ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, December 15, 1995 TAG: 9512150033
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STEPHEN HOLDEN THE NEW YORK TIMES
When the subject of pop genius is discussed, the names that usually come up belong to eccentric musical inventors like Brian Wilson, Phil Spector and Prince, whose names are synonymous with particular sounds. But there is another sort, exemplified by Kenneth Edmonds - aka Babyface - whose brilliance lies in a broad and flexible mastery of pop forms.
Edmonds, who has collaborated on hits by Boyz II Men and Madonna, among others, produced, wrote and helped arrange most of the 15 new songs on the soundtrack for the movie ``Waiting to Exhale.'' (Though the movie does not open until Dec. 22, the soundtrack entered Billboard's album chart at No. 3 last week.)
Writing for a lineup of more than a dozen pop divas including Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Toni Braxton, Babyface, 37, has created a suite of songs that evoke women's emotional and sexual fantasies with an astonishing sympathy, directness and expressive range.
Stylistically, Babyface, who plays keyboards and guitars and sings backup vocals through much of the album, is equally at home in a penthouse or on the street.
At their best, his songs adhere to commercial formulas but have just enough lyrical originality, insight and conviction to seem fresh.
Naturally, the top divas get the best songs. Houston's ``Exhale (Shoop Shoop)'' is a little gem of allusive pop juxtaposition that shoehorns a ``shoo be doop'' chorus (redolent of '60s girl-group records) into verses about growing up and learning to let go. Almost as fine is her big ballad, ``Why Does It Hurt So Bad,'' a lovelorn lament with a realistic twist.
In the verses, the singer congratulates herself for breaking up with an abusive boyfriend, while in the chorus she keeps asking, ``Why does it hurt so bad?'' and admits she is still in love.
Babyface's numbers for Braxton and Franklin are small pop coups. Braxton's song, ``Let It Flow,'' is a quiet guitar-based ballad with a feminist message in which the singer who is about to leave an unhappy relationship remarks, ``But we can't demand respect without change.'' Braxton snaps out the words with a choked intensity, her dark, grainy contralto conveying a potent mixture of fury and sensuality.
On ``It Hurts Like Hell,'' Franklin rises to heights of letting-it-all-out pop-gospel anguish that she has rarely reached before. Just when you think she can't spill out another drop, there is another melismatic gush of emotion.
The song, whose melody recalls Houston's 1986 hit ``Greatest Love of All,'' reveals Babyface to be a superb craftsman of grand pop ballads.
Another coup is T.L.C.'s ``This Is How It Works,'' a salacious lesson in sexual etiquette. If men would stop fantasizing about their prowess, the trio declares, ``Maybe we could stop our make-believe.''
The album's one nonoriginal song, ``My Funny Valentine,'' performed by Chaka Khan, is also remarkable. Elegantly arranged for strings, with Babyface supplying a snaking synthesizer riff, it has a taut, teasing vocal that bursts into flame.
``Waiting to Exhale'' also has routine material by Brandy, Mary J. Blige, S.W.V., Patti LaBelle and others. But none of it is filler. It all adds up to a pop soundtrack that is as appealing as the one for ``The Bodyguard'' and evidence that Babyface may be the most gifted pop-soul craftsman since Stevie Wonder at his peak.
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Babyface produced, wrote and helped arrange most of theby CNBsongs on the soundtrack for the upcoming movie ``Waiting to
Exhale.''