For all the synthesizers, sequencers, and drum machines that were used on his Tabu/Epic albums of the '80s and early '90s,
Alexander O'Neal usually gave the impression that he was very much a soul man at heart. Producer/songwriters Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, whom the Minneapolis singer worked with extensively in those days, were well aware of that; they knew what his strengths were, and they helped
O'Neal provide albums that were faithful to his soul/funk heritage yet relevant to a technology-obsessed urban contemporary/hip-hop environment. Released in 1991,
All True Man is among the albums that the Jam/Lewis team produced for
O'Neal during his Tabu/Epic period. Jam and Lewis aren't the only producers on this urban/neo-soul CD; the Denzil Foster/Thomas McElroy team (who were the brains behind
En Vogue) and Jellybean Johnson (who Jam/Lewis knew from their years with
the Time) also do some producing. But Jam/Lewis are the main producers and handle most of the songwriting; further, they are listed as executive producers, which is appropriate because they do so much to make
All True Man as creatively successful as it is. They appreciate the fact that
O'Neal is a rugged, gritty soul man, and they let him maintain his vocal grit even though they surround him with an abundance of high-tech slickness. The production is slick and high-tech; the vocals are the essence of earthy soulfulness.
All True Man isn't
O'Neal's best or most essential Tabu/Epic release; novices, in fact, would be better off starting out with his self-titled debut album of 1985. Nonetheless, this is a respectable, satisfying effort that the singer's hardcore fans will appreciate. ~ Alex Henderson