Didn't See Me Coming - Sweat, Keith (Cassette 2000)

Keith Sweat's 7th album, Didn't See Me Coming, is a slight departure from his previous albums in that this one seems to have a little bit bolder edge. Don't get me wrong. Fans of the New Jack Swing sound Sweat helped pioneer won't be disappointed, nor will fans of Sweat's seductive lyrical crooning. It's all there, and then some. The bass heavy sound and sensual ballads combine with the general theme : 'Love is more important than money/things' , with the lyrics from many of the tracks pushing that point home. Sweat seems a little cockier (can I say that?) this time around, ( less begging and twisting and more accusatory) and although the language on some of tracks is a little harder and more graphic, it's still the same sexy, soulful sound that has fueled his career since the 80's.

Sweat teams up with some of the best on this album with artists like Busta Rhymes and Dave Hollister and as always, there's no shortage of ladies pitching in with tracks featuring Rah Digga, T-boz (TLC), Lil' Mo, and many more.

This CD starts off with an unusual intro. Though it is a great compilation of excerpts from some of Sweat's most memorable classics, I found/find it a little annoying with the format being radio static between each, as though the most impatient listener on the planet is searching the dial and can't stay on one tune for more than a sec or two. There is barely time to recognize favorites like: "I Want Her", "Something Just Ain t Right", "Make It Last Forever", "Keep It Comin ", "How Do You Like It", "Twisted" , "Nobody", and "I m Not Ready"., and begin to enjoy them before it moves on to more static and the next short clip. (As if a listener would change the station when it hits, Keep it Comin'?)

The dial finally lands on the 2nd track (first song), "Things", featuring Flipmode Squad's Busta Rhymes and Rah Digga. (additional backup vocals from Ron Linton and Stringz) It's a fun song with an upbeat, dance worthy tempo, and a good example of that cockiness that Keith Sweat gets by with because-well, he's Keith Sweat..

"Take a ride and find out what
I do to make you fall
Deep in love
It's the things I do"

The next song, "Whatcha Like" takes the tempo down, but ups the sexual ante with a very steamy stanza from Stringz. ( I wanted to include some sample lyrics from it, but I actually couldn't find enough that didn't require a monumental amount of content filter sidestepping.

All the tracks are solid, but the breakout single (at least the one getting the most airplay) is, He Say She Say, a song about gossip and jealousy featuring T-Boz from TLC. He also does a great duet with Lil' Mo called, I'll Trade,, a nice slow and very convincing ballad about the pitfalls of stardom. ( "I'll trade a lifetime just to find the one who'll love me just for me") but my favorites are still the ones where's he's 'begging for lovin' and he does some serious pleading on his own with Only Wanna Please You. Real Man, is reminiscent of Twisted from the last album, and another, "I Put U On", featuring Da Brat and Rodney "Darkchild" Jenkins (who co-wrote and produced) are a couple of examples of why Sweat has endured, where others have faded.

This album didn't surpass my favorite from this artist (Make it Last Forever) and I don't really think there is any obligatory standout song on this album to appease the pop charts, like the I Want Her or the Twisted from previous albums. No matter. "Didn't See Me Coming" is good solid R & B, and a must-have for Keith Sweat fans. While it is true that a lot of Sweat's stuff sounds very similar, it "works" and what some listeners view as the sensual, sensitive music of a guy who's that comfortable with his masculinity - others see as whiny and desperate. You either really like or really dislike this artist.

*shrug*

I'm a Liker

Track Listing:
Intro
Things [featuring Busta Rhymes & Rah Digga]
Whatcha Like
Satisfy You
I Put U On
He Say She Say [featuring T-Boz]
Real Man
Kiss You
I'll Trade (A Million Bucks) [featuring Lil' Mo]
Don't Have Me [featuring David Hollister]
Tonite
Caught Up
Games
I'll Trade [A Million Bucks] [featuring Lil' Mo]
Only Wanna Please You
Why U Treat Me So Cold [featuring Lil' Wayne]
Bonus Track: I'll Trade [A Million Bucks] [featuring Lil' Mo] [Remix]

*Additional backup vocals: Ronald Linton, Stringz, Ol' Skool, Raybone, Jamilla Franklin, KiKi & DeeDee, Karmel, Tre P.

To sample music from this album:
http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Sweat,_Keith/index.html

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