Marc Nelson - I Want You (1991)

Sounding like a poor man's Keith Sweat or a low-rent version of Johnny Gill, the obscure Marc Nelson fluctuated between new jack swing and smooth, romantic neo-soul ballads on his debut album, I Want You. Uptempo new jack swing numbers like "It's My World," "Treat Her Right" and "Step to Me" are generic, faceless throwaways -- Bobby Brown, Guy and Keith Sweat had already done this sort of thing, and quite honestly, they did a much better job. But the ballads and slow jams tend to be slightly better. The title song (which was released as a single) is a decent remake of Marvin Gaye's 1976 smash, while "Holiday" (not to be confused with Madonna's 1983 hit) and "Summer Love" are pleasant examples of R&B mood music. What Nelson lacks is a firm identity -- there's nothing to distinguish him from countless other male urban contemporary singers who made their debut in the early 1990s. I Want You didn't sell, and Capitol didn't give Nelson a chance to record a second album. © Alex Henderson /TiVo