Yes, the 1996 reunion album Home Again rocked, but it wasn't quite the tour de force everyone was expecting. That's because what was so great about New Edition was their irresistible blend of bubblegum pop and sweet soul, ... more »the kind responsible for hits like "Popcorn Love" and "Candy Girl" (guided, of course, by the hand of producer Maurice Starr, who went on to recycle these songs for white-bread clones New Kids on the Block). Included here is also the song that inspired Boyz II Men's name, and one of the prototypical new-soul ballads, "Can You Stand the Rain." "Count Me Out" and "Cool it Now" are bundles of fun, but not nearly as fun as simply hearing those voices at their tender beginnings. Who could have known they would go on to dominate the world of hip-hop and R&B in the '90s? --Rebecca Wallwork« less
Yes, the 1996 reunion album Home Again rocked, but it wasn't quite the tour de force everyone was expecting. That's because what was so great about New Edition was their irresistible blend of bubblegum pop and sweet soul, the kind responsible for hits like "Popcorn Love" and "Candy Girl" (guided, of course, by the hand of producer Maurice Starr, who went on to recycle these songs for white-bread clones New Kids on the Block). Included here is also the song that inspired Boyz II Men's name, and one of the prototypical new-soul ballads, "Can You Stand the Rain." "Count Me Out" and "Cool it Now" are bundles of fun, but not nearly as fun as simply hearing those voices at their tender beginnings. Who could have known they would go on to dominate the world of hip-hop and R&B in the '90s? --Rebecca Wallwork
"New Edition is easily one of the most recognized and heralded groups ever. Every member of the group went on to make it big solo (Bell Biv Devoe, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant). From their pop hits such as Candy Girl, Cool It Now, and Mr. Telephone Man, to their all too short stint with New Jack Swing on `If It Isn't Love' (arguably the best song they ever did) and `Count Me Out'. If It Isn't Love is one of the best jams I have ever heard. Ralph Tresvant just straight up killed this song...that man could sing. From the Michael Jackson esque `A Lil Bit Of Love' to The monumental slow jam "Can You Stand The Rain" which had Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant taking the lead in this oh so beautiful song, the group rocked the house. Everybody knows the lyrics to the song Can You Stand The Rain. "Sunny Days...Everybody Loves them...tell me baby can you stand the rain?...storms will come...this we know for sure...can you stand the rain?"New Edition is/was a great talented group...and are the kings of boy groups (along with the Jackson 5). What a great collection!"
The Real
George Lewis III | San Diego, ca. United States | 03/15/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"1st of all let me say that my boys New Edition are the real. I have grown up listening to their music, checking out their videos and going to their shows and the basically blow away all these other little teeny-bopper groups, we all know who they are. NE's shows were some of the best concerts ever and so were their videos. This CD displays some of that, of course not no where does it show all just some. It mixes songs from their 1st four original albums(not counting Under The Blue Moon). Has great songs on it but should have had more, which seems to be what the media does to NE, keep them short. NE is 1 of the greatest R&B groups of all time because of the amount of talent. This group features 4 out of the 6 members that are lead singers. We as music fans and especially as African-Americans, we should give NE the props they so rightfully deserve."
Bubble gum music you don't have to be ashamed to love
stevey wundar | Houston | 06/11/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Okay, okay, so we all know that the Jackson Five were the original "Boy Band" trendsetters.
Singing teeny-bop songs and breakin' it down with cool dance moves would be a formula New Edition pimped and passed along to Boyz II Men, New Kids On the Block, N-Sync, Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees and any other boy-band I missed.
I can honestly say, however, it's still cool 2 say you liked New Edition (which I'm sure ain't being said about all of the aforementioned groups, LOL).
This LP is the one to own because it really does have all of their greatest hits.
The love ballad "Can You Stand the Rain" is a classic, classic jam I think still sums up what real men are looking for in wifey material (among other things, LOL).
"Boys to Men," "Mr. Telephone Man," "Candy Girl" and "Popcorn Love" all sound dated, but if you're into this kind of R&B music you'll still enjoy hearing oldies but goodies one more time.
Recommended purchase."
New Edition - the Glory Years.
The Groove | Boston, MA | 09/05/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As a native Bostonian, I'm extremely proud to do a review of this hits collection from New Edition. Hailing from Roxbury, these five young men were poised to be the new Jackson 5 with their winning brand of bubblegum r&b. During my teenage years, New Edition were all the rage, wowing teenage girls who traded pinups of Ralph or Bobby from the pages of "Right On!" magazine. Lead singer Ralph Tresvant sang these songs with the innocence and charm of a young Michael Jackson. "Candy Girl," "Is This the End," and "Cool it Now" are all near flawlessly-crafted tunes that still hold up well today. They eventually grew out of their cutesy stage while Bobby Brown ditched the group for a very successful solo career. In the meantime, they roped in Johnny Gill, who joined New Edition on later hits such as "If it Isn't Love" and "Boys to Men" from the excellent "Heart Break" album. By 1990, the group ventured into solo projects and reunited in 1996 for the disappointing reunion album "Home Again." But you can always turn to this fine greatest hits collection for a snapshot of one of the most successful r&b boybands since the Jackson 5."
Truley one of the best albums of all time
The Groove | 03/07/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album brought back such great memories,and it is truley my all time favorite. Song like"Can you stand the rain and Lost in Love" were my favorite songs on the album. There ability to sing,with such emotion, and dance with such energy was amazing.Still one of the best groups ever. Music has not been the same, since there departure.This album will always be one of the greatest."