The artist made his first big steps with Manchild, the outfit that released three albums on the breach of the seventies and eighties.
It was the Bootsy Collins group where he received his Babyface nickname, the future stage name. He began performing with the local R&B bands as a teenager. As a final note, two new songs are included, "When Men Grow Old" and "Reason for Breathing," as well as a live, unplugged version of a hit he wrote for Eric Clapton, "Change the World.Babyface (Kenneth Edmonds) is one of the most prominent figures in R&B, producer, songwriter and performer. For completists, this collection is thoroughly lacking, but for the casual listener, it's a pleasure nonetheless. Other omissions include his hit duet with Pebbles, "Love Makes Things Happen," his hit duet with Toni Braxton, "Give U My Heart," early singles "Mary Mack" and "Lovers," later singles "And Our Feelings" and "Rock Bottom," as well as his har- to-find duet with Lisa Stansfield, "Dream Away," and his Top Ten hit with protégé Jon B., "Someone to Love." Omitting those songs in favor of non-hit album tracks such as "Soon as I Get Home" seems a tad bewildering. Incidentally, both those songs were remixed (and greatly improved) when released as singles, so their inclusion on this hits package would have been a huge bonus for the singer's fans. Glaring omissions include two hits from his Tender Lover album, those being "My Kinda Girl" and the title track. However, despite the inclusion of some of his best ballads and up-tempo hits, this album suffers from several glaring omissions, and leaves one hoping for a more complete product, or at least a second volume to complement what's lacking in this one. His up-tempo numbers, such as "It's No Crime" and the Shalamar cover, "This Is for the Lover in You," are just as engaging. "Everytime I Close My Eyes," "Never Keeping Secrets," and "When Can I See You" are quintessential slow jam Babyface. He also established himself as a top-rate balladeer, as evidenced by the songs on this selection. At his peak in the mid-'90s, Babyface was arguably the American music industry's hottest producer/songwriter. As can be expected with a Babyface retrospective, the songs are top notch and the production is excellent.
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