Make It Last Forever (CD - 1987)

Engineers include: Jeff Neiblum, Frank D'Amoto, Patrick Adams.

Recorded at INS, New York, New York; Power Play Studios, Long Island City, New York.

Produced by Teddy Riley, Keith Sweat's debut, Make It Last Forever, exploded all over urban and pop stations and remains the brightest star in Sweat's galaxy of LPs. Sweat's pleading, whining tenor adroitly draws you into every song, demanding an emotional commitment. Who can't relate to "Something Just Ain't Right" and "Right and a Wrong Way," two tense, stunning realizations. The hip-hop beats and plucky guitar of "I Want Her" put new jack swing on the map; it was Sweat's first single release and topped Billboard's R&B chart the week of January 30, 1988. All eight tracks are impressive, with his rendition of Tony Hester's "In the Rain," popularized by the Dramatics, equaling and possibly surpassing the original. ~ Andrew Hamilton

Although only "I Want Her" crossed over to the pop charts, hitting the Top Five, the five singles from Keith Sweat's debut album were prominently featured on R&B radio and dance floors from the winter of 1987 through the fall of 1988. Produced by nascent superstar producer and eventual label head Babyface, MAKE IT LAST FOREVER was arguably the very first "new jack swing" album; that style's characteristic mix of old-school soul-man vocals and hip-hop-influenced arrangements is all over this album.

The most obvious nod to soul tradition is in Sweat's unapologetically bombastic cover of the Dramatics' early-'70s lost-love ballad "In the Rain," but Sweat's no-nonsense vocals on the opening "Something Just Ain't Right" and the moving love jam of the title track are equally impressive. Though Babyface's characteristic production style would soon become so ubiquitous that by the early '90s it would be the dominant sound of R&B, his work on this album still sounds fresh. minimize