Don't Be Cruel

01/01/1988 | Mca 

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All Music Guide Review

Don't Be Cruel was to Bobby Brown what Control was to Janet Jackson -- a tougher, more aggressive project that shed his "bubblegum" image altogether and brought him to a new artistic and commercial plateau. With "My Prerogative" and the title song, Brown became a leader of new jack swing -- a forceful, high-tech blend of traditional soul singing and rap/hip-hop that's also associated with Guy and Brown's New Edition colleagues, Bell Biv DeVoe. Brown had been a strong advocate of rap since his days with New Edition, and on Cruel, he did even more rapping than before. But for all the tough-mindedness he exhibited on his new jack hits, the charismatic Bostonian hadn't lost his love of sentimental, old-fashioned R&B romanticism -- and he definitely excels in that area on his hits "Every Little Step," "Roni," and "Rock Wit'cha." Much of Cruel was produced by the ubiquitous production/songwriting duo L.A. Reid and Babyface, who've often been accused (and rightly so) of taking a formulaic, cookie-cutter approach to R&B. But here, their work is never less than inspired. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Track Listing

  • Track#
  • Title
  • time
  • 1
  • Cruel Prelude
  • :39

  • 2
  • Don't Be Cruel
  • 6:52

  • 3
  • My Prerogative
  • 4:57

  • 4
  • Roni
  • 5:58

  • 5
  • Rock Wit'cha
  • 4:47

  • 6
  • Every Little Step
  • 3:59

  • 7
  • I'll Be Good to You
  • 4:25

  • 8
  • Take It Slow
  • 5:22

  • 9
  • All Day All Night
  • 4:40

  • 10
  • I Really Love You Girl
  • 5:11

  • 11
  • Cruel Reprise
  • :18

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    Credits

    • Teddy Riley
    • Keyboards, Mixing, ?, Vocals (Background)
    • Dewayne Sweet
    • Synthesizer, Drums, ?, Synthesizer Bass, Keyboards
    • Larry White
    • Bass, Drums, Mixing, Assistant Engineer, ?, Producer, Vocals (Background), Guitar, Keyboards
    • K2
    • Assistant Engineer
    • Ja
    • Art Direction
    • Bobby Brown
    • Vocals (Background), ?, Producer, Main Performer
    • Kayo
    • Vocals (Background), ?
    • Michael Denten
    • Vocals (Background), Engineer, Drum Technician, Mixing, ?
    • Jon Gass
    • Engineer, Mixing, Special Edits
    • Gordon Jones
    • Vocals (Background), Multi Instruments, Producer, ?
    • Babyface
    • Vocals (Background), Producer, ?, Mixing


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