Q Magazine
A remarkably traditional record, in both sound ('60s/'70s soul) and conception. Here's the tale: R. Kelly becomes the biggest thing in modern swingbeat; then he picks a teenage schoolfriend, Aaliyah (ah-lee-yah), and writes, arranges and produces an entire LP for her; that, too, is a huge hit. Aaaah, lovely. Aaliyah herself claims hardcore rap among her favorite music, but R. is having none of that. It's no coincidence that the first tune the pair recorded together was Old School, because much of Kelly's work recalls music made 20 years ago. All that's been added is a certain production sheen and the thud of electronic drums. Occasional nods to Dr Dre-style g-funk (I'm Down) serve only to point up the conservatism of the rest. Aaliyah's voice is fine, though, and the huge single, Back And Forth, deserves its success.
My Review
This was a great album for newcomer Aaliyah. It was a old school album with a hip hop flare and I liked that. With R. Kelly on the album it made it even better. My favorite songs on the album are ''Back And Forth'', ''At Your Best (Your Are Love)'', and ''Age Ain't Nothing But A Number''.
Back to Lyrics