In my opinion, not as good as their first CD

The reviews of this CD seem to be very polarized. Either people love them or hate them. I suppose a lot of the backlash is from rockers who hate boy bands. A lot of people put down this type of pop music saying that these artist don't last long and that there music is disposable or forgettable. What people don't realize is that ALL music is used up and forgotten. Similarly, most artists have a limited shelf-life, after which they become "oldies" artists. This is largely due to the fact that most music consumers are kids in their teens and twenties, and they are not going to buy a CD by someone over 40. So, yes, the Backstreet Boys time has come and gone, and maybe their music was disposable. But the same thing has happened to the supposedly more serious artists of that era. When was the last time you heard a hit from the Gin Blossoms, Toad the Wet Sprocket, or Hootie & the Blowfish? These groups were taken seriously because they were bands that played instruments and wrote songs, but they have been discarded the same way that the boy bands have.



Well, enough of my rant. On to reviewing this album. I don't like it as much as I like their debut album. Certain tracks stand out, such as "Larger than Life", "The One", and "Show me the Meaning of Being Lonely". "I Want it That Way" is catchy, but I could never really figure out what the song means. "Don't Want You Back" incorporates one of my pet peaves in recent music: using pops and hisses to make it sound like an old scratchy vinyl record. Listen kids, I used to have to suffer through pops and scratches on records. It wasn't fun. If I am buying a CD, I want crisp, clear music. Simulating scratchy vinyl records is just a waste of digital technology. "The Perfect Fan" enters into gag-inducing sweetness as an ode to mothers being "the perfect fan". The music is good, but the energy of the first album has been lost in the overproduction of this sophomore effort. But well worth buying for some of the key tracks.

Nice C.D.!

"An elephant makes a big poop--a mouse makes a tiny poop." These straightforward observations mark the beginning of Taro Gomi's wonderful picture book "Everyone Poops." Not only is this beautifully illustrated book a great way to teach kids about a basic body function, it's also a wonderfully funny treat for adult readers.

I imagine that some prudish parents will be put off by Gomi's explicit (but charming) pictures of animals and humans taking "poops" of all shapes, sizes, and colors. But Gomi's basic message is sound: relieving one's bowels is a normal part of our everyday lives. In a world where too many people are too embarrassed to ask their doctor about colorectal cancer and other "poop"-related health problems, Taro Gomi's book is especially valuable. If the child (or parent) who enjoys this book feels less squeamish about discussing colorectal health concerns at a later time, than Gomi will have done more than just entertain; the author may have also helped save a life. So buy "Everyone Poops" and share it with the ones you love.

Not bashing, but an Honest opinion...

So me, my brother and his girlfriend are driving on a long road trip one day and my brother being polite tells his girlfriend that she can have first pick on what cd we were going to listen to. A devious smile spread across her face as she slid the cd out of the case and into the player. Im sitting in the back seat, closest to the speaker so there's no way of me drowning out the sound with my headphones. When those first few notes of "Larger Than Life" blasted through the speaker I realized in horror that a backstreet boys CD was being force fed into my brain. Now, I try to keep an open mind when it comes to music so I decided that I would forget the prejudices and just listen to the music. By the time the second song was halfway over my eyes were glazed with the hot tears of boredom. I sat and carfully listened to every song and every song sounded like plain old manufactured crap. I just cannot comprehend how people can stand this. I know people have their own taste but, DAMN! The album is depressing, the melodies are boring and tasteless and the beats are just plain crap. The lyrics are VERY cheesy, cliche, and unoriginal. Of course the lyrics are not really the "band" members fault though because the bottom line is THEY DO NOT WRITE THEIR OWN MUSIC!! The only reason their name is on the credits is because guys maybe contributed a line or two. Just about every boy band/pop singer has a team of professional songwriters who write the lyrics for them. Why? Because the record companies need these songwriters to come up with material that most people can feel like they can relate too. That in turn boost the record sales and keep these people buisness. That's also true for pop artist like Eminem! If you don't belive that just think about this. During a time when it just started to become cool to hate boy bands like New Kids and BSB, all the sudden there was a guy named Marshall Mathers who exploded on the scenes and shocked the nation with his bashing of these boy bands earning him instant success (if that is not coinidence, I dont know what is). The truth is that Dr. Dre came up with a brilliant idea to make some serious money by introducing a rapper who would take advantage of a pop culture beggining to turn its back on bay bands. And his plan worked like a charm. The point is the reason I hate pop artist like BSB, Avril Lavine, Sum 41, Jessica/Ashlee Simpson is simply because they are all puppets for the record company used to grab some quick cash and when the people start to lose intrest in these artist, they are instantly dropped from the label to make room for the new pop idle who can rake in some extra money before being dropped as well. Music is an art form, just another way of expressing ones inner self, just like painting or writing. It's not supossed to be used as a tool for making money and I for one would like see more artist appreciating the music their making and not the money its making them. Anyways this is my opinion and how I feel about the BSB and other artist like them. I'm not trying to offend anyone or bash on the artist. So if you have read this much of my review then thank you for keeping an open mind. By the way if you want to here some true, beautifully composed music which is not corporate controlled I recomend VAST (Visual Audio Sensory Theatre). It's not mainstream so it might be harder to find but, if you do find it give it a listen. This album will blow you away, its a increadable listening experience like no other. Also check out VAST's Nude album, Metallica's Master of Puppets, anything by NOFX, Creedence Clearwater Revival, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, and My Chemical Romance.



Thanks for reading.

Peace