Customer Reviews

Karyn White

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of her finest albums. I miss the way these songs made us feel and look at love and our life with great expectation or a knowing nod of the head because of the familiar situations she sings about. These songs would be good for marriages and relationships now, because they make you look at the value and importance of what you're in or what you shouldn't be in. These days R&B is becoming tasteless and monotonous. Karyn brought back classic story-line and real issues that were truthful but not degrading to our culture. It would be great to have her back in the studio again because there are still some of us that like real good music and good writing.

Superwoman was like an anthem for women when it first came out and she said what alot of woman would like to say without having to get "ghetto"....just graceful. Secret Rendevous is just a feel good jam brings remembrance of an old crush, (don't remember who, but I remember what a crush felt like)(smile). The Way You Love Me, Family Man, and Don't Mess With Me, were also feel good jams with great story-lines, fun to listen to and the names of the songs fits the expression of what's coming across in the song. Slow Down, Love Saw It (BabyFace),Tell Me Tomorrow, and One Wish are classic love songs perfected with smooth mellow tones. Love Saw It was a big hit back then. However, this album is repeat worthy in your cd player if you're taking a drive, working, or relaxing with some friends. As a matter of fact, your whole family can dance to it. It can set a great tone for weddings, a first date, a romantic night in, class reunions, or time spent chillin' next to a lake.

Karyn White's debut album followed the trend of funky-R&B artist crossing over to the pop charts. Warner wisely team up White with the winning team production of L.A. Reid and Babyface(of course if you listen to this album you will realize you're listening to a style capitalized by Paula Abdul, preeceded by Pebbles and Watley), White had come from the hit single "Facts Of Love" with Jeff Lorber, and has signed a record deal, that in fact, promised to make White into the new Watley of the 1988, although this album has such huge funky classic's like "The Way You Love", the innovative "Secret Rendesvouz" and soulful "Superwoman", different from Watley's debut, a lot of this highlights got lost in filler cuts, that were courtesy of the same producers, wich she got rid by her second album(by that time White has already married superstar producer Terry Lewis of Janet Jackson). Even though all the fillers make this album one of those that you can't hear thru beginning and end, it does carries classic music gems like the ones mentioned before and R&B classic # 1 "Love Saw It".

This is the definitive karyn white album. LA and Babyface were getting there feet wet at the time and she became one of their first big successes. Veering from the make you dance "secret rendezvous" to the more mellow and verrry smooth "slow down". And also try on the romantic "Love Saw It". However, the highlight of this album and the one karyn will probably always be remembered for is "Superwoman", and deservedly so. When that hit came out every female I knew, myself included ran around singing that song--the anthem of the strong but not to be abused woman. Although some of the last songs are forgettable they don't detract from the overall flow of the album. A wonderful album altogether.

Karyn White's self-titled debut album showcases the singer's strong but sweet voice over the sounds of L.A. and Babyface. Hits such as "The Way You Love Me," and "Secret-Rendezvous," simply make you wanna dance. On the other hand, Karyn slows it down with her no. 1 hit anthem, "Superwoman," also produced by L.A. and 'Face, a song about the independent female in a relationship. White also duets with Babyface on "Love Saw It," which would also become a big hit. Karyn's voice + LaFace sound = pop classics never to be forgotten.

Karyn White had such a phenomenal debut with her album. It had the right songs to match with her voice. Funky numbers such as The Way You Love Me, Secret Rendezvous and Don't Mess With Me show her no nonsense approach. But fabulous ballads such as Superwoman (a true women's anthem in the late '80s) and Love Saw It showed strong vocal power. Most of the album was produced by LA and Babyface, of which all four of those hits were done by them. This album came in the middle of the nonstop juggernaut of hits they had in 1988. They had no less than 6 or 7 of their hits playing at the same time on the radio! It's really Karyn's major hits that have helped Babyface become the successful producer and songwriter he's become. The other numbers, some produced by Jeff Lorber, are just as solid. While Karyn is taking a much needed break from music, this album will fill up for lost time while she will be preparing for her 4th album in the future. This was just one of the surprising albums to come out of '88 and it is still a classic to me!

I started love this voice from 'superwoman'.Powerful but soft.I hope everybody would hear this song then you will like it very very much!

I heard Superwoman on the radio and a flood of old memories can. SO I went to my box of tapes and put in Karyn White. ThenI put in the other tape. Karyn was the girl in her dad and I did a lot of dancing and romancing to her.

In the R&B world in particular,music was changing very fast in the second half of the 1980's. And it had a lot more to do with attitude than any particular sound. In particular when it came to the female vocalist. During the 50's and 60's,they'd tended to be on the demure side-hoping for marriage to the right man usually. By the 70's it became a spiritually conscious feminist attitude that extended somewhat into the 80's too. By decades end,the first group of Generation X age female R&B artists were making their debut with Karyn White being among them. Debuting a couple years earlier on Jeff Lorber's Private Passion this album featured a few songs produced by Lorber but actually emerged as an early LA Reid/Babyface production (before the LeFace label). While that team were known for producing somewhat soft soapy love songs,Karyn turned out to be someone with a unique and pointed look on femininity.

Basically Karyn takes the "nasty" attitude of Janet Jackson's recent work to the next level on this album. She does so with a broad variety of songs. It's definitely in the 80's funk groove tradition of Janet Jackson,maybe just a tad more urban. The tough grooving "The Way You Love Me",reminiscent of "Facts of Love" from Lorber's album as well as "Family Man","Don't Mess With Me" and "Secret Rendevous" take care of the uptempo side of things nicely. "Slow Down","Superwoman","Love Saw It" and "Tell Me Tomorrow" all have that textured slow groove she does so well. Her lyrical bent? Well she keeps asking herself questions about why a lot of people withdraw after intimate encounters,and how to deal with independence from romantic entanglements. Her concerns are very adult. And assertive.

The romantic and personal attitudes of Karyn White would become the standard for many female R&B vocalists from the late 80's up to this very day-all the way from Mary J Blige to Beyonce. The major difference between the ones that do it best and the ones who try is experience and approach. Karyn White handles things from a very adult point of view. Even though it's clear a lot of men have done her wrong romantically,she allows them the right to do so-seeing it as a life lesson as opposed to a challange. The fact that her image,music and strong soulful voice present the same sophisticated confidence helps to make this album the important and somewhat unsung milestone that it is. Not to mention the idea of melding the proto New Jack-electro funk sound with classy soul singing. In the end,it's a very influential and strong album that everyone should hear at least once.

This is a good CD. I wonder what happened to her? Hmmmm. She has great talent. Her voice is really nice. Her first CD's were ok but this one was the best.

This was one of the baddest R/B chicks of the late 80's era.
When speaking on the 80's, you have to be very careful, to what era you're talking about.
Karyn is Late 80's all the way. The New Jack era.
Her biggest mistake was her departure from the Laface production team.
Tymeflight was a serious record/producing duo, but, they didn't have that Laface element, if you will.
Tyme can make a star out of anyone. They are professionals, (minnesota sound) genius! But, they weren't new jack, and NJ was the new trump at the time. Laface was NJ all the way. Karyn didn't have the strongest voice, however, good song writing and Karyn's ability to try was all Babyface and LA needed to bring forth a platinum project.
So, I say, It was a bad move on Karyn's part when she parted ways with Laface production team!
This is must have CD if you want to relive the classic sexy woman without the strip tease, phone sex / NEWJACK SWING era.
The tracks on this CD is crazy, LaFace was going in on every track produced, nor was (KW) holding any punches with her sexy lil voice, singing her lil heart out, Go gurl!!!!