncey Andrae Hannibal, ComposerLyricist - Levi Little, ComposerLyricist - Frederick Lee Drakeford, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Leon Sylvers III, Producer, Assistant Producer - Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - MARKELL RILEY, Producer, Assistant Producer - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - Leon Frank Sylvers Jr., ComposerLyricist - Walter "Mucho" Chauncey Andrae Hannibal, ComposerLyricist - Idris Davidson, ComposerLyricist - M. Barber, ComposerLyricist - Michael "Flip" Barber, Producer
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - David Spradley, ComposerLyricist - Larry Troutman, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - ROGER TROUTMAN, ComposerLyricist - George Clinton, ComposerLyricist - Garry Marshall Shider, ComposerLyricist - Erick Sermon, Producer, ComposerLyricist - MARKELL RILEY, Producer - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - Antwan Dickey, ComposerLyricist - Markell Demont Riley, ComposerLyricist - Leon Frank Sylvers Jr., ComposerLyricist - Antwone Dickey, Rap Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Sprague Williams, Producer, Assistant Producer
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Stevie Wonder, ComposerLyricist - Joe Tex, ComposerLyricist - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - Sprague Williams, Producer, Assistant Producer
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Jackson, ComposerLyricist - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - Tammy Lucas, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Hollister, ComposerLyricist - MARKELL RILEY, ComposerLyricist - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - CHAUNCEY HANNIBAL, ComposerLyricist - Leon Frank Sylvers Jr., ComposerLyricist - Antwone Dickey, ComposerLyricist - Sprague Williams, Producer, Assistant Producer
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Hollister, ComposerLyricist - S. Williams, ComposerLyricist - MARKELL RILEY, Producer, ComposerLyricist - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - Markell Demont Riley, ComposerLyricist - Sprague Williams, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Hollister, ComposerLyricist - MARKELL RILEY, Producer, ComposerLyricist - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - CHAUNCEY HANNIBAL, ComposerLyricist - Markell Demont Riley, ComposerLyricist - Walter "Mucho" Chauncey Andrae Hannibal, ComposerLyricist - Levi Little, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - Tom Taliaferro, Producer, Assistant Producer, ComposerLyricist - Thomas Taliaferro, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Chad Hugo, Producer, Assistant Producer - C. Hugo, ComposerLyricist - Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Pharrell Williams, ComposerLyricist - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - MARKELL RILEY, Producer - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - Tammy Lucas, FeaturedArtist, ComposerLyricist - Markell Demont Riley, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Kenny Davis, ComposerLyricist - MARKELL RILEY, Producer, ComposerLyricist - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - CHAUNCEY HANNIBAL, ComposerLyricist - Markell Demont Riley, ComposerLyricist - Walter "Mucho" Chauncey Andrae Hannibal, ComposerLyricist - Sprague Williams, Producer, Assistant Producer
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - MARKELL RILEY, Producer - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - Tom Taliaferro, Producer, Assistant Producer, ComposerLyricist - Thomas Taliaferro, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Raymond Watkins, ComposerLyricist - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - R. Watkins, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Stonestreet, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Leon Sylvers III, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Teddy Riley, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Menton Smith, ComposerLyricist - John Hanes, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - George Mayers, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - MARKELL RILEY, Producer, Assistant Producer, Participant, ComposerLyricist - BLACKSTREET, MainArtist - Markell Demont Riley, ComposerLyricist - Leon Frank Sylvers Jr., ComposerLyricist - Antwone Dickey, ComposerLyricist - Menton L. Smith, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Teddy Riley is an impeccable craftsman and genius of sorts, not to mention a trendsetter. In releasing so much product, however, his music can also occasionally descend into a pedestrian, formulaic version of new jack swing, the production style he himself invented, fine-tuned, and perfected. That pitfall plays out intermittently on Blackstreet's debut album. Some of the music and vocal harmonies blend together or sound like new jack retreads, and a handful of the songs are so commercially savvy and obviously directed toward the mainstream public that it is hard to wholly enjoy them. Some of the songs, too, are less than fully formed, consisting of just a single melody or groove that exists for the sole purpose of moving feet and/or giving the quartet an excuse to harmonize. More often, however, Blackstreet hits the spot with a sleek and inventive progression on the new jack template, sharpening and filling out the sound that Guy made famous. Riley makes sure the beats are hip-hop savvy and the bass is booming, and then slathers squealing synthesizer lines all over them. Frankly, he is not technically a fantastic singer, at least in comparison to his three harmonizing mates, but his voice has such a distinctive character that it has always been entirely ingratiating, making up in expressiveness for any lack in range or virtuosity. The songs on which he takes lead invariably stand out the most and tend to be the most appealing cuts. The glue on the album, though, is the tight four-part harmony singing of Blackstreet, and it leads to some brilliantly catchy R&B tracks, songs that easily stood out in the mid-'90s urban soul crowd.
© Stanton Swihart /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 20 track(s)
- Total length: 01:12:58
- Main artists: Blackstreet
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Interscope
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
© 1994 Interscope Records ℗ 1994 Interscope Records
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