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At the beginning of the '90s, R. Kelly was seen as a lewd, lascivious soulman. By the end of the decade, he had stripped those adjectives away and was seen as a contemporary equivalent of Marvin Gaye, thanks to the enormous success of "I Believe I Can Fly." Appropriately, R., the double-disc album that followed "I Believe I Can Fly"'s parent album, finds Kelly trying to live up to that legacy. He may be talented, but he has neither the vision nor the depth to match such classic soulmen as Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Prince, or Michael Jackson, all artists he emulates on R. Kelly's main strength is fusing contemporary material together into a slick, palatable, radio-ready record. Nobody else could have Jay-Z and Celine Dion on his album, and he's about the only one who could make it work, since he can work sensuous grooves as well as he can deliver a soaring ballad. To some, this may sound like nothing more than calculation -- a big part of the reason why he doesn't instantly enter the hall of greats -- because it's easy to see how he pieces it all together. When he's on, however, such calculation doesn't really matter, since it all flows, but such incidents only occur through about 40 percent of R. That's a major problem, considering the sheer length of the album. Clocking in at 29 long tracks, it takes real effort to sit through the record from beginning to end, especially since Kelly begins to repeat himself. If it was pruned a bit, the album would arguably be his best. As it stands, R. is an admirable effort, one that is among his better records even with all of its faults.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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George Archie, Composer - George Archie, Lyricist - Charles McCrorey, Recording Engineer - Keith Murray, Composer - Keith Murray, Lyricist - Chris Puram, Mixing Engineer - Chris Puram, Recording Engineer - G-One, Arranger - G-One, Producer - G-One, Mixing Engineer - G-One, Programmer - Stephen George, Recording Engineer - R. Kelly featuring Keith Murray, Performer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - Kelly Price, Composer - Kelly Price, Lyricist
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
T. Willoughby, Composer - T. Willoughby, Lyricist - Steve Jordan, Composer - Steve Jordan, Lyricist - Sean Combs, Composer - Sean Combs, Lyricist - D. Romani, Composer - D. Romani, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - Sean "Puffy" Combs, Producer - Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, Producer - Ronald Lawrence, Composer - Ronald Lawrence, Lyricist - Kelly Price, Composer - Kelly Price, Lyricist - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
C. Mayfield, Composer - C. Mayfield, Lyricist - J. Olivier, Composer - J. Olivier, Lyricist - S. Barnes, Composer - S. Barnes, Lyricist - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer - N. Robinson, Composer - N. Robinson, Lyricist - K. Robinson, Composer - K. Robinson, Lyricist - Track Masters, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Performer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - Paul J. Falcone, Recording Engineer - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Arranger
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Arranger - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
R. Finch, Composer - R. Finch, Lyricist - Tone, Producer - R. Hamilton, Composer - R. Hamilton, Lyricist - C. Rooney, Composer - C. Rooney, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - S. Carter, Composer - S. Carter, Lyricist - S. Sledge, Composer - S. Sledge, Lyricist - J. Olivier, Composer - J. Olivier, Lyricist - Track Masters, Mixing Engineer - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer - A. Young, Composer - A. Young, Lyricist - Poke, Producer - R. Kelly featuring Cam'Ron, Noreaga, Jay-Z and Vegas Cats, Performer - V. Santiago, Composer - V. Santiago, Lyricist - C. Giles, Composer - C. Giles, Lyricist - Kevin Crouse, Mixing Engineer - H. Casey, Composer - H. Casey, Lyricist - S. Barnes, Composer - S. Barnes, Lyricist - C. Broadus, Composer - C. Broadus, Lyricist
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
R. Kelly featuring Suzanne LeMignot, Performer - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer - Joey Donatello, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Bernard Jackson, Composer - Bernard Jackson, Lyricist - David Townsend, Composer - David Townsend, Lyricist - Jean-Claude Oliver, Composer - Jean-Claude Oliver, Lyricist - David Conley, Composer - David Conley, Lyricist - Track Masters, Mixing Engineer - Samuel Barnes, Composer - Samuel Barnes, Lyricist - Poke and Tone, Co-Producer - Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Arranger - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Performer - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Paul Riser, Orchestrator - Paul Riser, Conductor - Chris Brickley, Recording Engineer - Chris Brickley, Programmer - Tony Black, Engineer - Stephen George, Recording Engineer - Stephen George, Programmer - Bruce Kelly, Background Vocal - Sparkle, Background Vocal - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Background Vocal - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Arranger - R. Kelly, Producer
(P) 1998 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
DISC 2
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
D. Degrate, Composer - D. Degrate, Lyricist - Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer - Track Masters, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Performer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Cory Rooney, Co-Producer - Track Masters, Mixing Engineer - Tone, Producer - Samuel Barnes, Composer - Samuel Barnes, Lyricist - Poke, Producer - Curtis Mayfield, Composer - Curtis Mayfield, Lyricist - Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - Jean Claude "Poke" Olivier, Composer - Jean Claude "Poke" Olivier, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
J. Olivier, Composer - J. Olivier, Lyricist - Rich Travali, Mixing Engineer - S. Barnes, Composer - S. Barnes, Lyricist - Shuggie Otis, Composer - Shuggie Otis, Lyricist - I. Marchand, Composer - I. Marchand, Lyricist - Track Masters, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Performer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Performer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Corey Johnson, Composer - Corey Johnson, Lyricist - R. Kelly featuring Crucial Conflict, Performer - Rich Travali, Mixing Engineer - Wondosas Martin, Composer - Wondosas Martin, Lyricist - Ralph Leverston, Composer - Ralph Leverston, Lyricist - Track Masters, Mixing Engineer - Marrico King, Composer - Marrico King, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Performer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - Paul J. Falcone, Recording Engineer - Paul J. Falcone, Programmer - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Arranger - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
R. Kelly duet with Celine Dion, Performer - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - Humberto Gatica, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer - Track Masters, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC
Paul Riser, Strings - "The Luv Club" Choir, Background Vocal - Keith Henderson, Guitar - The Motown Romance Orchestra, Strings - Carl Robinson, Recording Engineer - Stephen George, Mixing Engineer - Stephen George, Recording Engineer - Stephen George, Programmer - Percy Bady, Keyboards - R. Kelly, Performer - R. Kelly, Composer - R. Kelly, Lyricist - R. Kelly, Producer - R. Kelly, Mixing Engineer - R. Kelly, Arranger - R. Kelly, Programmer
(P) 1996 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
At the beginning of the '90s, R. Kelly was seen as a lewd, lascivious soulman. By the end of the decade, he had stripped those adjectives away and was seen as a contemporary equivalent of Marvin Gaye, thanks to the enormous success of "I Believe I Can Fly." Appropriately, R., the double-disc album that followed "I Believe I Can Fly"'s parent album, finds Kelly trying to live up to that legacy. He may be talented, but he has neither the vision nor the depth to match such classic soulmen as Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Prince, or Michael Jackson, all artists he emulates on R. Kelly's main strength is fusing contemporary material together into a slick, palatable, radio-ready record. Nobody else could have Jay-Z and Celine Dion on his album, and he's about the only one who could make it work, since he can work sensuous grooves as well as he can deliver a soaring ballad. To some, this may sound like nothing more than calculation -- a big part of the reason why he doesn't instantly enter the hall of greats -- because it's easy to see how he pieces it all together. When he's on, however, such calculation doesn't really matter, since it all flows, but such incidents only occur through about 40 percent of R. That's a major problem, considering the sheer length of the album. Clocking in at 29 long tracks, it takes real effort to sit through the record from beginning to end, especially since Kelly begins to repeat himself. If it was pruned a bit, the album would arguably be his best. As it stands, R. is an admirable effort, one that is among his better records even with all of its faults.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 29 track(s)
- Total length: 02:10:03
- Main artists: R. Kelly
- Composer: R. Kelly
- Label: Jive
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC, except "I Believe I Can Fly" - (P) 1996 Zomba Recording Corporation
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