All-4-One came crashing out of the gates in 1994, rocketing to the top of the charts with
"I Swear." Its success was phenomenal -- it stayed at the top of the charts for 11 weeks and inspired a contemporary country cover by
John Michael Montgomery. It's hard to top that sort of success, which may be the reason why their second record,
And the Music Speaks, seemed to vanish upon its 1995 release. That lack of success could be the reason why they waited four years to deliver their third record,
On and On. Given the large gap between releases, it would seem as if
On and On could offer a departure from the group's signature sound, or at least a maturation of sorts. As it turns out, it's cut from the same cloth as its predecessors. That is both for better and for worse. It certainly will satisfy fans thirsting for more the same sweet, well-polished adult contemporary and urban soul that graced the first two records, but it rarely shows any signs of progression. Even worse, there aren't many songs that are that memorable -- all the parts are in place and the production is impeccable, but the songs just don't deliver strong melodies. That's not to say that it's a bad listen, since it makes for quite enjoyable background music, but after four years, fans may wonder if that's enough. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
![Purple Rain [Deluxe Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0093624930433_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "Purple Rain [Deluxe Edition]")
