The Best Of Toni Braxton

As I write the last of my Toni Braxton reviews, I think about all that Toni and us, the consumers have shared throughout our musical journey. She has gone from Sultry, well-rounded songstress who gave us a great debut album in 1993, to a sexual renegade hopped-up on nyquil and painkillers who gave us the travesty that was "More Than A Woman" in 2002, and a fairly mediocre greatest hits compilation for the end of 2003. There was some "Heat" in between there as well.

I think though that it is only fitting to pay homage to her best and strongest work to date, however, which was 1996's "Secrets". It has just about everything we look for in an album, and omitted everything that was unwanted and useless. We had our big ballad, and a few beautifully, well-done mid-tempo jams. "Secrets" is the Grande Damme of all Toni's albums and is truly a timeless classic.

The album begins with "Come On Over Here", which is a great song. It begins with a smooth baseline which progresses into a cool, smooth track with excellent vocals. Production is great as well as timeless, and the lyrics are very well written and applied to great music.
The lyrics include "Come on over here, and I will take care, of your every need, 'cause I've got love to give to you". This is a nice way to begin an album.

"You're makin' Me High" is so sultry and sexy. This track could have only been performed by Toni Braxton, who has the perfect smoldering alto to pull it off. The music keeps in excellent harmony with the lyrics, which are well written as well. "Theres No Me Without You" does very well also, with backup vocals from Babyface on the chorus. Toni's vocal talents and her beautiful range also shine on this track, accompanied by strings and an acoustic guitar. I like how the lyrics give her the opprotunity to really convince the listener of her plight, with lyrics such as;
"You Told me everything would be fine, then why am I losing my mind? Why do I feel like a fool, why do I keep losing you." Its a very well done song, which goes in perfect with the overall production and feel of the album.

"Un-Break My Heart" was the ballad to end all ballads back in 1996. It had everything from excellent lyrics to timeless production and beautiful music. Toni's strong and convicting vocals exhibit one of its finest hours, with a sultry, seductive tone as well as intimidating range. The music is also very well done. It features a nice spanish sounding guitar with a nice smooth musical/vocal coordination. This is one of the best Toni Braxton songs to date, and even though its notorious for endless airplay, it still remains elegant and timeless.

"Talking In His Sleep" is one of my favorite Braxton songs. The music is sexy and haunting, the vocals are well doen and production is fresh and creative. Toni has a few small speaking parts on the song, which is ok, but her vocals are much better, also are the backup vocals. The lyrics are very creative and fun; "My oh my, how can this be? Does he know he's talking in his sleep?" This is a great track. "How Could An Angel Break My Heart?" is very beautiful, with a nice accompaniment of strings, a harp, and Kenny G's elegant saxophone stylings. Toni sings wonderfully and sell her song, vocals, lyrics and all.

"Find Me A Man" is another one of my favorites from this album. It is another beautiful mid-tempo groove. The vocals are subtle and sexy, and towards the end she excercises her vocal strengths with soulful ad-libs and harmonies. "Let It Flow" was from the "Waiting To Exhale" soundtrack in 1995 and the song was included on "Secrets", and also saw a moderate success when it was released as a single. The song is a triumph, with a nice vocal performance by Toni, and a beautiful and well produced musical musical arrangement. This is a great mid-tempo ballad.

"Why Should I Care" is another great track. It features a nice mid-tempo groove with an electric guitar to give it a bit of a jazzy, rock feel. The vocals and lyrics go hand in hand as well as the great production. The lyrics atlk about how Toni's love for her man has died and how she doesn't even understand why she felt love and care for him at all, and now looking back, it was kind of a waste.

"I don't want To" is another one of Toni's timeless ballads
The lyrics are a little cliched, with Toni talking about how she wants her man to come back to her and be with her
because she dosen't want to sing another sad love song relating to her life and situations. I like the song but the lyrics need a little work, but vocals and production are excellent. The album wraps up with "In the late of night(Toni's Secrets)" This is a classy and elegant song which ends the album on a quiet and reflective note. The vocals are good, and production is kept to a minimum, which adds to the tranquil feel of the song. This is a great way to end an album as strongly as it had begun.

Last Thoughts? "Secrets" is an absolutely masterful album, from a great vocalist. All of her strengths are laid out on a sliver platter on this work, while flaws and weaknesses have been kept to a bare minimum. This is a fine example of excellent artistry and timeless production. The packaging as well as the music has a mature, classy feel to it which adds to the romantic feel of the album. This is where Toni Braxton has been at her strongest and most convincing. If you are looking for a well composed and produced collection, then "Secrets" is definitely an album for you. Its a shame however that Toni has never really even moderately built on the success of this album. This however, lets you forget that for a while, so go out, get a copy and sit back, relax, and enjoy.