Search - Milli Vanilli :: Girl You Know It's True

Scott S. from TRAPPE, MD
Reviewed on 12/24/2009...

it fake I know but it brings back good memories.

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Kathy W. (kathwagg) from SAINT LOUIS, MO
Reviewed on 4/2/2007...

Even though we all know the fate of Milli Vanilli, they still had a good album with some catchy songs.

2 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.

Rick S. (professor1976) from PAWLEYS ISL, SC
Reviewed on 12/13/2006...

Now a very rare cd and rare songs, as no one - not iTunes, Wal Mart, or anyone else -- carries these songs. Worth the postage just to get the cd and rip a few songs for the iPod!

4 of 4 member(s) found this review helpful.

Jeff L. from CARY, NC
Reviewed on 8/25/2006...

Grammy winner pulled because stars didn't actually sing on the record. Still good music, though.

2 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.

A Great Album With an Unfortunate History.

Louie Bourland | Garden Grove CA | 06/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Milli Vanilli was one of the greatest success stories which quickly turned into one of the biggest scandals of the late '80s/early 90s. The duo of Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan were riding high as instant superstars with their album "Girl You Know It's True" which spawned five top 10 hits (three of which went to No.1) and went nearly 10 times platinum. Then, in 1990, their success turned to disgrace when record producer Frank Farian revealed that Pilatus and Morvan weren't the actual singers on the album. This led to one of the greatest backlashes in music history (one that possibly rivals John Lennon's statements about the Beatles and Jesus Christ).

The history and scandal behind the "Girl You Know It's True" album has gotten in the way of what the record truly is - an album of great energetic dance/pop. From the opening orchestral hits of the title track all the way to the tender ballad "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You", the album is a solid effort with its unique production and music arrangements. The vocal work performed by Brad Howell and John Davis (who did most of the vocals on the album) along with Charles Shaw (who sang "Girl's.." title track) and The Rocco Sisters(who sing all the female lead vocals) is extraordinary. Howell's delivery on "Blame it On The Rain" shows just why this song became the big hit that it did while Davis's cross between rap and singing on nearly all the tracks was of greater quality than most popular rap acts at the time.

With all the great music on this album, it's easy to see why people soaked it all up when it was released. It's also easy to see why people became so angry when the story behind the album was revealed. The unfortunate circumstances behind Milli Vanilli led to some tragic results. Rob Pilatus headed down a path of substance abuse and self-destructive behavior which led to his premature death in April of 1998. Fab Morvan (who now goes by his full first name Fabrice) has been more fortunate in leaving the scandal behind as he is now a budding singer/songwriter performing in small clubs around the world (Yes, Fabrice can really sing and he is actually quite good). The actual singers on the album continue to stay undercover as session musicians. In 1991, however, they released an album under the group name The Real Milli Vanilli entitled "Moment Of Truth". The album included the same type of dance/pop as heard on "Girl You Know It's True" but was a flop as the album was never released outside of Europe and few knew it ever existed.

Despite all the controversy, "Girl You Know It's True" was and still is a great album of great music. Forget about what happened in 1990 and listen to the album in this day and age. Pretty darn good, isn't it? In the end, it's truly the music that matters and "Girl...We know it's true"..."

Forget the scandal...what matters is the MUSIC

eric_f | Boston, MA | 05/11/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It has almost become a stigma to own this album and actually admit that one likes it. But I for one have no shame in saying that I think it's great. Yeah, yeah, we all know about the infamous scandal with Milli Vanilli. But should that be a valid reason for judging this album? Hardly. Listen to the new Britney Spears album: on some songs her voice is so digitally altered that she almost sounds like a robot. One could argue that she isn't really singing on her album either. And there are plenty more artists out there who fall into the same category. For the most part, Girl You Know It's True is a fantastic listen. The songs are well composed and have a great vibe. From a lyrical standpoint it's nothing profound, but then again this music is to make one feel good, not to convey life-changing deep messages. Take it for what it is. The most memorable songs are of course the hits like the title cut and "Blame It On The Rain." But there are many other gems as well, such as the nice ballad "I'm Gonna Miss You" and the funky "All Or Nothing." I didn't give it 5 stars because a few songs just aren't as memorable as the other stronger ones. But taken as a whole, Girl You Know It's True is a great listen. An album that will go down in history for all the wrong reasons. But that doesn't take away from what matters most: the music."