ICON

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Like Tabu labelmates Cherrelle and the S.O.S. Band, Alexander O'Neal gets a volume in Universal's Icon series, which effectively replaces 2004's Greatest Hits. Much of the content is duplicated here, though "A Broken Heart Can Mend," "Hearsay," "The Lovers," "Saturday Love" (present on Cherrelle's Icon), and "You Were Meant to Be My Lady (Not My Girl)" are not. This allows room for the deep-album-cut ballads "Sunshine" and "The Morning After," as well as more extended mixes; the likes of "Criticize," "Fake," "What's Missing," and "Love Makes No Sense" appear in such form. It's just about impossible to determine the best O'Neal compilation. Either way, you get an excellent overview of one of the most powerful '80s/'90s R&B vocalists, as well as some of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis' finest production work. ~ Andy Kellman Show more