I have no idea where this article came from. But after you read it, I think you'll agree that it is pretty mean.
There's something disconcerning about a bunch of guys who sound like they're capable of breaking into "The Macarena" at any moment. But give this Orlando, Florida-based quintet points for perserverence; Backstreet Boys originally released this album in 1995, and it promptly wilted in the race of modern rock and gangsta rap. But the Boys got it goin' on in Europe and other countries where their debut has sold more than five million copies, enough to convince them (and their domestic label) to give the U.S. another shot.
The second time appears to be the charm for the B-Boys, as their reborn single, "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)," has scaled the charts with sweet, redemptive speed. Of course, the story is better than the music--by a long shot. "Backstreet Boys" is filled with sweet, lovelorn pseudo-soul ditties. and loaded with synthetic instruments, including the world's most soulless drum machine. (At least the Spice Girls have personality) Despite some fairly happening producers, including Full Force and P.M. Dawn (the duo helms a cover of their own masterpiece Set Adrift On Memory Bliss), the resulting product is a shockingly dated affair that sounds like a tribute album cover to Color Me Badd, All-4-One, New Kids On The Block, and especially Bobby Brown's "Don't Be Cruel." Upbeat pieces like "We've Got It Goin' On" and "Get Down(You're the One For Me)" practically plagerize and number of Brown's late-eighties dance hits. There are plently of sensitive-young-man ballads to tug at the ol' heartstrings, too: the B-Boys pledge to "Quit Playin' Games" with your heart; say they'll go "Anywhere For You"; promise "I'll Never Break Your Heart"; and commit to sticking around "As Long As You Love Me." Here's a good idea, then; if we stop loving them, maybe they'll go away. Hey, they promised.
