Track Listing

1. Thank You
2. All Around The World
3. U Know
4. Vibin'
5. I Sit Away
6. Jezzebel
7. Khalil (Interlude)
8. Trying Times
9. I'll Make Love To You
10. On Bended Knee
11. 50 Candles
12. Water Runs Dry
13. Yesterday
14. Fallin'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17411 in Music
• Released on: 1994-11-15
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 62 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Already big stars courtesy of their debut, Cooleyhighharmony, the Boyz blasted off into superstar orbit on this CD. Of course those lush harmonies had a little something to wrap themselves around; namely the magnificent ballads "I'll Make Love to You" and "On Bended Knee." Corny? Si. Wholesome? And how. Obviously that didn't stop the biggest male vocal act of the 1990s from crooning all the way to the bank, several million times over. --Amy Linden

CD Description
Philadelphia's Boyz II Men are a vocal quartet steeped in anumber of R&B and soul traditions. Not only do they have the sizable legacy of soul singers from the City of Brotherly Love to draw on for inspiration, they've also surpassed mentors Bell Biv Devoe as the premier Pop/R&B act in the land, filling the shoes of such dapper hit-makers as New Edition and The Jacksons.
For II, their long-awaited sophomore effort, Boyz II Men (Shawn Stockman, Michael McCary, Nathan and Wanya Morris) rightfully abstained from fiddling with their distinctive vocal sound. Consequently, their harmonic interplay has never seemed more polished. Not only do they kindle soulful flames under pure romantic ballads like "I'll Make Love To You", but they are able to stake a claim to the Beatles' "Yesterday" by placing their own distinct vocal stamp onit.
They can also just as easily kick their harmonies onto the dance floor. The Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis produced "All Around The World", with its funky French intro and Daddy-O samples, is a testament to that. The track also serves as further proof that in today's world of pop craftsmanship, Boyz II Men have all the bases covered.

Customer Reviews

fantastic
This is the type of CD that you put on and leave running right to the end. If you liked the first album then I can guarantee you'll LOVE this one. From the slow and slushy ballads (I'll make love to you, on bended knee) to the mid tempos (Water runs dry) and right through to the upbeat grooves (thank you, u know) this album rocks and has yet to leave my CD player.

A definitive love soul album
This is by far the best Boyz to men album of all three. The third one tries to replicate the concept of 'slow' and 'swing' sides but the tunes are not as catchy. The 'swing' side is OK. But the 'slow' side is the bomb! All the slow songs just illustrate that men have feelings too!! All the good work must be credited to all the producers. To all those reading this review, try out 'Fallin'' written by Brian McKnight and 'Water runs dry' written by Babyface. I bought this album when it first came out on tape. I have listened to it so many times that it is now almost busted and I need to buy a new one!!

This album broke them into superstardom
Boyz II Men made it huge in the 90s by pairing up their tight harmonies recalling classic Motown groups (Temps and Tops) with more up-to-date rhythmic tracks incorporating samples and other hip-hop stylings. This album broke them into superstardom as their followup to "Cooleyhighharmony", placing 4 songs into the charts for the Philadelphia group.

HIGHLIGHTS:
This album pretty much divides into 2 'sides': The uptempo side (before "Khalil") and the ballads afterwards. Most of the biggest chart tunes fall in the 2nd half.

Part 1 has "Thank You" (the only up-tempo chart hit), an infectious number riding a Doug E. Fresh sample. "Vibin'" is a nice midtempo groove though the lyric's pretty lightweight (We're just vibin'/dancin' the night away/Groovin'/Vibin'/non-stop until the break of day). "I Sit Away" is a Tony Rich tune about drowning in self pity that stops short of being maudlin. (This and "Nobody Knows"..is Rich clinically depressed or what?)

In the "slow side", Babyface's "I'll Make Love to you" set a record for the length of time at #1. "On Bended Knee" (from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) and "Water Runs Dry" (another Babyface composition) also made some chart action. The group shows off their sterling harmonies on the Beatles classic "Yesterday" and they pull off the true feat of not embarrassing themselves on a rock classic. It's a wonderful rendition.

LOWS:
"All Around the World" is Boyz II Men's rewrite of Ricky Nelson's "Travelin' Man" more or less, but not nearly as memorable. Considering how pivotal it is to the album, "Khalil" is a pretty blah track. "Jezzebel" is a dull overlong affair. "50 Candles" includes the lyric "Holding your body like a plastic molding"....'nuff said.

BOTTOM LINE:
There are enough hits to make this a mini-greatest hits all by itself, but the extras like "I Sit By" and "Yesterday" make this one worth owning. Recommended for R&B fans.