There’s nothing as unfailingly humorous as the greatest hits albums of artists so marginal that even their best songs can’t exactly be called great.
This has never been more true than Quincy Jones’ protege, whose biggest showbiz break was starring on The Fresh Prince of Belair as himself, and getting threatened by Will Smith for trying to mack on Ashley.
Picking up where New Edition left off, Campbell produced two successful albums of syrupy R&B ballads before catastrophe struck: his voice changed. A man dwarfed by his own pre-pubescent shadow, his last two albums have been less than stellar. And thus, here we are, praising the admittedly guilty pleasure of “Shhh,” and “Can We Talk.” But unfortunately, three songs don’t necessitate a greatest hits album, as proven by this CD.
Archived article by Mike Giusto