New Edition

Greatest Hits, Vol. 1

cool it now

Review Score:

(4/10)
Even though I'm still bitter about the ill-fated NE Reunion Tour and still longing for Bobby to crash another Ja Rule video (this time on crack), it brings me comfort to know that early jams like "Mr. Telephone Man" can now be found on the same CD as the more mature power ballad "Can You Stand the Rain."

"Mr. Telephone Man" is a song about denial, perhaps one of the best songs about denial ever written. "Mr. Telephone Man! There's something wrong with my line," our hero complains. "When I call my baby's number, I get a click every time." Back when I was a tweenager I used to speculate about how Mr. Telephone Man would respond, if given a chance. "Yo, man. There's nothing wrong with your line, see? Your lady hanging up on you every time you call because she's with someone else now. Why don?t you go brush your tight fade and leave me alone?"

Another favorite worth 100% of the hype originally dealt to the Von Dutch trucker hat fad of 2003 is ?Can You Stand the Rain." From the opening rain sound effect to the triumphant outtro, this ballad runs deep and true. It's about being a woman who can stand by her man, even when he?s being a total jerk. My favorite part is when the music all but stops and Johnny Gill whispers in his sexy baritone, "Come on baby. Let's go get wet." This moment proved to me that the New Edition were more than just another bubblegum pop machine product. It's no wonder Bell Biv DeVoe eventually brought us the "Poison" and "Do Me," Johnny taught us that he can "Rub You the Right Way," Ralph advised us to find a man with "Sensitivity," and Bobby took us "Humpin' Around."

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