Ginuwine Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
Ginuwine's first album in three and a half years (the 2007 release I Apologize was unauthorized), A Man's Thoughts is his first release away from the Epic family, and it's pretty much business as usual. It's a decent set of modern R&B, dominated by seductive slow jams, that stimulates a little more often than it fades into the background. It does take a serious tone on a handful of songs dealing in a wider range of relationship issues than lust, heartache, and devotion; "Show Me the Way," with an anthem-like chorus, is a guard-dropped plea for direction, while on "Last Chance," the singer has never sounded more desperate as he attempts to rescue a relationship. On the lighter side, Ginuwine reconnects with Timbaland on "Get Involved," but it's a missed opportunity, an overstuffed wreck of a club track where the producer and Missy Elliott all but completely wipe him out of the picture. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ginuwine's initial impact was also his greatest. Rather than gradually spin out with albums that steadily diminish creatively and commercially, he has put together a series of releases strong enough to maintain his presence on radio. Back II da Basics, his fifth album in ten years, offers roughly the same mixture of romantic subject matter heard before, but it shows him growing out of club tracks and further into lush ballads and gentle mid-tempo material. Without the club tracks, Back II da Basics would be an even better, bolder, more mature release. Even "Secrets," the best of the upbeat tracks, is nearly ruined by producer Jazze Pha's intrusive vocals, which rub against Ginuwine's voice in the same way that Bobby Byrd would be a bad match for Ronald Isley. On the other side, Ginuwine has never done anything as understated or idyllic as "Want U to Be," which glides by with shades of Michael Jackson's "I Can't Help It" -- much more so than Fabolous' "I Can't Help It"-sampling hit "Baby." On the heartbroken "Glaze in My Eye," he falls into a starry production from Trackmasters' Poke and Tone with a perfectly measured grace and humility not heard on either Ginuwine...The Bachelor or 100% Ginuwine. This proves that he doesn't need to be bumptious -- as with "Pony" or "In Those Jeans" -- to be a force. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
During hip-hop's reign at the top of the charts, a clever turn of catch phrase has often translated into multi-platinum sales, from "It's All About the Benjamins" to "Get Ur Freak On" to "Hot in Herre." Ginuwine's fourth album finds the R&B jack-of-all-trades attempting to get in on the game with tracks that mine urban lingo for potential hit combinations, from the golddigger dis track "Chedda Brings" to the club-life jam "Hell Yeah" to the partly self-explanatory "In Those Jeans" (as in "Is there any more room for me?"). As before, Ginuwine rises above most of his dozens of imitators in the contemporary R&B realm, with a set of productions -- from the returning Troy Oliver -- that fit his voice perfectly and rate as slightly edgier than the norm. Also unsurprising compared to his work from the past is Ginuwine exploring all aspects of love, moving from the explicitly carnal ("Sex," with Solé) to a poignantly paternal song ("Our First Born") within just a few minutes. After a parade of sexed-up R&B, though, it's refreshing to hit a pair of straight-ahead rap tracks near the end; Method Man lends his usual thug drawl to the excellent "Big Plans," while R. Kelly and Clipse add some spark to a remix of "Hell Yeah." ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On his third album, Ginuwine is even more of a practiced R&B loverman than he was on his first two releases. Big Dog Productions, Inc. and the team of Troy Oliver and Cory Rooney produce the bulk of the beats here, which, as usual, mostly range from slow to very slow tempos with such trendy touches as acoustic guitar passages. But all that just serves as a bed for Ginuwine's elastic tenor and his message to the women in his audience. The singer sounds like he's been reading women's magazines and tried to construct a persona that's as appealing as possible. "Baby," he croons in "Why Did You Go," "I'm sorry for whatever I've done and I want you to be my wife." In "Differences," he talks about how much he has improved since meeting the woman he's addressing, concluding, "I'm so responsible." Even when he's criticizing a woman, as he does in the album's first single, "There It Is," it's because she's not contributing to the relationship, while he's holding down a steady job and paying the bills. It's only in the album's eighth cut, "How Deep Is Your Love" (an original, not the Bee Gees song), that he begins to apply pressure for sex, ungallantly suggesting that if the woman doesn't come across he'll start cheating on her. "Show After the Show" is a come-on to a post-concert groupie, which seems to negate what's gone before, and "Role Play" moves on to kinky sex, but in the album-closing "Just Because," Ginuwine acknowledges the temptations of his occupation and pleads, "I'm trying to learn to be committed." It's hard to believe that anyone who's swallowed his line before is going to become skeptical now, so The Life looks like another winner for him. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ginuwine's debut album certainly sounded like little else on the modern soul front. Thanks to Timbaland's inventive production, it blended classic soul songwriting with inventive sonic textures, borrowed equally from hip-hop, trip-hop, and electro-funk. For the follow-up, Ginuwine and Timbaland decided that if it ain't broke, just spiffy it up a little bit -- which means 100% Ginuwine uses The Bachelor as a blueprint but goes further, boasting more inventive productions and a stronger set of songs. If nothing grabs the ear like "Pony," most of the songs slowly work their way underneath the skin, revealing themselves as either seductive ballads or ingratiating dancefloor numbers. Timbaland continues to prove that he's one of the savviest producers in modern hip-hop and soul, but Ginuwine remains the star of the show, thanks to his rich, inviting voice. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Ginuwine...The Bachelor'
Release Date 10/7/1996
Tracks 13
Label Sony Mid-Price
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
By the time Ginuwine...The Bachelor was released, Ginuwine was already well on his way to becoming R&B's next big thing -- thanks mainly to the ferocious word of mouth his lead single, a cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry," perpetuated. Make no mistake, this was the album that indeed started it all for the young R&B sensation, catapulting him from relative obscurity to the limelight in less time than most of his contemporaries. Led by the ferocious chart-topping opener "Pony," Ginuwine not only became a staple for commercial R&B radio, but he upped the sexual reference ante for many up-and-coming male singers such as Dru Hill, Blackstreet, and such established producers as R. Kelly. Combining the influences of funk, quiet storm, soul, and even a tad bit of electro, Ginuwine effortlessly displays not only a powerful voice, but sharp songwriting and production skills. Ginuwine...The Bachelor was a promising debut and only a slight notion of great things to come. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
