This compilation of the first era of
Blackstreet, from its 1994 formation to its 1999 disbanding, does a good job of presenting the highlights of the vocal group's career along with some interesting obscure tracks. The song list includes most of the available chart hits by the group, the major omission being the 1999 Top Ten R&B/Top 20 pop hit "Take Me There" from the film The Rugrats Movie, credited to
Blackstreet and
Mya featuring Ma$e and Blinky Blink. Although the soundtrack album was on
Blackstreet's then-label,
Interscope, and the song appears on the group's third album, Finally, it is not included here, presumably due to some licensing conflict. Also missing, if more understandably, is
Blackstreet's featured appearance on
Janet Jackson's number one R&B hit "I Get Lonely," issued on
Virgin Records. Otherwise, all of the group's biggest hits are featured, among them, of course, the platinum-selling title cut, "Don't Leave Me," and "Before I Let You Go." There are also album tracks such as
Blackstreet's ballad treatment of
the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" and a couple of hard to find items: the non-album B-side of "No Diggity," a revival of
Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" that mixes in plenty of "No Diggity," and "Coming Home to You" from the soundtrack to the
Spike Lee film Get on the Bus. The compilers have included much more from the group's first two albums, Blackstreet and
Another Level, than from the less successful third, Finally, and that's a reasonable decision. The collection is not perfect, but it gives a good sense of
Blackstreet's music of the 1990s. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi
