New Kids On The Block - The Block Review
Posted by Brittany Haskins on 09.14.2008
New Kids On The Block are back and they've hit puberty... way past that actually.
I'm speechless. I am so excited to write this review because this album is nothing like I've ever experienced in my twenty years of existence. This album is a joke.
Where do I begin? Okay, the second song on the album, "Summertime" reminds me of LFO, you remember them? I didn't think so. The song is about sitting around in the summer thinking about some chick you had a fling with in the summer of god knows what year and still bitching about it. Now remember, these guys are 40.
Play Bone Thugz and Harmony's "Wake Up" about five seconds into the song "2 In The morning" from NKOTB and tell me what happens. Yeah, they totally jacked the whole "wake up, wake up” line and converted it into another cheesy pop R&B song about their girlfriend not saying goodnight, and not telling them why it seems like she’s always on her period.
"Girl it’s almost 10/Gotta know if you’re mad at me/Before Grey’s Anatomy/‘Cause we could drag this out all night.” They’re still 40.
"Sexify My Love" is my favorite song and here is why; this song is so explicit, raunchy, and perverse in so many ways! Check this out:
“Girl, don't be shy/you're looking so fly//Tonight I wanna try/every position we can dream of/All over the house/workin' that thing/girl, makin' you shout/Take it fast, slow/do it like a pole slide/ all the ways to get low, low…”
What the hell happened to step by step?
I also think it is hilarious how NKOTB are 35-40 years old and are still horny like pre-pubescent high school guys. “Girl” is used every other word (like their last albums),
the entire album is full of vagina influenced lyrics and Boyz ll Men vocal ranges, and is a somewhat modern version of their music in the 80's. Although it is a modern version of their old crap, it sounds like it only progressed to 1998, as if the sound is late? Old? Maybe a little bit of both, if that makes sense.
There are five songs that have guest appearances, being The Pussycat Dolls, Akon, Lady GaGa, Ne-Yo, and saving the best for last, New Edition! It’s an 80's boy band reunion!
The Pussycat Dolls are featured on "Grown Man" but it sounds like NKOTB are featured on a Dolls song, the girls totally stole NKOTB's thunder in this song (not saying they make the song any better, because that is not the case.) This song is terrible.
"Full Service" features New Edition. Check these lyrics out, tell me what you think, please leave comments, I want everyone's opinion on this, I need to make sure I'm not being crazy:
“I'll lift the hood and look up under/From the front and to the bumper/Roll the window up and lock the door/Cause I'm gonna bring rain and thunder/I'll fill you up-up (If you wanna get some)/I'll pump you up-up (Cause I got the premium)/I'll fill you up-up, pump you up-up/'Till the tip-top, drip drop, don't stop, don't stop
That's is pretty much the entire album; fucking, bodies, the word 'girl' and weird stalker like undertones.
Oh, and don't forget the end of "Staring at You" one of the guys is talking to what sounds like a 4 year old and he asks her, "You know the name of daddy's group? The name of daddy's singing group? You don't know the name?" "No" she replies and then he goes on to say:
"The Block"
"I thought it was new kids on the block"
"That’s right"
Creepy.
The 411: I think everyone should own this album because it is hilarious, I'd choose this album over Weird Al Yankovic any day! They changed their sound a little bit, but kept the cheesiness of the 80's boy band lyrics, and then turned it up a few notches and made it explicit. They tried to make this romantic and sensual, but it turned out distasteful and creepy. Creepy because it is so raunchy and they are not kids anymore....They are 40 year old men.
They really jumped on the bandwagon with all these ex stars trying to come back in the 2000's, but just like this album, they are a little late.
I'd like to say thank GOD they didn't do an album like the ones they had back in the day! What happened to Step by Step? It's been done. Why would we want another one? Moving along...
I absolutely LOVE The Block! These guys are older, wiser, sexier, and HOTTER than they ever were!! Sounds like you have a lot of discrimination against their age. I don't see what their age has to do with music. Since when did people stop thinking about sex after 30? They may have gotten older but so have their fans and we love their new sound. This album is actually very honest and personal to the group. If you had done your research, you'd know the profundity of the songs.
My opinion on Full Service? The beat is kickin! I love the gas station references. It's hilarious! The guys really have a great sense of humor. It was always their dream to collaborate on a song with the predecessors, New Edition. "Full Service" is a perfect blend of pop from NKOTB and R&B from New Edition. It's understandable if you don't like it. A lot of people think, "New Kids on the Block? Their music's so cheesy & dated!" However, I've read plenty of valid reviews where people who did not like their old sound had listened to this album with an open mind, without discriminating against them and they found it to be fairly decent. The beats are danceable, the voicework is clean, the synths are current, the harmonies are stacked, and "all the song are strategically placed...they're set up to succeed." (Donnie Wahlberg 9/6/08) They've done just that.
I'm not implying that everyone should love this album. Far from it. But I think people should listen to the album at least 2 times, and both times without knowing who the artist is, then review it, and THEN, be told who it is. I bet you'll be surprised by the answers.
Posted By: Ava (Guest) on September 14, 2008 at 05:15 PM
It makes me sad that you were excited to completely bash something.
First, I love the album. Second, I love the "raunchy" lyrics. These guys were my first crush...I'm 29 now and I'm really not interested in hearing them sing Please Don't Go Girl to me. I find it pretty hot actually that they are singing about something that adults do for fun...well some of us at least.
And just to correct you on a few things which makes me wonder if you really listened to the album...Summertime is track 4, not two. Donnie only has two sons, the child you hear at the end of Stare at You (not Staring at You) is his youngest son. So, no it's not creepy that he's talking to his son. BTW-that song is about wanting to stay with your lover instead of going out...it's romantic, not creepy. Also, none of the guys are 40 yet...Joey is turning 35 and Jon IS turning 40 in November. The rest are in their 30's.
Also, who cares they use the word girl? Did everyone magically stop calling you girl when you turned 21? I know I hear women referred to as girls regardless of age, even be other women.
I'm fine that you don't like it. Just don't write an article where you so obviously had your mind made up before you even gave the album a chance.
Posted By: mashia6 (Guest) on September 14, 2008 at 06:09 PM
haha...ava. i guarantee you're an online alias of jordan knight. get off the computer and go "star" on a vh1 reality show with other people that no one cares about. you seem like the kind of person that tries to find deep meaning in episodes of laguna beach.
Posted By: hellboysetsfire (Guest) on September 14, 2008 at 06:12 PM
Ummm....you did realize that the talking part at the end of "Stare At You" was Donnie talking to his 7-year old SON, right? It's kind of cute that he included that bit w/his son on the album.
Posted By: Jennifer (Guest) on September 14, 2008 at 08:14 PM
So, you are saying its better than Metallica's new pile of crap? Maybe something has changed since 1989!
Posted By: GeorgeBeans (Guest) on September 14, 2008 at 09:52 PM
heh... girls.
Posted By: Bahb (Guest) on September 14, 2008 at 10:28 PM
Whoever wrote this is a complete tool...The Block is one of the best Pop albums in a long time...The best NKOTB work and this album crushed the past 2 BSB albums...and the thing about LFO...umm LFO couldn't sing at all...you just compared NKOTB to having Boyz II Men when it comes to harmony, that was a huge compliment to NKOTB...Don't get "Twisted", lol, by this reviewers comments, he or she is probably one of those closet fans that has posters of NKOTB in weird places around the house that house guest can't see....lol
Posted By: Dennis (Guest) on September 14, 2008 at 10:42 PM
Wow! That was harsh. Your only 20 years old Ha Ha Ha, these guys are true rebels. Since day one critics have been trashing the New kids because they do not fit the expected musical mold. According to critics they cant sing, dance or write lyrics but regardless NKOTB became one of the biggest musical acts of our time and have had the biggest influence in pop music. Besides that, there come back is considered as one of the biggest in music history.
So the lesson here is, “don’t try to be another clone in society, F…..K the critics if they say you suck just keep doing your thing. You could be the next phenomenon…….”
Posted By: Notsobad (Guest) on September 14, 2008 at 10:42 PM
Way to sum it all up Ava. We knew the critics were going to be harsh. I am sure there are not many of them that actually listened to the entire album...They just here NKOTB and start with all the negative comments that all of us fans expected. They never got rave reviews back in the day...but they still sold over 70 million albums. They created the phenomenon of Boy Bands. And they made enough money before they were 21 that they never needed to work again. I have met many people that, once they listen to the album a few times...they really like it. Once they get over the fact that it is NKOTB. People just want to hate them...but I truly think the most vocal critics are the most closeted fans!
Posted By: Chrissy (Guest) on September 15, 2008 at 08:24 AM
The guy who wrote this is a utter fool!! I love this album, and it's brilliant, sexy. The boys are even hotter now than I have ever seen them, and I'm a UK fan of the boys, they are BRILLIANT!!! OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: Guest#8181 (Guest) on September 15, 2008 at 09:54 AM
I think something you're missing here is that the New Kids are a boy band and this is pop music. Pop lyrics are not meant to be pulled apart and analyzed for every 'ooh' and 'baby.' When I brought home 'The Block' for the first time I wasn't expecting anything super deep or inspirational. I also wasn't expecting anything ultra romantic or mature. I have plenty of other albums that I listen to for that. The New Kids have always been about singing fun, sexy dance songs and showing off for the ladies and that's what we love about them. They don't take themselves too seriously and neither do we. Sure they are older, but so am I so it's all good.Did I laugh when I heard Donnie and Jordan say they were going to 'sexify my love'-- of course...but I thought the song had a great groove to it and was catchy as hell and I loved every minute of it. I love the new album and can't stop jamming out to it. My first ever crushes are back and to me they are hotter than ever...cheesy pick up lines and all:)
Moral of the story....they're grown men, I'm a grown woman and Donnie Wahlberg can give me some 'full service' anytime.
Posted By: theblock (Guest) on September 15, 2008 at 12:32 PM
hellboysetsfire, Jordan Knight is too humble of a person to be writing about himself and their own music like this. Any fan would know this. Don't pretend you know him.
Posted By: Ava (Guest) on September 15, 2008 at 12:52 PM
i am not surprised why critics continue to bash the 'kids'. as a long-time fan, ive been so used to it since time immemorial that it doesnt affect me. what matters to me now is that they are back with an album as sexy as danny's abs! i honestly can't stop dancing to the tunes. i just love it!
"sexify my love.." na..na...na...
can't wait to see you guys in three days at ACC!!!
Posted By: pearl (Guest) on September 15, 2008 at 01:37 PM
first, that was donnie speaking to a BOY! get it right! and i think it was cute! and you really do need to do more research and maybe listen to the entire CD before you go making judgements. you're not a reviewer. you're an uninformed tabloid writer than lucked into a job writing reviews! so go listen the whole thing, come back and tell us what you think! you only mentioned about half the songs on the CD. that tells me you didn't listen. shame on you!
Posted By: jenniab91 (Guest) on September 15, 2008 at 01:44 PM
Hearing stuff like this from "critics" is nothing new when it comes to the New Kids. Similar things were said 18 and 20 years ago except now throw in a couple "old man" references and "this isn't Step by Step" and you have the same thing. I think The Block is a pretty solid album and it was done for their fans. It's funny how reviewers bring up the fact that the New Kids On the Block aren't kids anymore and that the new music isn't innocent like their previous work. NO DUH! How is it creepy for men in their 30's to sing on a song that they're having adult relationships with adult women? I would think it was creepy if they released songs that were saccharine filled kids pop that talked about the same things they covered when they were teenagers (Popsicle anyone?). How old do you think their target audience is? Most of us fans were fans of them 20 years ago so putting out teen pop for people in their 20's and 30's would not be the route for the New Kids to go in. They're adults and so are we and their music reflects that.
I know their music lyrics aren't earth shattering but not many musicians can claim such a thing. Their old music is fun and The Block has made me a fan all over again.
Also you might want to do actual research about a group and their target audience before you write a "review". Just a suggestion.
Posted By: Mello (Guest) on September 15, 2008 at 03:35 PM
I understand you guys have been fans for a long time, but really this album is awful. I stand by my review. Some beats may be catchy, yes but you cannot tell me that the album is original, mature, or even good.
Posted By: Brittany (Registered) on September 15, 2008 at 07:02 PM
haha...defending jordan knight! i guess i didnt count on his loyal army of fans! face it...NKOTB were bubblegum pop at best, and just like fruit stripe they lost their flavor long ago and got stale.
Posted By: hellboysetsfire (Guest) on September 15, 2008 at 10:48 PM
The album is good:)
Posted By: Sara (Guest) on September 15, 2008 at 11:04 PM
helloboysetsfire is obviously gay,just admit you have a crush for NKOTB since you're posting a lot in this very thread trying to look "cool" and ending up failing miserably HUGE TIME IMO
What a joke you are, EPIC FAIL FOR YOU and EPIC WIN FOR AVA
Owned and pwned emo teen hellboy owned and pwned !
Posted By: Guest#3305 (Guest) on September 16, 2008 at 08:25 AM
Biased Bitch. This album is much better than all the crap out there these days. If it hadn't been NKOTB and, maybe say, Usher or something. you would have called it a masterpiece
Posted By: D (Guest) on September 16, 2008 at 12:42 PM
No D, I know bad music when I hear it
Posted By: Brittany (Registered) on September 16, 2008 at 02:03 PM
lol. maybe if you say epic fail, pwned and owned enough, you'll convince yourself that its witty. no, i posted here at first because i truly wanted to read the review. i like a wide array of artists, but admittedly i was looking forward to what was no doubt a burial of 4 talentless old dudes and donnie walberg. for anyone to defend this group and try to pretend like they have any kind of credibility is completely ridiculous. nkotb have ALWAYS been a joke. whether they were a group of scared white boys in braided belts talking about "hangin tough!" or aging castaways putting out this soundtrack for dateline: to catch a predator..the majority of music fans have regarded them as nothing more than a novelty act like vanilla ice, mc hammer, and brian austin green. if anyone of those 3 put out a new album, would you be as adamant about their "talent"? doubtful, and the new kids are no better. in some ways, FAR worse. i should say in all fairness that i respect other peoples opinions...but saying this is anything but crap is just an argument for the sake of arguing. if anyone in their right mind seriously enjoys this album, or anything this band has to offer...go outside and find a sharp stick. then jam it in your ear. i figure its about the same experience, maybe you'll enjoy it too.
Posted By: hellboysetsfire (Guest) on September 16, 2008 at 07:03 PM
HE WAS TALKIN TO HIS SON! duhhhhhhhh!
Whoever this Brittany person is she's needs to shut up and leave them ALONE. There great! :)
Posted By: Alexis (Guest) on September 17, 2008 at 09:30 AM
Well “Britney” it looks like you lost this one. I know this is just your opinion but honestly this CD is not so bad.
If this CD is so horrible please explain to me why it débuted at #2 on the charts. As a matter of fact it was the highest chart ranking ever for a group that’s been out of the music business for 15 years. Did you ever think that the reason we still have boy bands to day was because of NKOTB. Their formula is still being copied today.
I am sure you can’t explain it, right!
Your not very good at this, you should find another job....
Posted By: check1 (Guest) on September 17, 2008 at 04:07 PM
“I'll lift the hood and look up under/From the front and to the bumper/Roll the window up and lock the door/Cause I'm gonna bring rain and thunder/I'll fill you up-up (If you wanna get some)/I'll pump you up-up (Cause I got the premium)/I'll fill you up-up, pump you up-up/'Till the tip-top, drip drop, don't stop, don't stop"
I didn't know they wrote political songs. Good to see a pop group write songs about the gas crisis.
Also, to the commenter above me who wrote- "If this CD is so horrible please explain to me why it debuted at #2 on the charts."
Popular does not necessarily equal good. A lot of CDs have some huge buzz to them for whatever reason, make a lot of quick sales, then disappear. Where will this album be in a month? In six months? Not trying to say this album will drop off the face of the earth, but despite strong early sales, they may not last.
Jeff Martin once said, "most pop music these days has the shelf life of a milk product." Anybody can sell a million records over a few weeks if they're marketed correctly. Longevity is the measuring stick.
I'm not going to crap on the album, cause I heaven't heard it, but my point is early chart success doesn't necessarily mean anything.
Posted By: Hawkeye (Guest) on September 18, 2008 at 09:22 AM
Hey "Brittany" (how cute!)
How rotten of you to completely bash something that these guys worked so hard on, are so proud of and is actually enjoyable when you listen to it. Explicit lyrics or not, the music SOUNDS great and that's what it's all about.
Posted By: Jennifer (Guest) on September 23, 2008 at 03:02 PM
Find it ironic that people are going on and on about the "sexual lyrics" and their ages. UMMMM...can you say Kid Rock, Eminem, Snoop....yeah there stuff isn't sexual LOL
Posted By: Tina (Guest) on September 25, 2008 at 12:13 PM
Oh it is so funny that there are still haters out there! I just went to the East Ruterford concert and trust me, there was a completely packed house of women and men out to see them again. It was an amazing show and performance. Brittany probably wasn't even old enough in the late 80's, early 90's to experience the great times. Let the good times roll! The 2008 Reunion tour is basically sold out everywhere, so there are still tons of fans that are very excited!
Posted By: Tracy (Guest) on September 25, 2008 at 01:40 PM
Obviously you wouldn't know taste if it hit you in the face. This album is fantastic and they sound amazing live. This is by far the best album they have done.
Oh yeah, btw the little girl you are talking about is actually Donnie's son at the end of 'Stare At You'.
Posted By: karen (Guest) on October 01, 2008 at 04:47 PM
Did we listen to the same album? There may be a hint of the "good ol' days" but this album is very up-to-date and why do NKTOB get flack for singing songs about sex & girls? They're 35-39, so what? Their audience loves it...the fans wanted to be swooned and they delivered. All pop/r&b albums are produced so it sounds good in the clubs! They are entertainers and they deliver on this album.
Your article was dripping with disdain...did you give this an objective listen?
Thank you,
NKOTB Fan 4EVER...
Kimber
Posted By: kimber (Guest) on October 06, 2008 at 04:36 PM
all i have to say is...
Hi HATERS!!
The boys were sexy as hell then, and the MEN they have become are even sexier!! I wanted to give Donnie my virginity then and Id have his baby now...:)
Posted By: guest (Guest) on October 14, 2008 at 01:55 AM
Ok, y'all are all right. Everytime here grown man and the song with lady gaga (what kind of stage name is that can we get pass the daiper stage ok) Big girl now make me laugh because you are totally correct. They have past puberty and singing like they are fourteen again or whatever. I never thought donnie was hot until today. My favorite song is click click click. The reason for that is the great hook and i can see it in the club. i do love this album, for what is i hope they do another one so i can laugh with it indowindow( i pobably spell that word wrong but thats ok have you heard their cd you might spell a word or two wrong lol) but the album great i advise every person to a buy cd with a little cheesiness to it and this is that one. who ever got upset when she stating the stare at you part get over yourself music and jokes go hand and hand did not hear lil jon what. lol with a smile
Posted By: paula (Guest) on December 23, 2008 at 03:53 AM
