Why Can’t All Men Be Like Babyface?
Babyface--the man who can make everyone’s husband or boyfriend look like an insensitive lout--expresses some of the most romantically correct sentiments in R&B.; There might be more genteel and convincingly debonair fellows in soul music, but no one comes immediately to mind.
This ballad-intensive album is long on the soothing, roses-and-candlelight romanticism that sets him apart from most of his hip-hop-oriented compatriots. “Every Time I Close My Eyes†is a particularly lovely declaration of devotion, while “All Day Thinkin’ †is one of this record’s few concessions to funk-conscious revelry. And even when Babyface gets funky, he’s always so gentlemanly about it.
There is a certain niche in R&B; that he fills quite nicely. In a genre where many expressions of love and commitment require a parental-guidance sticker, spiritually stated songs such as “The Day (That You Gave Me a Son)†are rare.
OK, maybe they’re a bit sappy too, but that’s just one more element of Babyface’s debonair charm.
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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four stars (excellent).
* TimesLine 808-8463
To hear excerpts from the albums reviewed, call TimesLine and press * and the artist’s corresponding four-digit code. Babyface *5712
In 805 area code, call (818) 808-8463.
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