Bobby Brown – Don’t Be Cruel (1988/2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Bobby Brown – Don’t Be Cruel (1988/2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 47:08 minutes | 1,09 GB | Genre: R&B
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Geffen

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

Tracklist:

1. Bobby Brown – Cruel Prelude (00:38)
2. Bobby Brown – Don’t Be Cruel (06:51)
3. Bobby Brown – My Prerogative (04:56)
4. Bobby Brown – Roni (05:58)
5. Bobby Brown – Rock Wit’cha (04:48)
6. Bobby Brown – Every Little Step (03:58)
7. Bobby Brown – I’ll Be Good To You (04:25)
8. Bobby Brown – Take It Slow (05:22)
9. Bobby Brown – All Day All Night (04:40)
10. Bobby Brown – I Really Love You Girl (05:09)
11. Bobby Brown – Cruel Reprise (00:18)

Download: