Customer Reviews

Heart Break

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Being that I'm a die-hard new edition fan, 5 stars simply isn't enough for one of the best r&b albums of all time. It was even more influential because of the timing. New Jack Swing was still in its infancy and it's safe to say that Heart Break was a cornerstone album to cement new jack swing as the dominant genre of urban music in 1988. Returning to the album, Jam & Lewis (the production team), and New Edition were in prime form, as heard by Ralph, Ricky, and newcomer Johnny. They start off by telling you "That's the Way They're Livin'" after a lively introduction. They make you reminisce with them as they tell you "Where It All Started From".

Their first single, "If It Isn't Love", had success written all over it. Having a memorable chorus and top-notch production, "If It Isn't Love" nearly topped the r&b charts at #2 and did pretty well on the pop chart too, #7. Things get right down funky on "N.E. Heart Break" (2nd favorite track). All five members get in on the act, and in the process, peaking at #13 on the r&b chart. "Crucial" continues in dance mode, but is lighter sounding. It's still an enjoyable listen, peaking at #4 on the r&b chart. "You're Not My Kind of Girl" is a pleasing follow-up to crucial. It peaked at #3 on the r&b chart. "Superlady" rounds out the dance/new jack flava of the album.

"Can You Stand the Rain" introduces the ballad side of Heart Break. From the memorable chorus to Johnny's buttery vocals complimented with Ralph's smooth delivery, it was destined to top the charts, staying there for 2 weeks. "Competition", is New Edition at their best. Ricky, Ralph, and Ronnie compliment team up to deliver a smooth tune. It's my third favorite track and one that is usually overlooked in regards to first-rate NE tracks. "I'm Comin' Home" has a nice mid-tempo groove, which is just right for Ralph's quiet yet forceful delivery. Rounding out the album is the unforgettable assurance of "Boys to Men". This is my favorite track on the set with Johnny's smooth vocals complimented by Ralph's silky bridge. This is the epitomy of pure soul.

All in all, heart break is the best album new edition recorded. Their isn't any filler, which is hard to come by for R&B albums. Every song follows the next, which makes for an easy listen. For all of these qualities, this album will go down as one of the best albums of the new jack swing era and is first-rate R&B across all other urban genres (adult comtemporary, urban contemporary, classic soul). In other words, it is recommended for the casual r&b fan and essential for the casual new jack fan.

Who would have ever thought that a small song done for a hum-drum movie would have led to such a classic pairing of performers and producers? Let me refresh your memories:

In 1987, the movie "Dragnet" starring Dan Akroyd and Tom Hanks hit the theatres. All in all, it was a sad remake of a classic TV show. The only bright spot was a song on the soundtrack, a song that showcased 4 performers who were trying to redefine themselves after so much childhood success. That group was New Edition, and the song was entitled "Helplessly In Love". The thing that made this song so different was its composition. Instead of bubble-gum lyrics over a poppy-synth track, it was done with tight harmonies and layered music. This sound, created by producing phenoms Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis led us to the breakout album "Heart Break".

Not content with letting NE rest on their previous laurels, Jam and Lewis set them free with the confident, brash swagger that accompanied the boys in the latter part of their teen years. Starting off with a strong statement in the song "That's the Way We're Livin'" and jumping just as strongly into "This Is Where It All Started" got the album off to a rollicking start. That's when J&L and NE gave everyone a taste of their newfound soulful sound with "If It Isn't Love". What a great song, and definitely still as fresh today as it was almost 20 years ago.

Some of the filler tracks like "Crucial" and "My Kind Of Girl" are good to keeep the mood going, and then the album gives us its first complete surprise.

Let me state for the record (and I'm a 40 year old guy who's heard a lot of music) that "Can You Stand The Rain" is one of the best songs ever written. Period. I listen to this song even today and it wells me up. Jam and Lewis use Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill so effectively on the leads with Mike, Ricky and Ronnie backing them up with tightly layered vocals that anyone wanting to do a single song study of how to put together an R&B song could use this as a model. "Coming Home" slows the mood down even more to get us ready for "Boys To Men". Another great, unexpectedly soulful rendition.

I bought this album in New Jersey soley on the strength of "If It Isn't Love", and listened to it start to finish twice on my drive back to the Northern Virginia area. It still has a place near my CD player, and many of the songs occupy a place in my heart. There are probably 3 albums to purchase if you ever want to completely experience the genious of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis; Hearsay by Alexander O'Neal, Affair by Cherelle, and this one. It is not to be missed.

In Tresvant and Gill, however, N.E. had a pair of singers blessed with creamy tenor voices who could both take the lead. And lead they d0. What catches the ear first in their finest moment, the single "You're Not My Kind of Girl," however, isn't the singing, but the production tricks in the song's intro. Listen with headphones, and hear the channel-jumping "you're very pretty"s going back and forth, buried in the mix. And then what's done with the "sorry"s, toyed and toggled into submission, almost cut and scratched, but not quite, with accomplished singer Johnny Gill riffing all over it. The track is purely synthetic, of its moment but never sounding too dated. But "Girl"'s coup de grace is the twist I didn't notice until very recently: not only is Ralph singing lead, he's got Johnny backing him up on the verses, adding a deep, delicious harmony. Ralph's voice is strong and urgent, reminiscent of Michael Jackson's coo at moments (such as his "giiii-iiirl" which opens the second verse like a waterfall)from Johnny, before he and Ralph go over and over "you're not my, you're not, you're not, my kind..." as the song closes on itself. And did you hear that, buried in the second chorus? It's a spine tingling experience. BBD do their standing-on-the-corner-rappin'-with-the-fellas thing for the bridge, and then it's onto the third chorus, vamping its way out, but not before one last, thrilling "Wooo! More than simply back up but talented and accomplished entertainers in their own right. Heartbreak is the last album to give eternal fans a little bit of the old NE and an sexy introduction to the men of New Edition. This album is the best of both worlds. This is an essential R&B and should be in every serious record collectors bin.

The Heartbreak album is a masterpiece. From head to toe, the album was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who already mastering 80s Black pop, had added New Jack Swing music to their skills. The similarly produced Janet Jackson album, "Rhythm Nation 1814" would be released the next year - but this album really marked Jam & Lewis' ability to transition into the 1990s. Not only was the production exciting, but the group added Johnny Gill, from Washington DC. His mature and husky voice was an excellent counterpoint to Ralph's softness and would be the template for the combo of K-Ci and JoJo's hard and soft vocals in Jodeci three years later.

The album opens up with an excellent intro that climaxes into the energetic and live sounding "That's The Way We're Living" in which Johnny makes his debut with soaring riffs that conclude the fanfare that opens the album. On "Where It All Started From", the excitement continues as every member gets their moment in the sun on this upbeat, fun track. (Which I think should be included on the soundtrack for their possible movie...) Then, N.E. gets intense on "If It Isn't Love" which is an urgent plea for love and understanding, and one of N.E.'s signature songs. The album continues consistently, with the title track, "N.E. Heartbreak" tying us over into "Crucial" and "You're Not My Kinda Girl" which were all released as singles during the Heartbreak campaign. Although the remixes of the previous three songs are better than the album versions, they are still good listens overall. Then, only on the CD version, the album seems to take a step back into the 'All For Love' era, with "Superlady", a bonus track that features the Double R Connection of Ricky Bell and Ralph Tresvant taking the helm. The saxophone solo in the middle of the song gives it a more bubblegum feel...but it is a welcome return and appropriate prelude to the work of sonic art to come next. Chirping birds introduce "Can You Stand the Rain?" and New Edition turns put their best performance on this one. Johnny and Ralph singing together reassure the listener that there is life (perhaps a better one) for New Edition after Bobby Brown's departure. With perfect timing, Ricky Bell scores a memorable solo in the middle of the song before Johnny bundles us up with his powerful, warm, and mature voice as the song fades into the rain.

Ralph leads his band of merry men into "Competition", a sweet, sincere and well meaning song that seems to have been recorded before Johnny Gill's arrival. Anyhow, the song is nice. On "I'm Comin' Home", New Edition serves up a quiet storm classic that utilizes Ralph, Ricky and Johhny very well. It is a jam best served in front of a warm fire, sipping hot cocoa with marshmallows under a warm blanket with your significant other. By this point on the album, there is no mistake that the boys have grown into men, and Johnny confirms this fact on the last song, "Boys To Men". It is a perfect ending to a perfect album with interludes that let you into the lives of New Edition. Whether they are fighting over a woman, rapping about Heartbreak, making fun of Johnny Gill or discussing homesickness, the spoken interludes fit in well with the album. Kudos to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for really blessing this one. The album is so special, four guys from Philly decided to name themselves after the last track - "Boyz II Men". Heartbreak is New Edition at their best.

This album came out my senior year in highschool. There was sooooooooo much Great Black music coming out in this era, specifically 1988. Rap was gaining influence, and 88' is known as the golden era of rap. New Jack Swing was Crackin' and then R&B was doing its thing. It was a great time to be highschool. NE HEARTBREAK was such an influential. When it hit the airwaves...it hit hard. You could not go to a school dance or prom without a song on this album being played. I did not like the thought of johnny gill being in the group at firt, because I thought he would mess up the chemistry of the group, he has a great voice but he was an unproven artist. I was wrong. This album affected me and alot of the guys I was going to school with. We all grew up with NE and the album was a very reflective album. This album was New Edition's transition from boys to men and for me and my buddies, this was also the case. NE's albums literally reflected our younger years and now this album was also a turning point, we were growing up...We used to not just listen to this album, but FEEL IT. The single boy's to men says it all. It was a great time and a great album. I agree with everyone else, this was their best album and this was a 5 star album. This album will stand the test of time. For any 18 year old today or years from now, it will bring reflective joy. New Edition is that group that comes from that great lineage of the old motown groups. NE is the last of that breed, there has not been a group since New Edition with their delivery, moves and stage prescence. Class. It is one thing to bump and grind on stage for two hours, which is something all male groups tend to do. I remembe seeing them at the NE heartbreak tour in '88 and them brothas got on stage and were smooth. No group as done that since...You just won't see that today. Class. Today you got r&b groups coming out dressed like thugs...singing love songs...that is wrong...LOL...For my generation it is New Edition. Just as the tempts were my parents choice...NE is ours... we are still waiting for the next great r&b group....16 years and counting...

This album is a classic R&B album that I haven`t been able to let go; even though I wasn`t alive when it first hit the shelves. Each member of the group really shines & performs well on each song.

Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant were obviously competitive on this album since Johnny was the new member of the group. Johnny`s "Boys To Men" is one of the best tracks on the album & my personal favorite.

Some of my other favorites include: the memorable "If It Isn`t Love", the on-the-road-puppy-love song "N.E. Heartbreak", and the BEST song on the album..... "YOU`RE NOT MY KIND OF GIRL". I recommend this album for any New Edition fan, any R&B fan or anybody who loves good, fun music. BKLYNBABYLON signing off....

1ST YOU HAD THE TEMPTATIONS,THEN THE J-5,THEN THERE WAS NEW EDITION,THEN THERE'S EVERYONE ELSE.I HAD JUST RETURNED TO THE U.S.FROM A NORTH ATLANTIC CRUISE TO FIND OUT THAT MY FAVORITE GROUP HAD FINALLY MADE A NEW ALBUM.I WAS EXCITED BUT I WASN'T READY FOR THE SHEER POWER OF THIS ALBUM.MY BOYZ WERE NO LONGER BUBBLEGUM,JOHNNY GILL HIT THE RIGHT WHERE THEY NEEDED IT.AND FROM THE CONCERT INTERLUDE TO THE LAST NOTE OF BOYZ TO MEN,THIS ALBUM(in my opinion)IS 1 OF THE 10 BEST ALBUMS EVER MADE.FROM THE PARTY SONGS CRUCIAL,N.E.HEARTBREAK,AND IF IT ISN'T LOVE TO THE MID-RANGE YOU'RE NOT MY KINDA GIRLDOWN TO THE BALLADS I'M COMIN'HOME,BOYS TO MEN AND MY ALL TIME FAVORITE CAN YOU STAND THE RAIN,EVEN THE FILLER SONGS WERE GOOD.FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T SEEN A NEW EDITION CONCERT AND WITNESSED JOHNNY GILL'S LIVE RENDITION OF BOYZ TO MEN...THAT IS AN EVENT IF THERE EVER IS AN EVENT.TRULY THIS WAS N-E'S FINEST HOUR,AND THEY ARE TRULY"WHERE IT ALL STARTED FROM"!

I just got through listening to this album for the 800th time (LOL) This is definitely one of the best albums ever made. My favorite tracks are: Where It All Started; If It Isn't Love; N.E. Hearbreak; You're Not My Kind of Girl; Can You Stand The Rain (One of the best slow jams ever made!) & Boys To Men (Johnny killed this one!)My ONLY complaint about this album is that the version NE Heartbreak that was featured in the video is waaaaay better than the album version. Mike's rap was classic! (I said yo baby/how the hell is ya livin'/cut that zero & roll with Michael Bivins) I'm having a hard time finding the remix but it's doesn't take away from this being the greatest group of all time. NE Forever!!

After the departure of Bobby Brown, New Edition was left without a 5th member, and their careers seemed to be on standstill until further notice, but in 1988, that notice came in the form of Johnny Gill, a powerful vocalist from Washington D.C. who, along with singer Stacy Lattisaw, had a few R&B hits of his own.

Under the mastermind production of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, New Edition returned to the music scene and released one of the most successful R&B albums of the '80s - "Heart Break." The album spawned such unforgettable songs as "If It Isn't Love," "Boys To Men," and "Can You Stand The Rain." It also sold over 2 million copies worldwide.

This CD is by far one of the GREAT classics in contemporary R&B Music!

Like many of the other reviewers I go back all way to the album CANDY GIRL(CG) back when I was 14. I really enjoyed songs like Popcorn Love and She Gives Me A Bang. Through my teen years I followed NE's career by purchasing all their albums including their Christmas album and their doo woop album. I figured after Bobby Brown left in the mid eighties and especially when his first two albums didn't do so well that NE was dead. Between 85 & 88 NE did not release any new songs and I thought I had assummed correctly. When I heard they were going to release a new album in 88 with Johnny Gill I was skeptical. I had heard of Johnny Gill and had heard the song and seen the video for Half Crazy but couldn't figure how his mellow sound would blend with NE minus Bobby Brown. I bought the album, which did not contain the song Superlady, and found that virtually every song was good. Superlady was released as a bonus track on the CD and the tape. I later purchased the cd.

With the exception of You're Not My Kind OF Girl the entire 2nd side of the album contained the slow jams while the first side of the album contained the beat jams. My favorite song off this album is like many of the other reviewers Can You Stand The Rain. Gill & Tresvant blend their voices beautifully here. I also thought that Gills voice provided great background vocals in NE Heart Break and front vocals in Boys To Men.

Overall I think NE achieved what few other teen groups can do. They left their teen sound behind them and embraced their new adulthood. There is still a trace of their teen sound present in the songs You're Not My Kind of Girl and Competition but it works well and reminds us of where NE came from. While the song Boys To Men tells where they are now and where their headed.

MCA also released Bobby Browns album DON'T BE CRUEL at the same time as HEART BREAK. So even though I thought both BB & NE to be dead in the water they both emerged as powerful R&B forces in the late 80's.

One last note. Some reviewers compare NE to other "boy bands" such as NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK and THE BACK STREET BOYS. While I understand the comparison and acknowledge the idea that NE helped pave the way for such bands I don't think of them as a "boy band". In my mind "boy bands" usually fade away after their teen fan base becomes adults. It happened to NKOTB and is happening to TBSB. These group don't have the ability to allow their music to mature and grow as the members of the band do. I think NE has proven that they are here to stay. While they may not release an album every 18 months when they do release on such as HOME AGAIN it is a success in its own right. In other words NE will not just be remembered for their teen albums but also for their current and future works. I am looking forward to the release of their new album later this year. BB is on the album but will not tour with the group as I understand the situation.