Ce Ce Peniston Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
Ce Ce Peniston's second album, Thought 'Ya Knew, did not deserve the fate it received -- that of the dreaded sophomore slump. Her debut album, Finally, yielded one of the 1990s' biggest and most unforgettable dance songs, "Finally," making her a huge star among the dance community. The big mistake was trying to market her to an R&B audience, which is what her label did with her sophomore album. The first two singles, "I'm Not Over You" and "I'm In the Mood," were fun, jazzy, finger-snapping R&B cuts, but came nowhere near "Finally" in terms of artistic achievement, dancefloor potential, or chart performance. The third single, "Hit By Love," was closer in spirit to her early dance hits, but by that time the steam had worn off and the song didn't become a hit. This album, however, is definitely not a bad album. It contains several agreeable cuts, including "Searchin'," the clubby "Give What I'm Givin'," the funky, reggae-tinged "Through These Doors," "If You Love Me, I Will Love You," the gospel-infused "I Will Be Received," and the house track "Keep Givin' Me Your Love," which later garnered some attention due to its inclusion in the Pret-A-Porter soundtrack. However, this album is not free of filler, most evident on boring, assembly-line ballads like "Forever in My Heart" and "Whatever It Is." Nonetheless, it didn't deserve its lousy fate -- Peniston fell victim to misguided marketing on her record label's part. ~ Jose F. Promis, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This was the debut album from the former Miss Black Arizona. There is much invigoration within this album. Ce Ce Peniston's vocal versatility from rich, full deliveries on "We Got a Love Thang" to her compassionate intonation on the ballad "Inside That I Cried." This outstanding album spawned five superb singles. The title track "Finally" and "We Got a Love Thang" employ that rapid dancehall groove better known as house music. They respectively claimed number 26 and number 38 on the Billboard R&B charts. The gold-selling "Finally" reached number five on the Billboard pop charts. "Keep on Walkin'" has a swingin' hip-hop edge with house music flair. It had the highest outing on the R&B charts at number three. Peniston tenderly caresses the grieving lyric of the percolating ballad "Inside That I Cried." This single sealed the Top Ten. "Crazy Love" is a midtempo number with an alluring chorus melody enhanced by a brisk string arrangement. It peaked at 31. The label stopped at five, but this album warranted additional releases. Ce Ce Peniston demonstrates her unyielding talent on this entire, solidly produced collection. ~ Craig Lytle, All Music Guide
