For those who missed out on
New Edition
's excellent
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
or their 2003 compilation simply entitled
Hits
, this
20th Century Masters
collection is an economically sensible survey of the band's long and evolving career from their years as
bubblegum
kid crooners to serious
new jack
swingers to powerhouse
R&B
icons. All of the big hits are represented here:
"Cool It Now,"
the
Ray Parker, Jr.
-penned
"Mr. Telephone Man,"
"Earth Angel"
(the big romantic number from
The Karate Kid Part II
that was overlooked in favor of
Peter Cetera
's juggernaut hit
"The Glory of Love"
), the
quiet storm
ballad
"Can You Stand the Rain,"
and
"If It Isn't Love"
(erroneously but quite amusingly referred to in the liner notes as "If It Isn't Me"). It also features their two hit singles from 1996's
Home Again
, giving the compilation a greater sense of their creative evolution over the span of a decade. It's not the finest or most thorough compilation on the market, but those looking for simply the hits will be satisfied with what is put together here. ~ Rob Theakston