Buying an album on the strength of a single track isn't always the best approach, but in this case it was more than worth it. At first listen one could be forgiven for being a little disappointed, but over a number of listens you really do begin to appreciate the music on show here.

The only point where the album falters a little is as it approaches Track 10. The transition between the New Jack Swing of the opening tracks and the slower ballad ended up being awkward, but this can be forgiven, given that once Track 12 drops, that fall off seems like a distant memory.

"You Blow My Mind" is ridiculously infectious, and one of their best works even after 3 more Blackstreet albums. "Confession" is a beautifully sensual song, bearing an eerie resemblance to Alexander O Neal's "Sunshine", not that it could ever be a bad thing. The new era R&B fan may also recognise "Tonight's The Night" as using the same sample as the Michael Jackson "Butterflies Remix" with Eve, in fact the beat is almost identical, which simply goes to show how timeless this music is.

Admittedly in these times, the album sounds a tad dated due to the early 90s drums that Teddy Riley used to craft the backdrop of this album, although this is a lot less noticeable with the ballads. So for those simply stuck on the latest R&B sounds, purchasing this may not be the best idea if you're looking for a short term fix. However, this is the music that inspired most of the R&B music that is heard today, in fact, The Neptunes were proteges of Teddy Riley, and we all know how much work they've put in this past 2 years. If you do want to become acquainted with the history of the music you love, or like myself you have grown up hearing countless hours of R&B, then this an essential purchase.

Highlight Tracks

"Baby Be Mine", "You Blow My Mind", "Falling In Love Again", "Tonight's The Night"


This was a very cool CD and JOY is the best in the album.   August 16, 1998
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is the best cd ever done by Blackstreet, The best song that I have ever listened to in my whole life is JOY , the lyrics are just right,I listen to it almost daily. Did Blackstreet dedicate it to anyone in particular ??


THis CD's OFF the HOoK   July 21, 2000
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I am a Blackstreet fan for life and this, there debut CD, is blazin. I haven't heard many of these type of songs since them. THere awesome and if your a fan of Blackstreet or of there NEW JACK SWING style this CD has to be in there collection. It's possibly better than the others. IT's amazing, with half of the CD being upbeat and the other half slower songs it's an awesome mix. Blackstreet Forever - - Day Meets Night (look for us soon)


R&B at its best   June 26, 2001
Eimear Coffey (Dublin, Ireland)
6 out of 9 found this review helpful

There are far too many people out there who think Blackstreet's only song (and first song, to boot) was "No Diggity". While it's undoubtedly a great song, the fact of the matter is, Blackstreet had a whole album on the market before "No Diggity" ever hit the charts. The first Blackstreet song I ever heard was the excellent "Love's in Need" and on the strength of that, I bought this album. Even after all these years, it's still the best R&B album I've ever listened to in my life. You just can't help but dance to tracks like "U Blow my mind", "Baby Be Mine" and "Bootie Call".

I actually bought this album in Ireland several years ago, but unfortunately I lent it to someone and never got it back. However, I couldn't possibly live without this classic CD, which is why I've just ordered it from Amazon again. Yes, this album is so good that I'm willing to pay for it twice! Buy it, now.