Released just one year after the
20th Century Masters
greatest-hits compilation,
The Definitive Collection
does something that no other
Bobby Brown
greatest-hits album has been able to: provide a comprehensive overview of his entire career. Whether it's his tenure in
teen idol
sensations
New Edition
(represented here by the
Ray Parker, Jr.
classic
"Mr. Telephone Man"
), his
new jack
era (largely represented by all five Top Ten singles off of
Don't Be Cruel
), or his later years, it's all here. Also included is his recent collaboration with
Ja Rule
,
"Thug Lovin',"
and his horrifically dated contribution to the
Ghostbusters II
soundtrack
"On Our Own."
Though this disc could have only been helped along with the inclusion of more
material, it stands as a solid document and is the only disc that a person with a passing interest in
Brown
's career will ever need. ~ Rob Theakston