Customer Reviews

The Block [Deluxe Edition]

5 star:		(122)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is a great album. Whether you're a new 'new kids' fan or an old one, this album will not disappoint. NKOTB went thru the extra steps to make sure that each song was an all or nothing effort. Lady Gaga, Ne-Yo, Pussycat Dolls, New Edition and many others make great appearances on this album (including a production by Timbaland). But be forewarned... this is not...I repeat NOT...the 80s/90s boyband you once knew. Forget the #1 balads. You won't find that here. The 'kids' have certainly grown up, and their music and lyrics reflect that. This is not a kidd-ish dance album...it's reflective of today's R&B/Pop sexy standards. Sex is the standard...that's a fact of life... and without flat out saying that, the 'kids' have included some songs with some serious adult undertones. Let's face it....their fan base is now in the range of 30-ish, and what their fans listen to has changed over the last 20 years....so the 'kids' knew that they too had to change to fit to what was currently being played on those fans' mp3 players. So! Gone are the 'ohohohohoh' and cheesy keyboards that we all once loved back in the day.... they've now been replaced by a sound that certainly has done a good job of keeping up and changing with the times. Buy the album....and listen to it with an UNBIAS view of who NKOTB once was. This is a new band thru and thru. It may be a reunion for those of us 'block heads'....but it really can not possibly be compared to Hangin' Tough or Step by Step. And this is both in the song types/sounds....and in their voices. Apparently the years have been kind to their voices and ability to haromonize. They are better at that then they were in the past. Possibly because the bar has been raised by other 'accapella' singing boy bands like Nsync. Now I don't claim them to have sung accapella on this album (they did not)...but pop in Hangin' Tough and then follow it up with a few songs from this album, and the difference will hit you in the face. It's that much better. And the songs are that much richer. Fuller.

A few side notes: The album version of "Click Click Click" is slightly different then the version that leaked out on to the internet and file sharing sites, like Limewire a few months ago. Their is a new interlude and some tone and backround elements were stylized. Also, I'd suggest getting the deluxe version of this album. It includes 4 bonus tracks and also unlocks a 'deluxe' section of NKOTB's website. The 4 bonus tracks are 'okay'...but track 15 "Don't Cry" is well worth the price of admission. It's probably the closest thing you'll find to a encore of the 'kids' 90's balads..... a little more up-beat then your average balad, but some great harmonizing and lyrics. All total, I personally like Grown Man, Full Service, Click Click Click, and Dirty Dancing best.

Speaking of lyrics... I am compeled to comment on a few 'bad' reviews that are lingering out there concerning the choice of lyrics on this album. I realize that you can't please all of the people all of the time. But one person even went as far to give it 1 star and then say that the sex-type lyrics and songs merely only represent the shallowness of what the 'kids' stand for. All I can say to that is... check your reality meter. Lyrics in songs normally have nothing to do with what an artist stands for. I think a certain artist named Eminem proved that. And if your looking to avoid adult undertones in your music, you may want to just turn your radio off completely. (LOL)

So, in conclusion... buy it... forget about the boy band stereotypes...forget about what you once knew was 'nkotb'....loose the bias....listen to it...and enjoy it as a NEW band.

I was never a fan of the New Kids On the Block when they originally came out because i didn't really get into music as a kid till around after 1992. At that time The New Kids had already faded from public view and the only thing i knew of them was there Saturday morning cartoon along with the MC Hammer cartoon. I picked up there new CD because the song SummerTime is a really nice track & overall i do like the song. I picked up the CD and i do not regret it one bit. It's a great CD and the boys are staying relevant with mainstream music goers and churning out songs that everyone can enjoy. The album has a huge R&B POP feel to it and it really is a great album. Its one of the few albums released this year where i am not constantly skipping from track to track. This album also has huge writing & production from Donnie which to me seems like he is a very talented individual for both singing and acting. Don't rule these guys out as being a silly boy band because there is so much more to them then just their looks. I believe they will make a huge comeback with this CD and they will probably be able to do something the Backstreet Boys & Nsync won't be able to do. To stay relevant and make the fans & music lovers look beyond the band boy image you must have music that everyone loves. The Backstreet Boys are delivering good albums but all the songs are adult contemporary & ballads and doesn't appeal to the young crowd at all.

Great album. Very upbeat and danceable songs combined with some of the most perfect ballads. After 15 years, they certainly deliver without an ounce of disappointment. Ok, I'm not really so fond of "Grown Man", but that's definitely not enough to rate it anything less than five stars. I'm so glad they're back.

Top songs:
Single
Don't Cry
2 In the Morning
Full Service
Stare At You

Great album, very danceable songs, great in clubs, fun songs, makes you happy! Music for me is something that cheers me up I dont need them to sing about serious issues. I'm not from this country originally and back then I didnt even understand a word that they were saying but still fell in love with them! Now I do understand the lyrics, yes it is not deep but who cares? It suppose to entertain and make you feel good!

When I first popped this in at work, honestly, I was kind of put off. It didnt have the "new kids" feel to it like Summertime had. Then I popped it into my car to give it a second try.... Love it now. it's on perma rotation in my car :)
If you are unsure if you want to buy whole LP... first listen to the song "Single" that is the general grove of the LP. If you are looking for "Summertime" its on there, but there is nothing else on the LP similar to that song.
Personal favorite track: Don't Cry.

Give it 2 whirls in your car, you will appreciate it much more.

This is a great cd. Im a big New Edition fan like the 2nd reviewer and found the New Kids from them. I will say his points about not having that many slow tracks but to tell the truth I prefer that. I love this cd. This is not my wife's New Kids on the Block from when she was 13 its my version. Grown up and not a teenie pop group. The songs are strong. Teddy Riley, New Edition and New Kids on one cd. Well worth the money. I will say this is a strong strong strong cd.
Click Click Click, Full Service and Summertime are the best tracks.

It's about time. :)

The New Kids' ballads were some of their most popular and strongest songs. I was truly hoping to hear a better balance of the more truly powerful swoony tunes and the good old radio staple R&B, but they did go back to their roots in the way of what I think were original intentions as a group of being more R&B than Pop. (Do not expect to hear the same sound of back in the day, there is little POP on this album.)

I think some of the songs are way too focused on sexy themes. What originally made the New Kids so popular was that their music was absolutely good, clean fun. Also, some of the new songs are somewhat base and formulaic (I blame writers -- I gather this album was mostly written for the NKOTB, not by them -- and producers for that), which can be a good thing to some and not so good to others. Fortunately, the latter half of the Deluxe edition easily makes up for it.

Regardless of some of the formula songs, I still like the New Kids' music, and I think the last half of the Deluxe version is awesome, so I'm not disappointed with my purchase. Besides, I'd give the CD a 4 for nostalgia alone. :)

That being said, I like the CD, it's New Kids! I've got my tickets for the tour and am very excited!

P.S. Spend the little extra and BUY THE DELUXE VERSION. Most of the last few songs on the Deluxe album are the ballads and beautiful, especially Stare At You, Close to You, and Don't Cry (I LOVE this one).

This album is by far the best the New Kids have ever put out! The songs are up with the times and very catchy. They have brought in a more adult feel, excellent collaberations and have amazed even their biggest fans with just how great The Block is! I highly recommend it! It is my favorite album this decade!

As a young girl I was a huge NKOTB fan and over the years they continue to be a guilty pleasure, despite my ever evolving musical taste. Imagine my glee when rumors began to stir of a reunion! The hit single "Summertime" proved to be promising so I anxiously awaited the release of "The Block". The boys did not disappoint! I was immediately impressed with the many single-ready tracks on this album and the group's willingness to take some risks. They did an excellent job in selecting songs that would lend their come back credibility. This will only further excite fans, such as myself, who had been hoping for a reunion for a long time, as well as reminds us that anything can happen!

My only real complaint about the album is the excessive sexual nature of the songs, which is why it only receives 4 stars. The tracks are solid, as far as melody and production go, but lyrically it's just a little too much for one sitting. The innocent nature of the group was one of the things I appreciated most when I was a young girl. I feel this was the same problem with "Face The Music", strong songs but overtly sexual themes. This album takes it one step further in terms of shallowness, as if to prove they're really all grown up now. I think this could have been proven much more effectively by showing the respect they have for women and relating to their maturing fans on a deeper level. Now that they've got that out of their system, I hope the group will tone it down a bit in future releases and add more strong ballads, which is what they do best!

Stand out tracks are Click Click Click, Single, Summertime, Full Service, One Song & Don't Cry.

Entertainment Weekly gave this CD 1 star. WHAT???? Although I didn't care too much for the first single, "Summertime," I was still excited about a NKOTB reunion CD. I really liked Face the Music, their last cd as well as "NEVER LET YOU GO." To me, that song is a classic. So when I read that EW had given them such a bad rating, I was upset. I still went out to the wreka stow and decided to give it a listen myself and from the opening number to the 8th or 9th track I was so impressed that I decided to get two copies (one for a friend who had doubts also). The Block, as it turns out, is one of the best musical purchases I have made this year. I am sooooo happy I didn't listen to EW and skip this CD. My favorite song: 2 in the Morning. Side note - never really liked or got into Ne-Yo, but his performance on Single (which is the new single) is pretty up to par.

There is a trend now in pop and urban music with using an electronic voice enhance - don't care much for it, and the guys do use it in a few songs, but the music is so good that I am able to overlook that. I only wish they had put down who was singing what part of the song. Sometimes it's hard to tell, except for Donnie of course.