Keith Sweat KEITH SWEAT

Personnel: Keith Sweat, Aaron Hall, Gerald Levert, Ronald Isley, Buddy Banks, Athena Cage (vocals); Tizone (rap, keyboard & drum programming); "Pretty Russ," 'Lil Bud, Tamica Johnson (rap); Charlie Singleton (guitar); Allan "Grip" Smith (keyboards); Karl Heilbron (bass, drum programming); Zack Scott (bass); George "Spike" Neally III (percussion); William "Billy Bad" Ward, Fitzgerald Scott, Donald Parks (keyboard & drum programmming, background vocals); John Howcott, Eric McCaine, C-Love, Alphonso "Doc" Walker (keyboard & drum programming); Kut Klose, Daryl "Dezo" Adams, Bobby Crawford, Traci Hale, Ol Skul (background vocals).
Producers include: Keith Sweat, Eric McCaine, William "Billy Bad" Ward, Fitzgerald Scott, H.O.P. Productions.
Engineers: Karl Heilbron, Eric McCaine, Mike Alvord.
Recorded at The Sweat Shop, Deep Sound Music, Southern Tracks, The H.O.P. House and Tree Studios, Atlanta, Georgia.
Personnel: Keith Sweat (vocals, background vocals); Aaron Hall (vocals, background vocals); Gerald Levert, Ronald Isley, Athena Cage, Buddy Banks (vocals); Pretty Russ, Tizone, Lil' Bud (rap vocals); Charlie Singleton (guitar); William "Billy Bad" Ward, Fitzgerald Scott (keyboards, drum programming, background vocals); Donald Parks, Eric McCaine (keyboards, drum programming); Allen "Grip" Smith (keyboards); Karl Heilbron (bass guitar, drum programming); Zachary Scott (bass guitar); John Howcott (drums, drum programming); George "Spike" Neally III (percussion); Traci Hale, Darryl Adams, Kut Klose (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Neil Pogue; Alex Nesmith; Karl Heilbron.
Recording information: Deep Sound Music, Atlanta, GA; H.O.P.House, Atlanta, GA; Southern Tracks Recording Studios, Atlanta, GA; Sweat Shop, Atlanta, GA; Tree Sound Studios, Atlanta, GA.
Editor: Larry Cianelli.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Gerald Levert; Aaron Hall ; Ronald Isley; Athena Cage; Buddy Banks.
There aren't many artists who are recognizable 10 seconds into a tune. But from the opening bars of "Twisted," the first cut on this disc, it's clear we're listening to the one and only master of the vocal slow grind, Keith Sweat. Al Green he ain't, but Sweat's nasal, midrange voice has come to define modern hip-hop-inflected soul. And these 12 tunes are the Sweat formula, beginning to end: light, mid-tempo funk, with just enough of an edge to keep your head nodding to the beat.
Throw in the usual opening layers of harmonizing backing vocals, a few incidental raps, and you've got the Sweat method down. There's some high-powered help on this record, as Gerald Levert and Ronald Isley lend their generous talents to the cause. The ladies always seem to be more affected by Mr. Sweat's approach than the guys--understandably so--so they're probably going to be the ones running to the checkout counter with this one.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop