Customer Reviews

Meant To Be Mint

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"...came six talented brothas and mad grooves did they bring..."

Meant to be Mint is a debut that yields one of the classic ballads of all-time, "Breakin' My Heart(Pretty Brown Eyes)". This album introduced a new flavor to the Minneapolis sound during a time when Prince, Alex O'Neal, and The Time were giving us their own seasoned blends.

"Do U Wanna", "Are U Free", "True to Thee", "Try My Love," "She's A Honey", "Here We Go Again", & "Sensuous Appeal" are funky dance tracks, laced with playful chants between the guys. It's clear they're having fun in the studio. "Outta Time Outta Mind" has strong social messages and "I Wonder If She Likes Me" foreshadowed what was to come from them on the rock front. Check out the guitar solos by O'dell.

"Forever in Your Eyes" is another beautiful ballad, while "Single to Mingle" is a jazzy cut featuring the gorgeous playing of Lawrence Waddell on the Grand Piano and their sassy saxman/keyboardist Jeffrey Allen.

Mint wrote all the songs on this album & supplied the instrumentation as well. Meant to be Mint definitely laid the foundation on which LIVE bands continue to build. This is the perfect start for those who want a vintage "Taste of the Mint", but don't stop here. The music only gets better!

Peace. CLB.

This album introduces the Minneapolis-based band Mint Condition and once you hear the opening track you know how strongly influenced they were from that area. Although the highly-charged funk numbers would make Prince and The Time nod their heads in approval, the searing slow jams are what really make this album stand out. Breakin My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes) and Forever In Your Eyes might be considered classics several years from now, but for the time being this album provides only a glimpse of what to expect from the band's upcoming LP's. NOT the definitive Mint Condition album, but a good one nonetheless.

Originally released during the summer of 1991, it reintroduced the concept of the band. During this time, the "band" concept was being replaced by the singing group, and the solo artist. It was and still is refreshing to hear artists that know how to play instruments. The groups first single, Breakin' My Heart, was a R&B chart topping hit. Listen to the keyboards, guitars, and drums, and reflect how they mesh together so perfectly. Add the singing of Stokley just as a finishing touch. Their second single, staying with the love theme, Forever In Your Eyes, was also a charting hit. (Radio and Records Magazine 1992)- Single to Mingle, the groups next single didn't do as well on the charts, but it is a Mint Condition standard in their live performances. The up-tempo tunes are excellent also, but they didn't get strong radio airplay.

Mint Condition's debut release, "Meant To Be Mint" personifies everything that was going on in r&b music in 1991. The annoying brightly-colored clothing (remember Cross Colours? Yes, I admit I had some of their stuff), the eccentric appeal of wearing something different (check out the hats each member is wearing on the cover), and fast r&b dance tracks. Mint Condition's CD could be used as a soundtrack for any of the following movies, due to their similarities: "Livin' Large", "Strictly Business", or "Mo' Money".

Mint Condition played it smart, though. Rather than releasing some of the dance tracks, their introductory single was "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)", which in my opinion is a classic. Stokley's vocals and lyrics make this song a 10 in my book, and the band's backing makes this a powerful experience. A lot of other people liked the track, too, but after buying the CD, a lot of us wondered whether it should have been named "Meant To Be One-Hit Wonders".

I've always said that r&b artists should make ballads, and stick to them. A singer's voice is best utilized when it's over a slow, sultry backdrop, rather than a synthesizer & a drum machine. Leave the fast stuff to pop and hip-hop is what I say... but do they listen? Noooooo... and does it sound good? Noooooo. MC packs dance tracks into this CD, making it hard to listen to, especially since this is the kind of dance music that was popular in 1991. "True To Thee", "Do U Wanna", "Here We Go Again", and 6 other up-tempo songs really sour the whole experience.

But, there are some other ballads on the album. "Forever In Your Eyes" is not only the second slow jam on the CD, or the second song about "eyes", but also was their second single that they released. With a saxophone opening the song, it's got a little more of a jazzy feel - something that Mint Condition's fans are now used to.

3 tracks later, "Single To Mingle" brings in a nice smooth groove to grind to. The subject matter here is simple: are you available for a date? How someone can make a 4:21 song that's just about asking someone out boggles the mind, but they pull it off here. Once again Stokeley's vocals impress, and the band pulls off a nice job in the background.

Overall, I think that "Meant To Be Mint" is an average CD. If it were just the 3 ballads that I mentioned, it would have received 4 or 5 stars from me, but that wouldn't have been much of an album, would it? My recommendation is to pick up Mint Condition's "The Collection (1991-1998)", which has all 3 of the ballads (although "Single To Mingle" is a live version), as well as some other really good tracks that they've released.

While I like Mint Condition's later albums, nothing can top their first album from 1991! They play their butts off on this album! Breaking My Heart was one of the best live ballads of the first part of the '90s. Against the mostly keyboard and technology driven R&B of that period, this is still a classic. Forever In Your Eyes is another phenomenal ballad. The rest of the album is just as strong, as this album gets funky as well as smoothes out all throughout this effort! They just put out a new album in 2005, so they're still tearing it up today! They kind of gave Tony Toni Tone a run for their money in the musicianship when they each competed for chart dominance in the 90s. They come off all the way live on this album, something that needs to return back to R&B music if another R&B band can get their name and faces out there to the public. Yes I listen to hip-hop, but I definitely like live R&B bands and Mint Condition is continuing that vibe!

While Mint Follows The Great Minneapolis Trail here it's Not As Powerful.The Slow Jams Take over more than anything else.Breaking My Heart(Pretty Brown eyes) is in a Class unto itself.They haven't Followed The Minneapolis Sound Up With Strong Grooves here.but you Since this Group will be Around.it's a Average Start but they have Promise.

i believe the song "pretty brown eyes" by mint condition is a great song. however new reviewers will find it hard to tell because the sample is too short and doesn't highlight the gooooood part of the song. this is the internet! let's keep it real, play atleast half of the song(that's if you want it to sell).

Minneapolis had up until this point been largely known for the Mary Tyler Moore Show and of course Prince. And everyone who came along with him. Including The Time who,up until this point were THE BAND aside from Prince's in the twin cities. Than along came Mint Condition. It was the 1990's and although Guy and Toni Toni Tone got the jump on them as being the first self contained bands of the new jack swing era. They arrived on the scene in an era when a good deal the biggest stars were male singing groups such as Boyz II Men,Shai,Silk,Portrait-the list goes on. And not all of those groups were songwriters/musicians either.More or less led by singer/songwriter/bassist Stockley along with guitarist O'Dell and keyboardist Lawrence Waddell here was a band more than capable of standing on it's own and actually had a unique musical approach.

At this point the band were producing with Time members Jellybean Johnson and of course Jam & Lewis. And it shows. For such a self contained group there is a lot of programmed rhythms here. In the bands favor are their songwriting talents,harmonically close knit vocal arrangements and strong sense of funk. That shows up on "True To Thee","Do You Wanna","Are You Free" and "She's A Honey",all strong uptempo new jack funk jams with heavy popping electric bass and guitar with the call and response approach of The Time more than a little evident. The ballads "Breakin' My Heart" and "Try My Love" tell a totally different story,as they showcase these heady gospel type arrangements on those with very strong hooks. The album ends with a bit more of a nod to the future with "I Wonder If She Likes Me",a bit of a romantic shaggy dog wonderment set to a hard rocking guitar type funk jam-very much a live instrumental affair.

Though clearly Mint Condition's sound is not yet fully matured at this point and yes-some of the production is mildly stuck in it's era these musicians even at this point showed enormous ammounts of talent and no shortage on inventive musical concepts. One person who comment on another review I did for this band referred to them as "real musicians playing real music". And of course they are. Here people will find them just getting their legs. I am sure when this came out,people who were not big fans of the new jack swing sound probably tossed this aside and rolled their eyes (as they might have even with an early Toni Toni Tone release even" dismissing it and the entire genre pretty much as teeny bopper music. Over the years I've come to somewhat appreciate the new jack sound a bit more than I did when it was overly saturated. That is,as long as it was a launching point for a band as ambitious and groove fortified as Mint Condition. Taken for what it is,a promising debut by one of the bands of it's era who have reallys stuck it out over the years.

I have been a mint condition fan forever. I own all of their cds. Their latest cd is very good. But I think the first one is the best!! Even though its old school it sounds as if it was made for the present! Please get this cd you'll love it!

There will never be another c-d like this. This is music at its best. You will not have to change a track on this c-d. Now on to the music part, grooves, funky funk, soul, and everything else including the kitchen sink!!!!! tell you the truth all of that is an understatement there are no words in any language to discribe this c-d. You Are wasting your time reading this review go and get it, and celebrate music at its purest form!!!!