R. 1998 Album

R. Kelly

"Got 'Em Hittin' Notes That Mariah Couldn't Carry An ambitious double-disc lp that doesn't quite come off. There are some stellar tracks on this release but there are also many songs that don't do enough also, particularly on disc two which doesn't heat up until the last few tracks. Disc one opens well though with the hip hop themed 'Home Alone', and then the next three tracks are all good without being supreme R. Kelly. I think I'd like 'Spendin' Money' more if I hadn't heard Naughty By Nature's 'Holiday' which also samples 'A Lover's Holiday'. 'When a Woman's Feed Up' though is a classic Kells build-up track as is 'If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time' later on, which takes a while to reach its climax, but it's worth waiting for. 'Turn Back the Hands of Time' actually dates back before R. Kelly even had a deal. He played an early demo of it to Barry Hankerson. 'We Ride' is a good slow vibing hip hop track, I don't know what 'The Opera' is exactly, I think Rob just wanted to have fun... The rest of the tracks are your usual Kell's slow jamz, until What I Feel / Issues which is a very emotional R. Kelly being backed by electric guitars. As mentioned disc two is weaker. It begins with 'The Chase' interlude about two haters wanting to take out R. Kelly - "Hater One, this is your Captain Player Hater, what is the talent's position?" The following track, 'V.I.P.', is fairly boring though and anticlimactic. The two hip hop featuring songs here 'Dollar Bill' and 'Ghetto Queen' don't work. As don't many of the ballads here like 'Looking for Love' which need more build-up and change to keep me interested. The only things really worth going back to on disc two are the final three tracks and 'Did You Ever Think'. Overall, R. Kelly could have produced one outstanding disc but instead has created two inconsistent ones. But when an artist gives you twice the material compared to the usual album, I don't think you should be too critical and expect 29 excellent tunes. Best Tracks D1: Home Alone, When a Woman's Fed Up, We Ride, Half on a Baby, Only the Loot Can Make Me Happy, If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time, What I Feel / Issues. Best Tracks D2: Did You Ever Think, Money Makes the World Go Round, I'm Your Angel, I Believe I Can Fly.