 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Never Gone
- By Backstreet Boys
- Genre: Pop
Common Sense Media says
Fans deserve better from their boys.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that although there's no objectionable content, this is big on heavy-handed cliché.
What's the story?
It's always a little scary when an established artist or group makes a comeback after a long hiatus and gives its new project a name that screeches immortality. NEVER GONE by the Backstreet Boys takes its place alongside the Spice Girls' Forever as, at best, a naively hopeful (though technically untrue) title.
Is it any good?
For one thing, the boys have been gone, for a couple of years, since their previous album. For another, a bunch of stuff has happened in pop music in the interim that would make NEVER GONE sound musically clichéd even if the songs had something important to say and were well-written, which they are not.
The boys can still sing, and (lucky for us?) they didn't have to play any instruments on this album. Their songs are not offensive in the usual ways that cause parental concern. But lyrics like "You see colors no one else can see/In every breath you hear a symphony/You understand me like nobody can/I feel my soul unfolding, like a flower blooming" are insulting to their fans' intelligence and taste. Given the resources available to this immensely popular quintet of young men, it seems they could -- and should -- have figured out a way to do a whole lot better on the songwriting.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the craft of songwriting and the importance of subtlety.
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AGE
Backstreet's Back Better that EVER!
This CD's hot! I don't know what you guys are talking about them being bad! Dang, you guys are harsh. They are back better than ever!
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AGE
Great
I LOVE the Backstreet boys Thay ROCK !!!^_^!!!
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AGE
weak
This album and group really stink because they are out of buisness and they really stink!
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AGE
I was eagerly anticipating BSB's new album after their long break. For some reason I doubted the new album would be as memorable and great as 1999's "Millenium" - one of my favourite albums that I own.
But I remained optimistic and wanted to give the group the fair chance first.
Unfortunately, they disappointed me. The first track and already released single "Incomplete" is fairly decent with a tune that's almost right up there with "I Want It That Way" and others, but just doesn't have the same pulling power. The charts around the world seem to reflect that. Incomplete did well nevertheless, reaching as high as number 5 in the big charts in the Netherlands and Germany. But only in the 10's and slipping in countries such as New Zealand, Australia, and even at home in the US. I think the Boys went one bridge too far. It's hugely admirable that having made so much fortunte, started doing there own things, they were still inspired and motivated to begin producing a whole new album together and take on the cut-throat competition of the music charts. Though their aim is just to see what happens, realising that their fans bans is now smaller than it was in their hey day, they still give it their best shot to show their fans that they are still doing this primarily for them. There are still screaming girls when you see them being interviewed on shows, but there are a lot less of them.
I think their ultra-committed fans however, don't know if I'm one of them, deserved something better than their latest work. Most die-hard fans will buy it merely to add to their impressive BSB collection, but in terms of ranking, I'm pretty sure most fans will admit that "Never Gone" is their least favourite of the lot.
My personal ranking would be:-
1) Millenium(1999)
2) Backstreet's Back(1997)
3) Black & Blue(2000)
4) Never Gone(2005)
They also released an album called Greatest Hits Chapter One at the end of 2001. It featured all their best tunes from previous albums plus a bonus track called "Drowning", which did suprisingly well in the charts, and they even made a video for it. They could've waited and added that to their new album. But "Drowing" alone wouldn't have saved this very average album that, as I said before, disappointed me and I am still in the thinking process of purchasing a copy of the CD for myself.
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AGE
Before:Peice of music! After: What a rip off!
A few years ago, my long time friend and I loved B-boys(Second best, first best, Aaron Carter, we liked Aaron when we were two!) Now, it is probably 5-7 years later and B-boys are off our list of good bands ( We like things like Green Day, Trapt, Good Charlotte, etc.) We still like Aaron Carter's singing, not his style anymore.lol
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AGE
A Waste of Money
When the Backstreet Boys were starting out, I really liked them. I own their greatest hits CD, but after a year I lost taste of it and moved on, as did everyone else. The Backstreet Boys were trying to make a comeback with their new CD, but it is probably one of the worst CDs to come out this year! If you still like the Backstreet Boys, don't buy this CD, because it will break your heart to see that they've gotten so... well... BAD! Instead, go buy X&Y by Coldplay, or something. Other reccomendations: Phantoms by Acceptance, Songs About Jane by Maroon 5, or I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning by Bright Eyes. Anything but this!
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April 9, 2008
AGE
Backstreet Men?
I've been a huge Backstreet Boys fan for 7 years now, but I'll try to make this is unbiased as possible. In the beginning, the Backstreet Boys were releasing albums true to the pre-packaged bubble gum pop music that was popular at the time. With Black & Blue they dared to step it up a notch, but that album lacked in some crucial areas. Never Gone, on the other hand, shows just how much these guys (or should I say men?) have matured over the years, both vocally and musically. They've always been decent singers, but it seems to me they took some serious voice lessons over the few years they were off the music scene. Never Gone is full of power ballads, and fans may be disappointed if they expected to hear the same old stuff on this album. But those more mature fans will embrace Never Gone and play it til their CD player melts it. And, on a side note, I believe that Never Gone was not meant to suggest that their music is immortal. If you listen to the lyrics of the song "Never Gone" it is clear that the boys are saying goodbye to each other and to the band (which I don't understand since they're releasing another album soon, but whatever). "Even though for now we've got to say goodbye, I know you will be forever in my life, never gone."
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| Artist: | Backstreet Boys |
| Release date: | June 21, 2005 |
| Label: | Jive Records |
| Genre: | Pop |
| Parental advisory: | No |
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