Of all the girl groups to blossom in the 1990s, this one by far and away was the best at singing (yup, TLC and Destiny's Child might've been more popular but neither group could touch En Vogue voice for voice among group members).

That being said, En Vogue really should get credit for, much like Salt-N-Pepa and Mary J. Blige, blending elements of hip hop, girl power and overwhelming sassy-sexy-soulful femininity into urban music where it hadn't been before.

If Mary bridged hip hop to R&B, En Vogue pretty much did the same to that 1950s doo-wop style that was masterfully resurrected and appreciated circa 1991.

"(My Lovin')You're Never Gonna Get It," "Free Your Mind" and the remake of "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" are all classic En Vogue flava.

I guess groups -- and girl groups in particular -- are doomed to split up when they go on tour and have to hear fans critique everything about them (who's the prettiest? who's the best singer? blah, blah, blah).

But unlike so many imitators to come along and try to pimp the En Vogue hip hop/R&B sound, En Vogue really was the real deal.

TLC, Destiny's Child and the Supremes are probably the super groups of the 20th Century, but En Vogue blazed a trail that laid the groundwork for two of the aforementioned to follow.

Recommended LP.

What set En Vogue apart from the numerous other "girl groups" of the 1990s, was their ability to blend, with their outstanding vocal abilities and songs that sound like they came straight of MoTown circa 1960. This album is a stellar example of their ability to make us feel like we were truly listening to the best of "old school."

The most outstanding songs worth mentioning include:
Track #6 "Giving Him Something He Can Feel"
This is one of the slow, sexy tracks that they sing so well. This is actually an old r&b song that was featured in the cult film, SPARKLE, about an all girls group (similar to Diana Ross and the Supremes).
Track #8 "Give It Up, Turn It Lose"
This is more upbeat, and greatly utilizes their wonderful vocals and expression in a song about getting over a man who is no good.

This is timeless music that stands the test of time, more than ten years later. I don't think they have another album that quite measured up to this one.......

these ladies are great talents, though all the songs are not representative of that. Free Your Mind, Never Gonna Get It, Desire, Hip Hop Love are the best jams on this CD but I don't really care for the rest though the vocals are superb. The sounds in the music are beginning to show their age and this album was a period piece, but it sure does bring back memories of enjoying the raw vocal talent and killer grooves and sassiness of en vogue being en vogue. I truly believe that salt n pepa started the girl group hip hop trend, but en vogue started the girl group r&b trend in the 90's(since the supremes) and since then, many r&b and/or hip hop flavoured girl groups with amazing voices followed in the 1990's such as TLC, SWV, Jade, Xscape, Zhane, 702, Total, it's like every music label had an r&b girl group and they were all competing, but en vogue paved the way for it and for that they will be treasured as modern-day supremes. I can't wait to hear their comeback album in 2006 with the original members, it'll be great. I also recommend the best of en vogue and masterpiece theatre, which samples hooks from classical music over r&b melodies.

Generally speaking, when you buy a music CD, you want music, not corny ad libs like the ones found on this album.

Particularly annoying is the ad lib that starts off "Give It Up, Turn It Loose." The song is my favorite by the group, but each time that I listen to it on the CD, I'm subjected to a lame improvization among the women about dating issues. If you're going to do a spoken word intro at least have it on a separate track, so that the listener has the option to skip over it.

Ad libs aside there is some good material here. Stand out tracks include two compositions from the late Curtis Mayfield that were written for the 1976 film, "Sparkle." These are "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" and "Hooked On Your Love." Both of these songs were covered by Aretha Franklin in the wake of the film's release.

I've always felt that the women of En Vogue were talented singers, but were largely over produced on record. Just because they have big voices, doesn't mean that every track has to be filled with their vocal gymnastics. The sound can be overwhelming sometimes. The Beatles cover of "Yesterday" is a prime example. They take a great song with exceptional lyric content and turn it into a vocal exercise.

"Give It Up, Turn It Loose" works as a track because it is able to balance between showcasing the vocals and serving the needs of the song.

Now, if they would just cut out those ad libs, I'd give the CD at least four stars!

So I was inspired to buy this the other day because lately, I've just been craving some good ol' 90's R&B music, you know? I really wasn't expecting to like it as much as I do. Some songs go on a little too long and there were one or two songs I just didn't care for, like "Hip Hop Lover." But the rest is great and I really enjoyed it. These are some talented women and they can truly harmonize! Unlike another reviewer, I actually enjoyed the spoken word sections and I think they add a lot of personality to the disc. I especially love the little dictionary bit at the end of "What Is Love." I highly recommend this.