A Pop Band With Substance (Very long, thorough review!) (Backstreet Boys in general)

Member Name: IzzyS

Product:	Backstreet Boys in general
Date:	10/02/09 (116 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Talented singers, live acapella, nice guys, great live, some fans can be very kind !

Disadvantages: Similar songs, fanclub, lack of creative control, reliance on other writers, now one member down

I originally posted this review at Ciao UK last January and so it is slightly out of date, though I have tried my best to edit out any out of date information and they haven't released a new album since Unbreakable which is mentioned in my review.

In the last few weeks there has been some pretty sad news as far as BSB is concerned and I don't really want to make this review any longer (its already massive!), so I'll just briefly add here that there's been a revealing article in the US magazine People where Nick has admitted to having problems with drink and drugs and its revealed that he has a heart problem because of his partying, cardio myopathy, plus AJ seems to have started drinking again, which is sad news but im hopeful things will get better for them! not that, those facts affect the music but all the same... since the original review was written, I managed to go to a concert in Glasgow last May as a VIP and I got to very briefly meet them and shake their hands, which was nice, they certainly seemed very nice and I was lucky enough to get my photo taken with them all, which is something im sure ill treasue for a long time.

Also I'm not bothered how many rates this gets, I just like it to be online for people to read and I'll try my best to return rates but im not bothered about getting alot for it, so if you just want to read bits of it and leave it at that, thats absolutely fine, thanks (I know it'd take an age to read it all, you don't have to lol).

Anyway onto the review!

- Introduction/Me as a Fan -

The Backstreet Boys are a teen pop group, also normally regarded as a boy band, that I've personally been a fan of, since January 1997 and in that time, have, lets say, amassed rather a lot of information (both somewhat useless and more interesting) on. I will admit that I had my over obsessive time when basically my life was all about The Backstreet Boys (who pretty much everyone abbreviates to BSB so I'll refer to them as that from now on), no-one could touch them, they were the best and they were all I was interested in, to such a point that when my family went on summer holidays abroad and I thought a tour may be announced that may come to Britain very soon, I'd be against going incase I missed the chance for tickets, somewhat crazy stuff like that. It probably does sound pretty cheesy but I do feel that in some ways, the group got me through my days at high school (well, the academy, my last 6 years at school before college anyway). I was pretty shy and lonely then and one of my only friends at that time was also a fan and kept encouraging me to listen to their music, she thought that they were more than just your average somewhat average talented boy band but at first I was pretty sceptical. I remember I first saw them on TV, on the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party in December 1995, then I had to laugh at the costumes *ahem* clothes they wore (which now that I've seen it again some years later, I still laugh at that - didn't help! not too credible) and I rolled my eyes at Nick, 'oh look there's the blonde one, I'm guessing all the girls are supposed to fall in love with him, he'll be the usual 'cute one''. Well, can't say I was too wrong there!

Anyway, so I've been a fan of different extremes (I did take a year out, so to speak, last year. I think that really I was becoming a bit jaded and POd with what was going on for many reasons, see the downsides listed below and so I decided to stop checking the fan forums and stopped looking for news about them from last January until recently) for over 10 years now. My opinions have changed a fair amount over the last few years and although it may sound like I'd be quite biased, I feel that im in a good position to comment about them, hopefully at least slightly objectively(?!) as trust me, when something needs to be criticised, I can criticise! I don't think by any means that their this perfect group, so where criticism is due, I'll give it. The same goes for where praise is due, of course. Any opinions are of course my own and as a fan of over a decade really, so, I guess in a sense, who better to review them, after the things I've seen them go through and having been both the rather obsessive fan and the more unsure fan too, I've seen and been in both perspectives. Its been a heck of a ride so far, I'm certainly lucky to have been able to keep up with all the singles, albums and even being able to attend 4 concerts so far (the, what I believe was called, Backstreets Back tour in 1997 in Glasgow, two concerts in Wembley as part of the Never Gone tour in 2005 and one concert from the Unbreakable tour in Glasgow in May 2008), as well as seeing and very (very!) briefly meeting ex member Kevin on the West End in 'Chicago', also having amassed a rather massive collection of all kinds of merchandise and TV footage and all sorts, throughout this 10 year plus time as a fan. Thats who I am and thats my 'story' of sorts, so, its worth baring that in mind but now I'll go into more detail about the group themselves.

- Background/How It Started -

The Backstreet Boys were basically put together as a manfactured band by Lou Pearlman in Florida in the early 1990s. Sometimes it seems that people get the wrong information and state things incorrectly but basically, without getting into too much detail (or heck this'll be a 100 page equivalent review!), Howie, Nick & AJ (Florida residents) were the first members who auditioned and got through, after answering an ad in a local paper that Lou had placed, that was back in 1992. Then Kevin joined them, who comes from Kentucky but was in Florida working at Disney World and looking for acting and/or singing jobs but they soon realised that they needed an extra member and Kevin recommended his cousin, Brian, who Kevin made that fateful phone call to, in 1993 while he was in history class in Kentucky I believe and he flew out soon after to join the others.

There were two other members initially but their sound didn't mesh well enough, I think they went and it was then that they needed Brian to fill out the sound but either way, they didn't last, there was drama about the writing credits for a song used and it all went downhill from there, I used to know their names but really its not so important as they left before the group had any real success, before their name was chosen even, so it doesn't matter too much.

So the original lineup of The Backstreet Boys were born but where did they get their name from? well, basically, as far as I can remember the story goes that they were out having a meal in a local place in Orlando one day when they started talking about what name to call themselves. Nearby they noticed the flea market that was a common place for teenagers to hang out, which was called the Backtreet Market (this is now long gone but was there back in 1993). So, it was decided that the name Backstreet Boys would be used, I guess it seemed trendy at the time and cool with the local teens, I suppose. So thats basically how it all started... I could go into more detail but I can't say that I particularly want to get my biography out and re-read the whole thing, there's plenty more information about them to go into, without making it a massive history project and I don't know how interesting this is for others to read anyway, so, I'll leave it here.


- Members -

BSB currently consist of the following members (their nicknames are in brackets) -

Alexander James ('AJ') McLean - The rebellious one, well ok you could say Nick is too, so one of two of them then! he's had his fair share of problems in the past. His date of birth is 9th January 1978. He's the one that always wears sunglasses, even indoors and during the winter lol he also has numerous tattoos and piercings.

Nickolas Gene (Nick) Carter - The 'cute' (or nowadays probably more known as sexy) one, with a somewhat crazy family too! which has been documented in the show 'House of Carters' that was shown in the US and here on the E! channel a year or so back. His date of birth is 28th January 1980. He's the youngest in the group. He released a solo album back in 2002 entitled 'Now or Never' which was more rock, teen rock oriented, although it didn't entirely take off.

Howard Dwayne ('Howie', 'Howie D' or 'Sweet D') Dorough - The latino one. His date of birth is August 22nd, 1973. He has written or co-written some tracks on the groups albums, such as 'Spanish Eyes' on what many consider to be their best album, Millennium. He's also made some small appearences on TV shows, such as Roswell and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. He's recently become engaged to marry his long term girlfriend Leigh.

Brian (Bri/'BRok' (as he played basketball)) Thomas Littrell - The funny one (and a cutie lol he's my favourite!). His date of birth is February 20th, 1975. He comes from Lexington in Kentucky, the same place Kevin was brought up in, whereas the other three all come from Florida (though Nick did used to live in Jamestown in New York when he was quite young). He's married and has a son called Baylee who was born in 2002, who some fans are a bit overly obsessed with and its not been unknown to see MySpace profiles for him made by fans, which I think really is NOT cool but there you go. He also has a solo career, which has been more successful than Nicks, to the best of my knowledge. His solo work isn't in rock but rather in Christian pop or pop Gospel music, his last and debut solo CD is entitled Welcome Home. I'm not particularly religious but I do have beliefs and I believe his solo album is quite good, showcasing his soothing vocals which I've always liked (call me cheesy for the pun and biased for the opinion but thats what I think). I like to try some of everything so I had to give it a go and I ordered it from the US and do like some of the tracks. It isn't extremely preachy either...
Kevin has since left the group but if anyones interested, he was the oldest member, his date of birth is October 3rd 1971 and he was known as the more mature choice, with dark green eyes and a washboard figure, his full name is Kevin Scott Richardson and he's married and just last July was blessed with a son called Mason, with his wife Kristin. He has appeared on Broadway and Londons West End as Billy Flynn in Chicago and he has a Myspace Music profile too, he also has a music studio called Blue Jay studios in America.

I could go all teeny and tell you their favourite colours lol I remember the useful(!) trivia, clearly, yes but I figure, that won't help you decide if the group is much good, so, I'll give that one a miss (psst though if you just HAVE to know then here you go - AJ - Yellow, Nick - Green, Howie - Purple, Brian and Kevin - Navy blue for Kentucky lol I have the same favourite colour as Howie, purple! fascinating, im sure!).


- What Attracted Me To Them? -

At first, it was the music. To start with, I'll admit I didn't think too much of them, infact I was rather sceptical, as touched on previously, as it sounded like it was just America trying to cash in on the whole European fad of boy bands but what changed my opinion, as cheesy as it possibly sounds, was when I started listening to a song called 'I'll Never Break Your Heart', from their debut album. The difference compared to other similar bands was that the vocals sounded so good, you know it sounded like they could really sing and you could hear a good harmony there, which I liked.

When I started buying more magazines with information and interviews with the group, I thought that they seemed quite serious about being a successful group and I read quotes where Kevin and Howie sounded very sure that they weren't just a fad, a group that would be gone anytime soon and that impressed me too. In February 1996, I was saddened when Take That split up, as a very young fan of their back then, I had even vowed to not follow a similar group unless I thought it was likely that they would last more than a couple of years or so, to protect myself so to speak, well thats what I told myself then anyway and I was impressed with how serious they seemed to take themselves. However, in another way they were quite funny and humorous too and it made me laugh seeing some of the TV interviews and stuff, Brian can crack a good joke and make you laugh. Also what really attracted me as well was the fact that they could do live acapella, something that you still don't really see (or more, hear) very often. My dad once heard them and cemented my thoughts about their talent by saying that he was pleased to hear that they could 'really sing'. When I realised I was really quite keen on the group, I decided to go out and spend some of my precious pocket money on their debut album. Unfortunately, the CD was sold out but I managed to get it on cassette tape instead (hey, this was a while ago lol) and I have this memory of me walking around the house with my old cassette walkman on, listening to it on repeat. At the time, I was a little disappointed that there seemed to be more bonus ballads than dance tracks, I preferred the dance tracks then (like the single 'We've Got It Goin' On') but since then, I've become more keen on the ballads. I'm not fussed now, I quite like the mid tempo's that their well known for too I think. Oh and of course, they weren't bad looking either! (still aren't).


- Whats So Different about Them? -

Well, as I already slightly touched on, the fact that they did live acapella, definitely scored points with me and with plenty of others too. Individually, they are pretty competent singers (although AJs maybe not quite as good as he used to be, what with the heavy smoking and drinking he's done, its damaged his vocal chords so he can't reach the same high notes he used to).

Also, the music that they do is slightly different to other pop music. Its kind of difficult to explain really, what is it about this BSB sound that I find so attractive? its quite emotive, there are tracks that are light and fluffy and could make others roll their eyes and so on but I just think its fun, whats wrong with a bit of fun music, if it can lift your mood and cheer you up, eh? even at my age, im proud to say I can still enjoy a good blast of some of their lighter songs.

Having said that, they don't just do such tracks. There are heavier, deeper, power ballads too, such as Incomplete and my personal favourite, Siberia, from their last album, Never Gone. When I saw that live, it was quite moving. Their ability to create such harmonies and set it to atmospheric background melodies, it can be quite moving. Siberia was done well on stage I thought, they used fake snow to fall when it reached the crescendo bit (if you know what I mean) and it felt very atmospheric, I get all caught up in such stuff and did shed a tear a bit, also when travelling back from the concert, there, I admit it! and thats when I was in my 20s. There is something special about BSB in their music, I feel, I guess its because I grew up as a teen on the music but its hard to put my finger on quite what it is, though im sure there is something there, that if you 'feel it' then thats it, your a fan for life. I know how cheesy that sounds and there are downsides to them as well and everything but I do feel that they have this particular style of music, that can be quite moving. Their vocals are good and some tracks really show them off. I always used to feel that they could do more adult and mature tracks and be taken more seriously and be like a real, proper vocal harmony group of the likes of Boyz II Men (who had the big hit around the time that BSB first formed, called 'End of The Road'. I am a fan of them as well. I also like many other kinds of music, mainly rock and some hip hop).

Also, they have been and are very appreciative of their fans and usually they do hang around to meet fans when the situation allows them to, for as long as they can. They have always been appreciative of the fans and said so in many interviews, as well as mentioning it in their album 'thank you's'. While im not meaning to indicate that other groups don't do this, its definitely a good thing and im not sure if many other groups are quite as good at giving fans their time, as they are. Maybe I'm a little biased there, I don't know but from personal experience, I can say that the times I've been lucky to meet two of them (Howie and Kevin), they have both seemed interested and keen on meeting the fans, me and others around and apart from at one point around 2001, they've never really seemed as if their not enjoying what their doing and aren't happy singing their music or touring and meeting fans. I know, there is probably a bit of faking going on there somewhere but in general, they have seemed quite happy and that makes us fans happy and the fact that I've seen for myself at least a couple of them taking the time to say hello and have quick chats with fans, I have been pretty impressed with that. They do listen to their fans, to at least some extent and thats good to know, even if it ends up that record labels or management will go against what we or/and they want to do but hey, showbusiness is a dirty word, you don't always get your way (which is a real downside, I sometimes wish they would push more and not let their label control them as much as it seems to!) and all of that im afraid!.
Finally, they have fans worldwide, in Europe, America, Australia, Asia, China, Russia and Africa and pretty much everywhere in between (I know, I've seen people from these countries post on forums online and some run websites too). The group started off in Europe too, unlike other American groups. As the boy band fad was in full swing as they wanted to start out in the mid 90s, it was decided that they should start to build a fanbase where it would be the easiest and after having played some small shows at schools and given out free tapes of their first couple of songs, they went over to Europe and appeared in many different European countries and became quite popular within a year or so, there. They also became popular in Canada fairly early on, certainly by 1995 or 1996 and by mid 1997, America stood up and noticed them and they were pretty much an international success by then. I guess its their sound that appeals to people all over the world and the harmonies. It always impresses me when I see clips of people in other countries who don't even necessarily know English, who have learnt the lyrics to their songs and sing their songs at concerts, this is something that impresses the guys too, its quite awe inspiring.


- Achievements -

BSB may be laughed at by some for just being some cheesy and lame teen pop group, im sure plenty see them as that and nothing else but it is well worth mentioning their acheivements. This may well change your opinion of them and its only fair to back them up I guess, so here I'll list some of their achievements...

- 100 Hour Tour -

As anyone who was a fan in late 2000 will remember, November was an important month for BSB. Then they embarked on what was called the '100 Hour Tour', this is when they travelled on a private jet around the world in, you guessed it, 100 hours. They visited different countries, these being - Stockholm (where they appeared on the MTV EMAs (European Music Awards)), Tokyo, Sydney, Australia, Capetown in South Africa and Rio de Janiero in Brazil, where things got just a little bit crazy. They were very humbled when they realised that the massive crowds thats engulfed their tour bus there were all fans dying to see them, like I remember one of the members commented at the time that they thought that the president or Michael Jackson must have been there, they couldn't all be there just to see them! there were thousands of fans that flocked to see them and it became very hectic, with them eventually managing to sing a few songs from the top of a very tall hotel. All this was documented on an official DVD called 'Backstreet Boys Around the World' which you can buy and also on MTVs Diary Of show. They've since made another Diary Of show for MTV, which follows them during the 2005 Never Gone tour and promotion. The Diary Of show is well worth seeing for fans, it has to be among, if not my one, favourite shows they've ever done, its quite revealing and interesting.

It was also funny to see the African barber shop quartet like group that appeared outside the venue for their press conference in Cape Town during the 100 hour tour. They spent some time outside with them dancing to them singing their song lol.

After they finished in Rio, they flew back to New York, where they performed a medley of songs on a special MTV show called 'MTV Backstreet over Broadway'. This is because they went to the roof of the MTV studio building which was by Broadway and they sang again live outside in the open. This is one of my favourite live performances too, their vocals sounded pretty good and the medley was well done, with an acoustic edge provided with a guitar being played in the background. They do sound good live and you have to applaud them for being able to do that after having been very busy travelling and performing for over 100 hours by then!


- CBS Special -

I guess its worth putting this under achievements, as I think its a fairly big achievement for any group to be given the airtime for whats basically most of a live concert to be shown on national TV in the United States. This was broadcast in early 2002 I think (certainly either 2001 or 2002), which was as they were at the height of their popularity and fame in the US and generally, I believe. Unfortunately, it also turned out to be as they were at their most tired, having had very busy schedules but at the time, it was quite an acheivement for them and it certainly indicated their wide popualrity, that a feature length live concert of theirs was broadcast throughout the US, on the CBS network/channel. This was later shown here in Britain on the E4 channel.


- The Grammys Feb. 2000 -

This should have been one of their proudest hours and indeed, to some extent, it was because they were given the honour to not only perform alongside Elton John (who happens to be quite a fan of theirs, they also performed with him live at Party in the Park in England back in 2000) but they also performed a very good medley of old Motown songs during the ceremony too, before switching to their then single, Show Me The Meaning (Of Being Lonely).

The Motown medley consisted of such songs as "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" and "I'll Make Love To You" by Boyz II Men.

They were nominated in more categories than they've ever been nominated in, for their then new and most successful album, Millennium, though unfortunately they didn't win any of the awards.


- Awards -

I touched on the Grammy's above and its true that they haven't won any Grammy's yet, which disappoints me a bit. Okay, they do basic pop I suppose but I do feel there is a substance to their music and they have worked hard to be where they are, that I do sometimes feel that they deserve more recognition than they can seem to get. Having said that, they have still won numerous other awards, from World Music Award, um, awards lol and MTV awards. They've won the European Music Awards viewers choice award and many readers choice and similar awards, which the group claims means more to them, because the fans themselves get to choose the winner and it proves that the fans appreciate them etc. (maybe cheesy but nice).

It can feel as if the music world in terms of critics, at least some and the academy, just aren't interested, the stereotype and exterior of the group being a fluffy teen pop sensation with no real substance or ability behind it, they being manufactured and presumably they think with weak talent even, making them show little interest in awarding them much, although the nominations at that Grammy awards was a good thing, as it did show that they got some recognition then. It was a tough year that year anyway, there are plenty of other talented musicians and groups around, I concede to that. There always will be something special that BSB have that others don't though and being a fan thats seen what they've done and been through, I can't help but wish that they did get a bit more recognition perhaps.

Still, they have won their fair share of awards, internationally, from Britain and America to Canada and Europe and beyond.

In 1997, here in the UK they won 6 different awards in just one awards show, the Smash Hits awards. This included - Best Band on the Planet, Best International Band, Best Album (for Backstreets Back), Best Album Cover (ditto), Best Video (Everybody (Backstreets Back)) and Best Male Haircuit (Nick), which they took the mickey out of him for winning that! (just for a bit of fun of course!).

They also won the 'Favourite Pop/Rock band, duo or group' award and were nominated in the 'Favourite Adult Contemporary Artist' category in the 1999 American Music Awards. They also won in the 'Worlds Best-selling American Group', 'World's Best-selling Pop Group', 'World's Best-selling R&B Group' and 'World's Best-selling Dance Artist' categories at the World Music Awards, also in 1999. These are just some of the awards they've won, you can find a complete list at Wikipedia (under 'list of Backstreet Boys awards').


- Albums & Record Sales (thanks to wikipedia for the record sales info. below) -

These are the albums that they have currently released and their record sales. The certification only relates to UK sales, you can find the US ones if you do a search for Backstreet Boys discography on Wikipedia though (and as its Wikipedia, its all rough estimations may I say! but it should be pretty much correct):-

Backstreet Boys (debut album) - Released here in the UK in 1996, re-released in early 1997. It included singles such as 'We've Got It Goin' On', 'Get Down', 'Anywhere For You' and 'I'll Never Break Your Heart'. Worldwide sales are of 11 million. Its been certified Gold.

Backstreets Back - Released here in the UK in 1997. It includes singles such as 'Everybody (Backstreets Back)', 'As Long As You Love Me' and 'All I Have To Give'. Worldwide sales are of 28 million. Its been certified 4x Platinum.

Millennium - Released here in the UK in 1999. It includes singles including the UK Number 1 hit 'I Want It That Way' (likely to be the most recognisable single name), also 'Show Me the Meaning (of Being Lonely) and 'Larger than Life'. Worldwide sales are of 40 million. Its been certified Platinum.

Black & Blue - Released here in 2000. It includes singles such as 'Shape of My Heart', 'More Than That' and 'The Call'. Worldwide sales are of 15 million. Its been certified Gold.

Chapter One (Greatest Hits compilation) - Released here in the UK in 2001. While this wasn't a new studio album, it did include an extra, new track called 'Drowning'.

Never Gone - Released here in the UK in 2005. It includes singles such as 'Incomplete', 'Just Want You to Know' (the music video to this is really funny, a parody of an 80s rock glamour band and their fans) and the lesser known 'I Still'. Worldwide sales are of 10 million. Its been certified Gold.

Unbreakable - Released here in the UK in 2007. It includes singles which, so far, are 'Inconsolable' and 'Helpless When She Smiles'. I believe the third single is going to be 'Everything But Mine'. Worldwide sales are currently at 600,000.


- Collaborations -

It may surprise you to learn some of the people that BSB have worked with in the past. If it helps to make you see them as a little more than a teen pop group, its true that they have worked with Lionel Richie, Elton John, Aretha Franklin and Boyz II Men. They also performed live on a Shania Twain show too. They also performed on stage with Sting, D'Angelo and Tom Jones among others at the 2000 VH1s 'Men Strike Back' show in New York. They also once appeared on a Tony Bennett show too.


- Problems & Dramatic Times Encountered 'Along The Road' -

BSB certainly haven't had it easy, having had their fair share of problems, which I'll go into below. These are what I believe to be the main issues and problems they've had to cope with, as a group, so far:-


- Lou -

The supposed 'dream believer' or whatever the heck he wanted to call himself 'back in the day', was clearly trying to get away with a bit much, which current fans will know all too well (Vanity Fair anyone? gross!). The group basically discovered that he had pulled a fast one financially and so they went to court to try and get back what was legally theirs, they had lost an awful lot of money and I don't feel it was out of greed, though what Lou did was, its clear he's less than an honest guy, lets put it that way. So they went to court and ended up settling, so he still got 1/6th of their profits I believe, which isn't great really but he had alot of lawyers and so on, on his side, so it wasn't an easy lawsuit to win I believe. Since then, other boy bands and artists that Lou managed or otherwise represented have done similar things, often taking him to court for ignoring minor labour laws (making minor ie under 16 work over the legal number of hours etc.). I believe he's currently in jail now, for fraud. From what I know, he is a nasty piece of work is Mr Pearlman!


- AJ -

Anyone who was a fan in July 2001 will find it hard to forget when they saw a rather weepy Kevin on MTV, telling the fans through TV that AJ has had to be taken to rehab for problems with drinking and depression. It was an uncertain time and certainly some of the fans seemed pretty shocked, there was alot of support and hope for him and luckily he did re-join the group after the current tour was postponed for a couple of months, to allow him to go through the rehab program. Later it turned out that he had more serious problems too (having overdosed on drugs) and he did rush back to the group and touring a bit quickly, which is never a good thing but now he can often be heard, when he's given a mic on stage at award shows or wherever, to say proudly how many days sober he is.

This clearly shook the group, so to speak. A few years on, back in 2003 AJ and his mum went on Oprah's talk show to talk about what happened and on this show, as fans im sure will remember, the other four group members made a surprise appearance, which came as a shock to him and they also spoke about what happened. It sounds like Kevin really made AJ see how bad he had become and helped him to see that he needed help, it was (or is) quite an emotional show for all involved. There were plenty of hugs and some tears shed and the fans were happy when they announced on the show that they were planning to work on new material soon.

AJs mum, Denise McLean, has since gone on to write and release a book about her son and his problems, entitled 'Backstreet Mom', which is an interesting read, though I can't help but feel a bit like she is selling him out but he did give it the go ahead and he wrote the preface to it too.


- Brian-

Back in 1998, when BSB were gradually becoming more and more popular and they were busy touring, they were shocked to learn that Brian needed heart surgery. This is due to a congenital heart defect that he had since he was a child. The problem was, he kept being told to wait, they didn't want to postpone any concerts or otherwise make the group suffer but it got to the stage when really his health was at risk of course and so it had to happen. It was a scary time for fans, of course, as you never know, any kind of surgery carries risks but luckily, he survived it fine and they say that they could tell he'd been living on plenty of junk food, given the size of the heart and stuff, which made him realise he needed to find a healthier diet when on the road, after that.

For a while, he was given oxygen before going onstage, until he was back to full health. They (ie record label and management, I presume) certainly pushed them all to perform whenever possible...

It was partly because of this that Brian launched his charity, the HHC (Healthy Heart Club for Kids. See:- http://www.healthyheartclub.org/)


- We Were on a Break! -

Back in 2002, fans were upset to read a statement which basically said that the group wanted to take a break and had decided not to carry on working on a follow up to the then current album, Black and Blue. Then they heard of Nick Carter working on a solo album and suddenly the future of the group seemed gloomy. Many people I think, still think that they are still basically split up, which isn't the case. They never officially broke up or split as such, only ever releasing that statement that said that they were going to take some time out.

While they took time out, Brian concentrated on his charity, the HHC (Healthy Heart Club for Kids), Howie did some work for TV (he provided his voice on Dora the Explorer), Nick obviously worked on his solo album, Now or Never (interestingly named, yup), though he also did some acting, appearing on '8 Simple Rules' and in a movie called 'The Hollow' (a sort of modern day remake or take on Sleepy Hollow which is distinctly, uh, average to poor im afraid and not very scary at all!).

Kevin used the time to appear on Broadway and Londons West End, playing Billy Flynn in the musical 'Chicago' (which I was lucky enough to see in October 2003, just a month or so before that Oprah show!) and AJ... well he went on to appear on the Oprah show. It was then, as I say, that they announced that they were going to get back together as a group and work on new material!


- Kevin -

The biggest change in the group was announced in late June 2006. This was the sad news (well, sad to me anyway) that Kevin was indeed leaving the group. There had been rumours about this circulating the internet for around three or four weeks prior to the official announcement but this rubber stamped it, it was true, it had happened. It said that Kevin was in a different place now and wanted to dedicate more time to his wife and family, basically, which is fair enough.

I will admit that it did affect me, I did get quite sad about it and certainly I was quite disillusioned at the time. I still feel that its hard to say that this hasn't had any kind of a bad effect on the group. Now their latest album, Unbreakable, showcases the ability for the now four part group to still be able to harmonise and sing well enough, its true that the songs still sound fluent, if that makes sense, it still 'works' pretty much. Its just, I guess, I spent so many years reading quotes that even Kevin himself had made, about how 'The Backstreet Boys will always be here, the five of us, thats who we are', yes he himself did say such things in the past! so it was sad and it again made me question the future. It is true though, like I say, that I have no ill feelings for him really, I can't imagine what its like having lived through the days and years they were at the height of their fame and the toll it takes doing all that touring but I was very keen on him and I really loved the piano solo's he did and his vocals, I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'll miss that. One of my favourite BSB songs is a song from the album Millennium entitled 'Back to Your Heart', in which he plays the piano and sings, this I've always thought of as being a rather beautiful song, if thats not too cheesy a word to use, its how I feel. The vocals are really good and he sounds great on it, as do AJ and Brian. I will miss him being in the group, its ironic, when I first became a fan, as I was so young then I guess, I wasn't too keen, he was the oldest member and a bit too old to really get my interest I guess but since seeing him in person and getting a photo with him (and I handed him sme lyrics I'd written) in October 2003, I really did become more keen on him and became a bigger fan of his, so it was sad timing. I also know that Kevin had always said his real hope for the group was to win just one Grammy, that would mean to him that they had been truly recognised and accepted and they've never got one, not so far. I know he wasn't happy with the way that the group was and is controlled by the record label, something I share views with, so its sad that he's gone. As teeny as it sounds, I don't care, I do believe that they can't be quite the same again, now their one man down, so to speak. Of course, the main thing is that he isn't mad at the others, he's said that he wishes the other guys success and good luck for the future and he's healthy, so, things could be much worse but it still made me sad when he left, very much so.


- Websites -

There are many websites out there, for fans and more official ones, if your interested in finding out more. The official website can be found here:- http://www.thebackstreetboys.com/
where you can view their latest music video, among other things.

Other official sites include the official UK site, which you can find here:- http://www.backstreetteam.co.uk/
and the official fanclub site, which can be found here:- http://www.fanclub.backstreetboys.com/
though you do have to pay to join and the fans often complain that its not updated very often, you've been warned.

Unofficial or fan created sites include the following:-

http://www.backstreet.net/ - This site has been going for ages, since before I got internet access at home, I remember it was one of the first fan sites I ever found, back in 1997... thought that might be worth mentioning
http://www.bsbsquad.com/

http://www.incomplete-men.com/

- Forums -

I don't tend to spend much time, if any, anymore, on the fansites. Instead, if I want to check quickly what the latest news is, regarding the group, then I'll have a quick look at one of the forums. You can find BSB forums at these URLs:-

http://talk.livedaily.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6 - US based BSB forum, with members from various countries who post there though.
http://www.bsbblvd.com/ - There's also a link to a chat room there, though as it says, its unmoderated, so treat with caution, not advisable for young children or young teens to go there on their own etc. use common sense.
http://forum.backstreetteam.co.uk/ - British based BSB message board/forums, part of the official UK website.
There's often alot of drama and arguing brewing in some topics within these forums, there are those that have very strong opinions and it often happens that people butt heads disagreeing and so on but you just have to try and not get too involved. If anyones interested, I go by the username of RoksGoldenSmile and DedicatedToBSB when posting on message boards (see, I don't hide who I am *shrug*).


- Publications/Other Items of Interest -

- Books -

As mentioned, Denise, AJs mum, has released a book about her sons problems, entitled 'Backstreet Mom'. Other official releases that may interest new fans who aren't aware of them, include an old biography, originally titled Backstreet Boys Official Biography, by Roy McGibbon (an English author), The Official Book: Backstreet Boys: by Andre Csillag, Backstreet Boys On The Road, also by Rob McGibbon. There's also a book about Nick called The Heart and Soul of Nick Carter by Jane Carter, though that wasn't released in the UK. I can't confirm the availability of these books in the UK anymore as they are all quite old publications but they are good ones and you might be able to find second hand copies on Amazon or Ebay perhaps.
Of course there are other more unofficial publications, which aren't as good, there was alot (and I mean alot!) of items released as they reached the height of their fame.


- DVDs -

Official DVDs released include - Homecoming (Live in Orlando), A Night Out with the Backstreet Boys (an unplugged, acoustic concert from 1998, at the time and even now really, I thought this was a very good show, they should do more like this), Backstreet Boys Around the World (as mentioned before, documenting the 100 Hour Tour) and The Video Hits - Chapter One, which features all the official music videos from their first single, 'We've Got It Goin' On', to 'Drowning'.

These are all official releases and are available on Region 2 DVD, at least they were a few years ago anyway.

- Personal Experiences -

So far, I've been to four BSB concerts (one in Glasgow in 1997, two in Wembley in 2005, I was unable to see the 1998 tour or the ITM (Into the Millennium) tour, much to my extreme frustration at the time, due to being stuck with exams and they didn't visit Scotland on those tours, my parents wouldn't drive me to England and back and I had to study for exams as I say) and one in Glasgow in 2008. I've attended one of Howie's charity events, for his charity the DLF (Dorough Lupus Foundation, as his sister Caroline died from the auto immune disease Lupus. If your interested in the charity, you can find the website here:- http://www.doroughlupusfoundation.org/), where I was able to meet him. I've also seen Kevin at the West End in London. Of course I've also had the more general experience of being a fan and following the group using the internet to keep up with the latest news (im not a stalker, 'following them' is perhaps not the best phrase to use but you know what I mean! keeping up to date with the main info. regarding the group I mean), so I feel I know some things, I guess.

Well what can I say based on my experiences? hmmm... well, they have fans that some will go anywhere just to catch a glimpse of them. Whenever I've been lucky enough to see them, they always put on a good show, I've never been too disappointed by the concerts, although the screaming can get to be a bit much, believe me or not but I don't scream lol its annoying when it gets to my favourite part of a song and the fans shouts/screams drown out some of the vocals!

When I've been even luckier, so far on two ocassions, to meet members, they have both seemed nice and courteous. Kevin took his time when he came out of the stage door in London to see fans, I know he did that pretty much every day and im sure it made fans' day, it did to me at the time, definitely. There are those fans that will keep coming back day after day which is perhaps a little unfair, if you can only be there once and you've never met any of them, obviously its a much bigger deal for you and if your like me, quite shy in meeting people face to face, I say that you have to just go for it and not feel too bad for pushing forward to get near the front of the queue, as I left it a bit late being shy and watching other fans converse with him. Although I got to him eventually, I didn't have much time as he had to leave and I always regretted that I didn't reach for a hug lol! which others did... but I did still get a photo and an autograph, as well as being able to pass him some lyrics, which I wanted to give him at the time.
While I stood around before that, though, I saw that he took the time to talk to many fans and ask them about where they got the photos from, that they wanted signed and stuff like that and he did seem interested in what was being discussed, so that was nice to see. Other celebs may try and brush past fans and only give a couple of rushed autographs but he didn't, it was nice to see.

When I met Howie, that was more of an artificial situation, being that it happened as part of a charity event, so I kind of paid for it to happen I guess but it was still good, I got a photo and autograph and I was able to spend a bit longer, to have a quick chat and this time, you guessed it, I got a hug! yes - success! lol which I very much enjoyed, so that was a definite plus! He was never really my favourite but again, he seemed perfectly nice enough and the hug was sweet, I can't complain. He took time to talk to everyone and didn't seem too high and mighty or anything like that, which I like about them, they are quite down to earth. However, having attended the charity auction, I can honestly say that holy-moly, some fans must be loaded! the amounts bidded... well, it puts my spending to shame, you could say and I've spent a pretty penny on this group, trust me! don't go to one of these auctions if you think you can buy anything much for under a couple of hundred pounds practically, thats about it. Though meeting Howie made the £50 ticket worth it, I feel. I hadn't met him before and being a fan of the group for so long, well, its a big thing... the only other member I'd really like to meet still is Brian, I've been a big fan of his and love his humour and his laugh and all that teeny stuff I guess, I just do and his voice is very calming, I like it, so, I would definitely like to meet him, even just to shake his hand and get a pic and to say thanks, you and the group helped cheer me up when I was down, when I was younger and all of that. Thanks for making good, fun music and good luck with your solo career!

I have experienced that there are all kinds of fans. Some fans are quite pushy and selfish (not naming names at all), some appear to be dedicated to starting trouble and drama about the group on the forums online and so on and some have been my best friends through different times and have been really kind and nice to me. Knowing how big a fan I am and that I can't always be like some others and just jump on a plane to go down to London if their there, I have one friend who's a fan who did the kindest thing and let me pick a couple of photos, which I did, she then got them professionally printed and got one signed in person by Nick, Kevin and Howie and the other by Brian, both signed to my nickname Izzy. Incase I didn't believe her (which I wouldn't have but anyway), she took photos of the guys when she'd seen them, I have pics of Brian signing it to me. So, of course, thats a pretty big deal to me, going all teeny again lol. I know she has met the guys many times, so she knows where to go and how to be able to do that and that time, she was kind enough to do that. Another time, she also helped me out by passing on a tribute project I had worked on, which she gave to Brian, so I believe they did get it. Both things happened a few years ago now, it meant alot at the time. Other fans, knowing what a big fan I am, again, have sent me boxes of merchandise and stuff, that they no longer wanted and my best friend has sent me CDs of pictures, ive got all sorts from fan friends, im very lucky. Not all fans are so generous but I have had some really nice experiences with people sending me stuff and helping me out, so its worth saying I guess. I feel that fans don't get on quite as well as it feels like they used to though.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to meet Brian, who knows for sure? so the autograph and photos mean alot to me, I'll always be grateful to my friend for that, like im sure she knows, ive said it to her plenty of times before!.
The one really bad experience I've had is when my best friend won 2 tickets to attend a soundcheck party, something only competition winners and fanclub members could attend, a private soundcheck before a concert, before the October 21st 05 London concert. She wanted to take me and we were both very excited about this, we would see the five of them upclose and hear them sing a bit and maybe even be able to ask some questions, perhaps I could briefly meet Brian myself, at last! but my friend inparticularly was very disappointed and upset when we found out, at the DLF charity even that I've already mentioned, that the soundcheck wasn't going to happen. Apparently it was a mistake the fanclub made to make it seem that there was one on that date, the only soundcheck was the day before as they only do one soundcheck per venue and both dates were at the one venue (Wembley), so it was never going to happen and Howie didn't even realise that they were expected to do that! it was a big mess and very disappointing for me and my friend. It ended up that soundcheck tickets for a concert in Birmingham was offered but it was no good for my friend or me as we couldn't make it there on that day, so that was no use to us. She was particularly annoyed and I wasn't best pleased either, having believed we'd be attending something that wasn't to be - I don't think much of the fanclub at all, its hardly ever updated and the unofficial sites and fan forums have much more updated info. than the fanclub ever tends to have. Partly due to that, I've not renewed my membership for the fanclub since then.


- The Downsides -

Now, haha, here we go! Yes, your probably thinking oh brother, listen to her, what a teenybopper and other such things, unless your a fan yourself. Now I can prove that I can be critical and that I don't think they are totally perfect, there are downsides to the group too and I will openly talk about them, as I feel I should, to be anywhere near objective.

I'll start with creative control. This is something that the guys themselves wish they had more control of, we've found out through magazine/TV interviews and the like that they didn't want their greatest hits released when it was, they want different tracks released as singles and aren't happy with the ones chosen (not always, but sometimes), things like this but yet the record label go above their heads and do it anyway. Its clear at times that their far from happy being on the Jive label but they've changed labels... its a shame, it would certainly be interesting to see what difference being on a different label would make. I think now, they'd find it hard to swap labels as their not selling records as heavily as they used to. Its a shame, I think they had opportunities to do more in the past but they didn't take up those opportunities.

I always thought that they could do more to be seen as a more adult contemporary group, do more material like Boyz II Mens stuff, more vocal harmony, so when Never Gone came out, which is really more rock/pop, I wasn't too convinced, though I ended up liking most of it. However, I feel that Unbreakable features more vocal harmony and is better from that point of view. I can't help but feel that they are more diluted than they maybe could be, if they really made a proper push they could break through the whole 'teen pop' label, I mean their vocals are very good, I just always felt they had the potential for more... but I think now I realise the music their doing now is what they think their best at and I've really kind of lost any strong hope that they will do anything too much different to this. Having said that, I do still enjoy the music, I wouldn't listen to it 24/7 but sometimes I don't listen to it for a while and when I go back to it, I think oh yeah, this is why I like them so much, why didn't I listen to this again sooner, its good! I can't help but feel to some extent though, that they do sell themselves a bit short but hey, what can I do? if their happy and the music is pretty decent then I guess I can't complain too much but it is a bit of a downside.

Another downside is their heavy reliance on other writers and producers. Alot of people feel that they use the Swedish producer Max Martin too much. Its not true that none of them ever contribute to the writing process, as Brian and Howie have both co-written a few tracks, as mentioned earlier but they very rarely write whole tracks and it just makes them a bit less credible I think. I guess their all about the singing and it would take too long to do the writing too but the producers they use know them and their vocal ranges and come up with tracks that show that off best.

They don't really play instruments either, which is also a shame. Although in the past they have but only in a sort of a gimmicky way, really. Brian can play acoustic guitar and Kevin used to play piano but he's left now. On the 1998 tour, they had a part in the show where the backing band abandoned the instruments and they took over playing them, for one song at least. You do see guitars being used, at least in the last tour (the Never Gone tour) but its only really ocassionally do the members themselves really use instruments, which is a bit of a shame. The singing makes up for it though. I do miss Kevin though, the piano playing was classy, I enjoyed that.

It is true to say that some of their music sounds quite similar, for instance off their new album, Inconsolable, when I first heard it I thought oh thats Incomplete (off the previous Never Gone album) with new words! and yup, its been written by the same guy... yet after a few listens, I have now been known to be humming the chorus or with it otherwise stuck in my head, im now quite keen on it! It really does take a few listens to get into their material, especially this new album I found and if your going to be really critical then yes its a downside that some songs can seem very similar but they are still pretty catchy and you learn to love them, or at least I do! when your in the mood for a BSB song, their great songs, thats the best way I can put it, I think. Of course, it isn't true of all tracks that they are completely identical to other tracks but there is that feeling of some, like some people feel that all of Max Martins songs are too similar but its all a matter of opinion, I'm not so sure, I like his stuff, different people have different opinions of course.

- Side Note about Types of Music Sung -

Not all their songs are ballads, or power ballads, or even mid-tempos, there are other more uptempo tracks. They have been known both for mid-tempo's such as I Want It That Way (their only UK Number 1 hit single) and dance tracks like Everybody (Backstreets Back) and Larger Than Life (which, it might interest you to know, is one of the most expensive music videos ever made and often features in charts of this on music channels). Nowadays though, as the guys get older, they tend to stick to pretty much only mid tempos and power ballads, with only the ocassional rock/pop type upbeat track.

- Back to Downsides -

I've also been less than impressed with their official site and fanclubs, after the soundcheck disaster that I've already mentioned under personal experiences. That was like the last straw but generally, they have always been a bit of a let down to fans. Content isn't updated fast enough and you don't get a whole lot for your money, its a real let down and the last I heard, its not got any better since 2005, so, I'd treat the fanclub site with a bit of caution, feel free to go to one of the forums listed above and ask there, im sure the other fans there will back me up in that regard.

Also, its maybe worth mentioning that while they had really glamorous and slick tours in 1999 and 2001 with the Into The Millennium and Black and Blue tours, with lots of dancers and costume changes and special effects and all sorts, nowadays there is less of this, as they get older its harder to keep up with such stuff. However, they now appear to be concentrating more on the vocals, dancing less on stage but creating more of an atmosphere harmonising together on stage. I prefer that I think, its the vocal harmony that I've always been particularly keen on anyway, its all about the music, the sound and so the fancy dance moves and dancers and costumes, eh, its not so important but it maybe disappoints some who did quite enjoy all the razz-a-ma-tazz that their tours used to have some years ago.


- So Its all bad? -

Nope, not all. I felt it maybe a little unfair to have just a downsides part for all the negatives, yup I wanted to sum up the positives too, or the 'upsides', incase people only skim read the downsides I guess.

I do feel that the music is worth listening to and taking a bit of time to really get 'into', their sound is good and they are good singers. The live acapella they used to do and probably still do ocassionally, is always something that gives them more credibility and it does sound good! how many other 'boy bands' agree to do live acapella and do it as well as them?
They sound great live and do good concerts and they are nice guys in general, some of the fans are really kind and I've enjoyed being a fan of them through my teens and into my now mid 20s.

They've accomplished a fair amount, all things considered and I sometimes feel that they deserve more recognition than they maybe get.

Their by no means perfect but they are very good as a basic pop group and can be quite entertaining! also there are many interesting and well made documentaries that have been made about them, from MTV Diary Of to VH1s Behind the Music show.


- Any Other Info.?/Conclusions -

If you want to listen to some snippets of their songs, to get an idea as to whether you'd like to buy their albums or otherwise if your interested in them at all, you can find clips of their tracks by going to the Amazon US ie amazon.com site and then enter Backstreet Boys followed by the album name, into the search bar and there should be a 'listen to samples' option on the product page.

It can be kind of a hectic life if you decide you want to know any and everything to do with them and keep track of all the pics and vid files and everything, its really crazy! (trust me I know, I've been there!) and some of the fans, the more obsessed ones (I hope I wasn't so bad when I was at my uh peak of fandom lol) can be a bit of a pain at times, not meaning to offend anyone but hopefully people know what I mean, arguments break out online and it can be pretty unpleasant but it can be fun too and I have good memories of the shows I've been to and I'm very greateful to have been able to meet two of the guys, especially Kevin before he left the group. I'm also greatful to have known such nice fans that helped out so kindly. Life would have been pretty boring without BSB at some points I think, which is part of the problem, you need to be balanced so that your life isn't all about some music group, no matter who they are really! but I really can't say that I totally regret being a fan and the experiences I have had have been mostly good.

Their music is something that I don't know if I'll ever be able to totally put my finger on why I enjoy it and find some of it as moving as I do but I just do, there is something of an uniqueness about it, certainly the mid tempos are like a Backstreet trademark or something (the way they do them, im sure there are other mid tempo songs but you know what I mean).

Their not a perfect group, they've been through some pretty tough times, as have us, the fans and neither are they ungreatful or snobby at all. If they weren't as nice as they certainly appear to be, I'd really not be interested at all but as it is, I'm pretty impressed with them, as a music group ie musically and for the most part, as people but really its all about the music and there is that extra 'spark' there that means that they are the only 'teen pop' (I wouldn't call them that, more general pop or even possibly adult contemporary) group I listen to at all now. Also, to make it clear, I'm a fan of many different types of music, including rock and hip hop, so I like all sorts but they are the only pop group that I consistently listen to and that I feel have such a real, genuine, talent behind them. It won't ever be quite the same without Kevin but having listened to their new album, Unbreakable, a few times, I still like their music. I dare you to listen to that album a few times and not end up humming a tune or two later on in the day; honestly, I dare you! after a few listens, it does become very catchy stuff!

I will likely carry on supporting them and being a fan, buying new albums, going to their shows if they come to Scotland or when work will let me and so on, though I feel ive achieved most of my sort of fan goals, having seen all of them up close, got photos of me next to all of them and I have all of their autographs, in Brians case I have four autographs of his but I would like to meet Brian again sometime...

Well now maybe you wonder why did I bother to make such a long and thorough review? maybe im wondering why I spent the best part of an afternoon on this, its not for any profit as there's no renumeration (sp?) in this category but nah, its not that, I guess I felt perhaps its kind of therapeutic or something lol it gives me a chance to think things through and to think ok how do I explain all this to someone who doesn't know much about it? what would they like to know? I do quite enjoy doing reviews, call me sad, I know lol and I enjoy the feedback I get. Different people may well have different opinions on things but my opinions here are just that, my opinions, so take it or leave it, its ultimately up to you but I've been as honest as I can be and I don't ever attempt to make any item, a movie or a music group out to be better or worse than is is, really. Since ive been a fan to some extent for over 10 years, I feel I must have something worth sharing and putting 'up there' (ie posting online) for the benefit of others. I feel its a shame the stereotyping that the group gets, so perhaps this helps a little, though the downsides might put some off, I do think that ultimately, its worth ignoring the stereotypes and getting their latest album, don't just listen to it once, think ok thats not so good and put it away, this is thing with their albums, often it takes a few listens to really 'get it' but take that time and do it and you could find you really enjoy it!

They may have been a 90s boy band but they are a 2000s man band and worth looking into, don't let the stereotype put you off; there is talent behind it all!

I hope my review helped, any and all comments are most welcome. Immature comments will be ignored though. Oh and I apologise if this review has alot of spelling mistakes, it took so long to type, so I hope its useful for some!

Summary: My favourite music group for over 11 years, I know alot about them and wanted to share with you all