Customer Rating: 
Summary: GREAT!
Comment: I don't know if I've EVER had a Mint Condition project disappoint. They are one talented bunch of brothas and this one was no exception. "Ain't Hooking Me Up Enough," has a killer bass line to me. The little swing in that song will almost make you forget the lyrics and realize that the guy is just begging. In fact, I could do with the instrumental. I should not start listing songs though, because they are pretty much all the bomb!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good listening to the ear!
Comment: Mint Condition is definitely a group of talented musicians. I
enjoy all of the many facets that they offer in the CD "Definition of a Band." I have been a faithful fan for many
years my favorite cut on the CD is "You don't have to hurt no more". Check it out.
Customer Rating:
Summary: DEFINITION OF A GREAT BAND
Comment: Mint Condition has been putting out nothing but beautiful music since their 1991 debut "Meant To Be Mint" which brought us the ballads "Pretty Brown Eyes", "Single To Mingle", and "Forever In Your Eyes". Their sophomore effort, "From The Mint Factory" was even better, with a heavy jazz/classic r&b influence that was evident in almost every track.
The group's third CD, "Definition Of A Band" carries on the tradition of soothing soul music that these brothers bring to us. Not only is the music slow and sweet, but the vocals (both lead and backup) blend in beautifully to create one of my favorite CDs.
If you're a Mint Condition fan, you know that they are truly a band. All the drums/keyboards/guitars are live and real, taking them out of the synthesized world of the majority of today's r&b. "Definition Of A Band" really gives us a look at what they're capable of. After all, how can you go wrong when you're executively produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis?
There are plenty of ballads on this CD for those in love. "You Don't Have To Hurt No More" is about a man comforting his new love and reassuring her that her past problems are just that... in the past. "What Kind Of Man Would I Be" is about resisting infidelity, no matter how many emotions are mixed up in the situation. "Let Me Be The One" shows us just how unconditional one's love can be, with Stokely (Mint Condition's lead singer) asking his former love if he can still be her shoulder to cry on. "On & On" is a marriage proposal in ballad form (we've seen a lot of these recently with Jagged Edge's "Let's Get Married" and Case's "Happily Ever After"), and it's done beautifully.
One of the more interesting tracks on the CD is "Sometimes", where Stokely describes the frustration of having his emotions (read: sex drive) toyed with by the object of his affection. It's a little different than your typical MC track, with a heavy rock & roll influence, but still very enjoyable to listen to. "Missing" is a song dedicated to all the missing children in the world, and although the song's beat is a little faster than you'd expect for the subject, the song definitely gets its point across.
If you've liked any of Mint Condition's previous stuff, I'd absolutely recommend this CD. If you're new to MC, go pick up "From The Mint Factory" first and then make a decision as to if you'd like to delve into this part of the genre. Since this CD, Mint Condition has also released "The Collection", a "greatest hits" compilation, "Life's Aquarium", there re-entry
CD "Livin' The Luxury The Brown" another stunningly well done album and the Live CD/DVD "Mint Condition: Live From The 9:30 Club".
Customer Rating:
Summary: Them boys good
Comment: Lead singer Stokley Williams steals the show with his surging, passionate vocals on the quiet storm tracks You Don't Have To Hurt No More,What Kind Of Man Would I Be, On & On and Let Me Be The One. Don't get it twisted though Stokley's boys are all good muscians in their own right with their sharp skills on drums,keyboards and pianos.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Serious musicianship; serious rythm & blues
Comment: We have long been in an age where it is no longer an obligation to play an instrumenet or know anyone that does when it comes to R&B. Outside of Alicia Keys and The Roots, those days are sort of gone. That's why this record is so killer! Mint Condition is a band of multi-faceted group who are great songwriters and amongst the smokin'ist musicians you've heard! This CD is a gold-mine of original songs - some standards like "What Kind of Man Would I Be" and some scorchin' funk cuts like "Let Me Be The One" (my absolute favorite cut with an old school feel). Over this 19 song disc (a few tracks are jazzy interludes of about a minute each) you, the listener, will have gotten the feeling that you've approached R&B from every possible angle - the slow jam, the mid-tempo pop, the old school funk, and the more slick pop-R&B (there's even a song - "Sometimes" - that almost sounds a bit metal).
Among the things I should say about this disk is that Stokely (the lead singer, drummer, and misc. instrumentalist) and Kerry Lewis (keyboard player and principle songwriter) are absolutely smoking musicians - absolutely smoking. And that is another things we get on the disc - improvisation. There are quite a few good solos (for quite a few instruments) to bring in a more jazzy feel. Needless to say, it is well done indeed.
This album, quite simply, is a piece of R&B history!
