En Vogue - Masterpiece Theatre

Stylish, Coifed, & Consistent

En Vogue set the standard for themselves with the 1992's "Funky Divas." The record was a mixture of various musical styles, executed with a demure & mature sense of soulfulness. One wonders if they can ever really match its success and innovation?

2000's "Masterpiece Theatre" is a yes & no to that question. This record finds the three ladies of En Vogue pushing on without Dawn Robinson, their former pseudo-leader. But Terry, Maxine, & Cindy seemed to have fused well as a three-piece, making their own unique charisma minus Robinson. With longtime producers Foster & McElroy at the production helms, "Masterpiece Theatre" is another assured, mature, sensual, and stylish R&B record.

What makes this record unique (and where the title makes sense) is that Foster & McElroy fuse popular classical music sounds into their already airtight R&B formulas. In most cases, this works with stunning results. Again, En Vogue's trademark harmonies work well over cuts such as "Love You Crazay" which utilizes The Nutcracker's "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" melody winningly. "Those Dogs" also utilizes a loop from the popular musical theater production "Carmen Jones", which is where En Vogue again show off those lush harmonies.

Other highlights include lead-single "Riddle" which drops in an interpolated nod to the vintage sass of "My Lovin' (Never Gonna Get It), the melancholic emotion of "Whatever Will Be, Will Be", & the coy dance number "Beat of Love", is a winner as well.

The record comes close in its artistic scope to reaching the level of "Funky Divas." The "En Vogue Love Suite" which is the center of the record scores them points for creative leaps & bounds. Though it feels a little too "well-mannered" & "polished" in spots. One wishes for Terry, Cindy, & Maxine to raise the attitude levels more. But, again the record is based in its slinkiness & positive appeal as demonstrated on "No, No, No (Can't Come Back)" & finds En Vogue keeping it cool & collected on this slightly over-polished, but appealing record. Highly recommended.
March 14, 2007

A definite "masterpiece!"

You know, it's such a shame when the American music market sleeps on the work of real musical talents such as En Vogue. This is, in my opinion, their best piece of work.

The standouts:

No, No No (Can't Come Back)
Sad But True
and Number One Man

The gem of Masterpiece Theatre

Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be)

Excellent job, ladies. February 7, 2007

Well...

I bought this used two days ago and I'm pretty glad I didn't pay full price. Mind you, Masterpiece Theater is not as bad everyone is saying, but by no means is it good. It's definitely below average. The production is just alright. At times, it is quite mediocre, cheesy and basic. The vocals are not very good. As mentioned by another reviewer, the ad-libs are bad and there is definitely some off-key singing on here. The songs are so, so repetitive and the nice harmonies cannot save them. The songs are poorly written, the lyrics are not great. Some may call the sampling of classical masterpieces as ingenious, but I see it more as a scheme to make their songs instantly familiar without having to pay the big check. (After 50 years of a composer's death, the samples can be used free of charge and without credit.) Also, the no-name rappers are terrible. There are one or two alright songs on here, unfortunately, I can't really remember which ones. December 31, 2006

Can't Blame Dawn For This One...

So everyone gave Dawn Robinson a really nasty time for "leaving" (read getting kicked out of) this vocal supergroup. Nearly everybody claimed how much better 'EV3' was because she wasn't a part of it - idiotically overlooking the fact that her vocals were still on the whole album!

When it came time for the curtain to go up on 'Masterpiece Theatre', everyone expected En Vogue to continue leaps and bounds because after all, success had been achieved on the last album, right? WRONG.

This time around, Dawn's vocals were nowhere near this set and it's just as well. This album is a stinker from start to finish; I vaguely recall maybe one half-decent song, but not a title - it was that forgettable. This set falls into the 'listened to in horror once, never to be played again' file.

There were throwbacks to their first album here; with the dog track and the opera-vocals. The problem is that didn't sound good then, and it sure as heck doesn't now!

It's no wonder the group were forced to come up with a fourth member for the next set (which I didn't even hear about it until over a year later, it made so little waves). When that didn't work as it was so obviously not going to, and Dawn's career wasn't exactly triumphant (used and abused again by yet another group - Lucy Pearl, then less than great solo album sales); it's hardly any surprise that the quartet joined forces again.

Let's hope they do stay together this time, because with Dawn out there is ABSOLUTELY no edge left in this group. As previously mentioned, she was the sassy one. It's the (good music) equivalent of Gerri Halliwell leaving the Spice Girls - once the driving force was gone, there was nothing to keep the groups in motion. Thank the Heavens however that En Vogue, for the moment, have resolved their issues and reunited. Let's just hope they stay that way if they want to sell another record. September 27, 2006

An Amazing Album! A+++!

What a pity that this album wasn't recognized as the work of art that it is. Granted the highlight of 'Masterpiece Theatre' is the aptly titled "Love Suite", however the rest of the album does not fail to deliver high quality, intricate vocals and funky beats. This album is a classic and possibly one of the best albums in music history. A bold statement? Absolutely. True? Without a doubt. 'Masterpiece Theatre' was the first of it's kind, an album that tells a love story while fusing R&B with classical compositions. One can easily look around and see either how this album had been used as a catalyst for other artists to go the same route; mixing the two genres or using the concept of telling a story through their album. These other artists would later go on to sell millions in part because of the help from their record label. This is album is possibly the one that showcases En Vogue's vocal abilities the best and reaffirms what set's En Vogue apart from other girl groups - past and present. This album is a magnum opus! Producers Foster/McElroy did a genius job of conveying the emotion of each song by using specific instruments and vocal arrangements, and directing them in a way that pulls the listener in and has them experience the emotional intensity of that song. The album has humor, variety and harmony. It's bold and very unique. Had it had better backing from the record label, `Masterpiece Theatre' could have easily sailed into a snug place between platinum and multi-platinum status. Due to the records label lack of marketing and promotion for this album, many who would have appreciated it overlooked it. `Masterpiece Theatre' is daring, challenging, innovative, and intricate while remaining accessible to the masses. R&B beats with Classical sonatas is hot! It works, and it works well. This album needs to be re-released on a new record label that is willing to put the marketing and promotion resources behind this jewel. `Masterpiece Theatre' (specifically the "Love Suite") is a gem waiting to be discovered and should have the chance to be heard by a much larger and global audience. It is still relevant, excitable and scorching even today - six years after it's release. This is a must-have album! Masterpiece indeed. March 28, 2006

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