Rating:
Genre:
R&B
Release Date: 11/15/1994
Run Time: 56:10
On their second album,
TLC downplay their overt
rap connections, recording a smooth, seductive collection of
contemporary soul reminiscent of both
Philly soul and
Prince, powered by
new jack and
hip-hop beats.
Lisa Lopes contributes the occasional
rap, but the majority of
CrazySexyCool belongs to
Tionne Watkins and
Rozonda Thomas. While they aren't the most accomplished vocalists -- they have a tendency to be just slightly off-key -- the material they sing is consistently strong. As the cover of
Prince's
"If I Was Your Girlfriend" indicates,
TLC favor erotic, mid-tempo
funk. Yet the group removes any of the psychosexual complexities of
Prince's songs, leaving a batch of sexy material that just sounds good, especially the hit singles. Both
"Creep" and
"Red Light Special" have a deep groove that accentuates the slinky hooks, but it's
"Waterfalls," with its gently insistent horns and guitar lines and instantly memorable chorus, that ranks as one of the classic
R&B songs of the '90s.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
;)
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