The BC CDC

R&B/Soul

1-10

Greatest Hits — Al Green
Why I Bought It: Al Green is the baby maker.
Why You Should: It's just smooth, good music. Plus, your favorite rapper sampled Al Green and didn't tell you. (see: da 5'9, Royce; etc.)
Only Get One Shot: "Love and Happiness"

Comin' from Where I'm From — Anthony Hamilton
WIB: Because the "Charlene" video was filmed in my house. My copy of the CD is autographed, and MY HOUSE IS IN THE VIDEO.
WYS: Anthony Hamilton is way too far under the radar for his talent, and you shouldn't be ignoring the best male R&B singer of our generation. Yeah, I said it. And if you don't, Edna will cut you.
OGOS: "Mama Knew Love"

Songs in A Minor — Alicia Keys
WIB: Seriously, who doesn't own this album?
WYS: If you're one of the five people who's been living in a cave, this debut earned Keys multiple Grammys, and blew Fiona Apple off the top of the "hot piano prodigies" list.
OGOS: "Fallen"

The Diary of Alicia Keys — Alicia Keys
WIB: Her first album made the second a required purchase. Plus, dudes secretly sing along to this record when no one's around.
WYS: Played back-to-back with Songs in A Minor, Diary just sounds ... grown. She didn't fall into the "overambitious second album" trap, and just made good music.
OGOS: "Diary" (feat. Tony! Toni! Toné!)

Cooleyhighharmony — Boyz II Men
WIB: "Motownphilly" is FIRE. And "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" was a middle-school dance song for every 80s baby.
WYS: This album paved the way for the 300 a capella groups on every college campus. Well, maybe that's not a good thing. But they're all living up to the standard set by Boyz II Men on CooleyHighHarmony.
OGOS: "Motownphilly"

II — Boyz II men
WIB: I knew the words to half the album because the singles were EVERYWHERE. And the video for "Water Runs Dry" was so over the top, I couldn't contain myself.
WYS: The Boyz peaked on this record. Due respect to CHH, but this is the one album of theirs you MUST own.
OGOS: "Water Runs Dry"

Never Say Never — Brandy
WIB: I think this was free when I exchanged some crap CDs at the hole-in-the-wall next to the comic book store on Rosemary St. in Chapel Hill.
WYS: I just listened to this, for the first time ever, and decided there's only two non-singles ("Happy" and "Tomorrow") worth listening to. Since that brings the "Song I'd listen to" number to five (six including "The Boy is Mine," which also appears on the Monica album of the same name), I'm planning on selling this. You shouldn't get to this point …
OGOS: "Have You Ever?"

I Ain't Movin' — Des'ree
WIB: It was $1.50 at this thrift store in Oneonta I've only been in once. Singles on iTunes are 99 cents; I figured one song besides "You Gotta Be" would be half-good …
WYS: Well … if you can find it for a buck-fifty, I can't really say it wouldn't be worth it.
OGOS: "You Gotta Be"

Brown Sugar — D'Angelo
WIB: I felt required to have this in case a girl came back to my place. And then I played it the first time that happened (ten years later). Good times.
WYS: You just have to. He's only put out two records. This isn't asking much.
OGOS: "Lady"

Voodoo — D'Angelo
WIB: Had to get this after the first one (and the five-year wait in between. That was awful.)
WYS: See the entry on Brown Sugar (above).
OGOS: "Untitled [How Does it Feel]"