Babyface, born Kenneth Edmonds, has contributed more to r&b than any other artist since the late 1980s. A former singer in the group the Deele (remember "Two Occasions"?), Babyface was not only a Grammy winning songwriter, but he was also a fixture in the entertainment industry. Everyone, from Aretha to Paula Abdul to Madonna to Eric Clapton, got the Babyface treatment. Although "Tender Lover" is not the singer's debut (that would be "Lovers"), it's the first solo record released since he made it big as a producer. With hired hands LA Reid and Daryl Simmons on board, "Tender Lover" is one of the essential r&b records to own. There are no samples. No guest rappers. Just an album full of songs devoted to the topic Face knows best: love. Uptempo numbers "It's No Crime," "My Kind of Girl," and "Lets Be Romantic" bring to mind an innocent era that's apparently all but forgotten, while the second half of the disc are silky-smooth ballads such as "Given a Chance," and, of course, the killer jam "Whip Appeal." If I had to pick any bad songs off this album, I'd be at a loss, for "Tender Lover" remains consistent and filler-free. It's a great showcase of his talents as both a singer and songwriter. His style may be a bit old fashioned, but all things considered, that ain't necessarily a bad thing.

"Tender Lover", Babyface's second solo album and the album that established him as a multiple threat(singer, songwriter, producer, and musician) in the world of Pop and R&B still sounds as great today as when I first heard it back in '89. Spinning off numerous hit singles like the top tens "It's No Crime", and "Whip Appeal", and others like "My Kinda Girl" and the title track, 'Face proved that he could give himself the midas touch as well as the artists he and his writing and production partner L.A. Reid worked with. More than anything, at a time when critics were saying that real R&B was dead, ballads like "Soon As I Get Home", and "Given A Chance" proved that wrong by how fans and especially radio embraced these songs even though they were never released as singles. This remastered edition features three bonus cuts including the hard to find remix version of "Whip Appeal", the dub mix of "Tender Lover", and the 12" mix of "My Kinda Girl". A great album and still one of my favorites to this day.

Tender Lover has to be one of Babyface's best albums. He smartly put the dance numbers first then the gliding, smooth ballads on the second half. Tender Lover, My Kinda Girl, and It's No Crime are strong, but they're no contest to my favorite one, Can't Stop My Heart, which has to be one of the funkiest grooves of his solo stuff! The rumbling keyboards, the booming bass, the police siren sound effects similar to It's No Crime, its rapid 100-miles per hour rhythm--it's such a remarkable song for its 4 1/2 minutes! Babyface is a master at those ballads on gorgeous numbers like Soon as I Get Home, the dramatic bridges on Whip Appeal, Given A Chance, and the emotionally sung Where Will You Go. This fellow had produced between 20 to 40 songs during this period with LA Reid, of which these songs had been a part. It was really the buildup for more future hits from him. This is such a well made R&B album with its mainstream pop leanings in some places. And Babyface sounded smooth and suave vocally on all the songs.

It is argued that kenneth "babyface" edmonds is the greatest musician this generation has created. One example of his best work, in my opinion, is his 2nd solo album "tender lover".

Incorporating the hot rhythmic beat at the time, new jack swing, the first five tracks are in that vein. Babyface gets right into it with the debut smash "it's not crime". It topped the r&b charts and pushed the album to #1 as well in '89. The second single topped the charts as well, being the title track. It followed along "it's no crime" as far as rhythmic groove and dance potential. Following those two massive hits, comes "let's get romantic". Again, it follows face's signature new jack groove, only this track has a memorable chorus and slight variation in instruments. It should have been released, but nevertheless, still receives massive airplay on contemporary stations. Next is "can't stop my heart". Again, the groove is prevalent, but not much else. If there had to be a weak spot in the album, it would be that song. Following that sore thumb comes my favorite new jack cut, "My Kinda Girl". Its innocent feel accompanied by face's pleasant vocal presence makes it a genuinely good song. It peaked at #3. After a prelude to the last track, the real gems of the album follow. Babyface shines in all phases of his productions, but as far as the ballads, he cannot be touched.

Starting out with "whip appeal", it has come to be face's signature track on this album. Even though it did not top the charts, the massive airplay and overall public response makes up for its downfall. Face injects a memorable chorus and ad-lib that is still remembered by the general public to this day, as well as on urban contemporary radio. Next is my favorite track, "soon as i get home". Face's smooth, and soothing vocals glow tremendously with the offset of silky production. Even though it was never released, quiet storm radio plays it in regular rotation all around the country. "Given a chance" deserves just as much attention as far as face's vocals. He injects earnest and sincere croons to his calm production. Its rewards are regular rotation on most quiet storm stations. "Sunshine" doesn't incorporate face as a sincere balladeer, but nevertheless a quality listen, and can be heard all over quiet storm radio. The last track, "where will you go", is classic babyface. As the song winds down, face lets the public know that he can soar with the best of them, and there is no denying it.

As far as overall quality and significance, "Tender Lover" is, without a doubt, his best album as a singer. Using formulaic new jack beats and signature ballads, face shows the world that he can croon as well as produce very good rhythm and blues. It was the stepping stone for his label (which was formed that same year with l.a.reid) as well as numerous artists tagged on to use his production skills. To this day, babyface is still making hits for artists, with a number of awards, including grammys added to his resume. "Tender Lover" catapulted babyface to superstardom, and he hasn't let up since.

If Babyface's first album and his chart-topping single with the Deele, "Two Occasions," introduced us to him, then "Tender Lover," his sophomore album, took him to another level. As one-half of the production duo L.A. & Babyface, he garnered such hits as "It's No Crime," a song with a catchy beat. He then hit even bigger with the title track, which featured Bobby Brown rapping in the video version. However, Face's stamp soon became his romantic ballads, such as the classic "Whip Appeal," which is most likely one every woman will fall for. "My Kinda Girl" is a nice mid-tempo selection for the ladies as well. Babyface easily convinces us that he can make it work both in the studio and on stage...