After the quick success of MoS' first R&B Anthems album released last year, it only took less than a year to release part 2. However, from the 60 songs on 3 discs totalling over three hours of music, MoS is taking the chance of releasing a lot of music that has been put out there many many times before on pretty much everywhere else on various compilations and then coupling songs that are still so fresh in people's memories how can they now be 'anthems'? That's asking me to accept a LOT!
(I even checked my external HD and I've got 50 of the 60 songs on there already from so many other previous releases it makes me a bit dizzy!)
Granted, the classics are all here, and a majority of them can be considered 'anthems' in the R&B genre. From R. Kelly to SWV to Brownstone to Zhane and even Joe Public, the first disc is a who's who of some of the greatest jams from the early 1990's. The second and third disc get a little muddy for me as I didn't know a few of them. Of course, I am in the United States and these acts were Made In Britain, so I didn't hear of them, but I did take the time to listen and now I want to know more about them, especially Koffee Brown and Lemar.
To be honest, once again, I really don't consider the following songs "anthems," as some of them haven't even been out for more than 5 years, and in my opinion they're not of the same calibre as Maxwell, TLC or even Jay-Z:
Kelly Rowland - Stole
Britney Spears - Boys (The Co Ed Remix)
Mario - Let Me Love You
Lemar - 50/50
Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown - No Air
Ciara Feat. Justin Timberlake - Love Sex Magic
And in the case of Yasmin, Wretch 32 and JLS, they're so new to the game it's astounding how they can instantly be called "anthems"... oh, but guess who's got a BIG financial stake in their future - you guessed it, MoS!
Well, the three discs are good music, no doubt, but once again I noted this in a previous review of another compilation by therm about how they like to sneak new music in with "classics" of "anthems." That's a little deceptive and kinda shameful that they can't find better material to put on here towards the end but untested music by first-timers...
I expect better from MoS (and they have delivered in the past) but here they leave me cold and not wanting. I've got most of the music they're trying to sell me and then they're throwing at me freshly added new artists to the "anthems" logo? Not for me - I'll pass.
I'm giving them four stars for the effort, but overall I'm giving it two for the result. It's just not worth spending good money on.
Sorry, but it's all I can say about it.
(Thanks for reading and please don't forget to either leave a comment or a vote...)