Having been raised on New Jack Swing, it can be difficult for me to get mad at a D.J. playing Poison by Bel Biv Devoe, but it’s not impossible. I personally played the single out upon its release in 1990, and have lived though several resurrections, mostly played with an irony that I find unsettling. The sticking point for me is that so many have played the song to death with precious few having considered the rest of the album.

The unlikely pairing of the backup section of New Edition and the Bomb Squad production team, who were in the middle of their heyday working with Public Enemy, BBD’s début album provides more than one decent alternative to the overused title track. Also, while the remix album that was released a year later is patchy, it is worth a second look for its occasional and improbable resemblance to Fear of a Black Planet.

Though the Poison album spawned three singles, Let Me Know Something wasn’t one of them, even though it might have had the most mass appeal. Apart from the dopey rap, which does sound a bit dated, the balance of the track offers a favorable comparison to Michael Jackson’s better moments.

Bell Biv Devoe – Let Me Know Something 4:39 mins/ 256 kbps/ 8.52 MB