Various Artistes Best of Planet Groove Virgin

For those who judge a CD by its looks, beware. Under its shoddy cover, Best of Planet Groove is surprisingly pleasant and worthy for music listeners of all levels. Beginners will taste a range of classic hip hop, ballad and R&B tunes of '97 while experts may feel nostalgic as they listen to the music that initially lured them to this genre of mesmerizing vocals and rhythms. The selection is both random and diverse, including pieces such as the extremely slow and dangerously sexy "Be Careful" by R. Kelly and upbeat yet sensuous "It's All About Me" by MYA, a dancer turned singer starlet. Also included are Janet Jackson's "I Get Lonely" and Queen of Hip Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige's "I Can Love You." The album ends with a trio of ballads including SWV's "Rain," Boyz II Men's "A Song for Mama," and Xscape's "The Arms of the One Who Loves You," whose soothing rhythmic flow shadows its cliched lyrics. Despite songs such as Mariah Carey's "Breakdown" and Brian McKnight's "Anytime," which belong to a wave of late '90s radio-wrecking hits, many are beyond just cheap popular successes. Erykah Badu sings "Tyrone " with the utmost heart-gripping passion. This album is definitely a valuable addition to the collection of anyone who loves R&B music. Sung Hee Moon