that sets them apart from the group that inspired them, the Jackson Five.

The very heartiness of their talent is sort of a surprise: their debut LP, which featured the buoyant bubblegum masterpieces "Candy Girl" and "Popcorn Love" amid other solid songs, was thought to be a feather in the cap of its producers, Arthur Baker and Maurice Starr. Then they ditched their mentors and went to MCA, where everybody expected them to flounder. Instead, they came up with New Edition and such powerhouse hits as "Mr. Telephone Man" and "Cool It Now" – two Top Ten pop-chart hits – and one of last year's most wondrous singles, "My Secret."

A New Edition album delivers a world full of innocent joy, breathless adoration of girls, sweet disappointments with romance and unbounded sexual energy. The new one's full of great tunes, from slow ballads like the sexy "Whispers in Bed" to the high-spirited liftoff of the Jacksons-like "All for Love." The sound – sophisticated synths and modern machine drumming – is cool, but the voices are warm and spirited. For a record that features the work of four different production teams, there's a surprising consistency of feeling. That's because the group's personality is so well defined.

Without as much exposure as they deserve – MTV's been no big booster of this black group-New Edition has still established themselves as one of the most winning acts around: as surehanded in delivering tracks that make you get up and dance as the Jacksons used to be. (RS 467)

DEBBY BULL