Customer Reviews

Never Gone

5 star:		(432)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(46)

 

 

The Backstreet Boys have produced an incredible album with their fourth studio release, "Never Gone." Just one of the awesome tracks on this CD, "Incomplete," is already standing out as a fine example of their talent and creative strength. This album proves the band is STILL here and ready to rock us while making it all look so easy. Backstreet Boys fans will be very pleased with this album and I think many other music fans would do themselves a favor by trying this CD on for size. Yes, yes, I know: Some people have practically written off the band as has-beens and losers; but I say their life experiences and their natural talent have once again forged to produce a very good album that is one of the best you'll buy this year. Still other people have said that this album does not offer "new enough" material. I wasn't aware the band was obligation to change drastically!

"Incomplete" is an emotional, passionate and just plain beautiful ballad which is a strong way to start off the album. There's no secret why this song is blasting all over coffee shops already! Try it yourself and tell me you don't like it. (The video was great, too.) Moreover, as people may already know, Backstreet Boys band member Kevin Richardson co-wrote the album's title track "Never Gone" to commemorate his father. When songs are written from the heart like this the artist is always at his best when creating really good music. Indeed, the album has tracks all throughout that you will almost instantly want to listen to over and over again. This shows the band's ability to reach out to their audience using common emotional experiences with beautiful musical arrangements and creative lyrics to produce songs that are instantly memorable and long lasting. "My Beautiful Woman" is another very good song. The musical arrangements are very well done throughout the entire CD as well.

Moreover, Never Gone shows the Backstreet Boys working well with their peers. Look for Five For Fighting's John Ondrasik; Savage Garden's Darren Hayes; the very talented Max Martin; Billy Mann (who worked with both Pink and Sting) and last but not least the band works with John Shanks, winner of a Grammy award for producer of the year for his work with Sheryl Crow, Kelly Clarkson, Hilary Duff and Ashlee Simpson. A fine team!

So, after all is said and done, the Backstreet Boys show us all with this CD that they are not too old to create good quality songs. They have NOT been too absent too long to make this CD into a solid comeback that is not to be ignored. It's no illusion: They'll never be gone.

1. Click the Start button and select Control Panel from the Start Menu.
2. Double-click on the System control panel icon.
3. Select the Hardware tab and click the Device Manager button.
4. Configure Device Manager by clicking "Show hidden devices" and "Devices by connection," both from the View menu.
5. Insert the Cd into the computer and allow the SunnComm software to start. If MediaMax has never been started before on the same computer, the SbcpHid driver should appear on the list for the first time. However, on some systems Windows needs to be rebooted before the driver becomes visible.



At this point you can attempt to copy tracks from the CD with applications like Music Match Jukebox or Windows Media Player. Copies made while the driver is active will sound badly garbled.



Next, follow these additional steps to disable MediaMax:

1. Select the SbcpHid driver from the Device Manager list and click "Properties" from the Action Menu.
2. Click the Driver tab and click the Stop button to disable the driver.
3. Set the Startup Type to "Disabled" using the dropdown list.


That should do it. I used iTunes to copy my CD. Best of luck to you

When the Backstreet Boys first hit it big in America, I was ten years old and in love with bubblegum pop. Most young teen girls tend to be and I'm not embarrassed by that admission. They released a few songs that will stand the test of time, like "I Want It Way", but I never felt that their albums were solid from start to finish. I think the proper term for some of the blander songs is "filler". I was a big fan though, and that didn't matter to me at the time. Now, as an adult woman, I've developed an eclectic taste and I appreciate such a plethora of musical styles that this album is the perfect middle ground between my favorite genres. Hence, my five star rating. As a girl who kicks back with AC/DC, Kelly Clarkson, Def Leppard, Green Day, Eminem, Celine Dion, Prince, Broadway's "Wicked", and Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni", I say I can be a pretty fair judge on the musical quality of the album--I'll look at it from more than one side.

1) Incomplete - When this song was first released, I could hardly wait to hear the rest of the album. From it's haunting piano melody at beginning to the unique way the vocals were arranged it stimulates your senses. I love how AJ sings the verses and Nick sings the chorus with back up from Kevin and Brian on certain points and from Howie on the others. It's completely beautiful. 9/10

2) Just Want You To Know - This song has a very rock vibe to it. The soaring chorus with the driving bassline remind me of modern Def Leppard songs, especially Max Martin's "Unbelievable" from their album "X". Seeing at how this was written by Max also, I am not surprised that I love it. Such a fun song. 10/10

3) Crawling Back To You - At first listen, I didn't care for this song all that much. Some of the lyrics seemed over the top. But at second listen, I listened to the pure musicality of the song and I love it. The chord progression on the chorus is beautiful and I love how they say "Banging on-a your front door" it makes me smile because it reminds me of "I want it that-a way". 8/10

4) Weird World - This song, written by Five For Fighting's John Ondrasik, is one of my favorites on the album. I love the soft rock sound and the meaningful lyrics which remind me a lot of Billy Joel and Elton John songs. I don't know why so many people on here tend to dislike this song, but the only thing I can think is that it doesn't really fit with the rest of the songs on the album. I appreciate that because my mix CDs tend to have songs that don't fit together. The song is deep and beautiful. 10/10

5) I Still... - I wasn't sure how to receive this song at first. The way it starts reminds me of Linkin Park's "Crawling". It, like, "Crawling Back To You" took a few listens for me to enjoy. The chorus is beautifully constructed with desperate, sweeping lyrics and I particularly like the bridge. 8/10

6) Poster Girl - This song has a strong rhythm and blues vibe and reminds me a lot of Craig David and Abs. As a music major in college, I enjoy the sumptuously layered harmony in the chorus. It was worth repeats just to try and pick out all five voices in the refrain. I really don't care too much for the "La la las" in the bridge but other than that, this song is pure magic. You'll be humming the chorus for hours. 10/10

7) Lose It All - This song is beautiful. The lyrics and the vocals are filled with emotion. If you love classic pop-rock ballads, you will love this song. I like the edgy bridge that leads to AJ's little tender lyric and then the pounding chorus again. One of my highlights of this song? Hearing Kevin's beautiful voice. We don't hear it enough! 9/10

8) Climbing The Walls - This is my other favorite song on the album. Brian's vocals on the verses coupled with the acoustic guitar are so rich and beautiful. The heavy hitting chorus is wrenched with pain and the strings are a great foil for the lyrics. Howie's welcome voice on the bridge as it leads to the key change at the end is perfect. AJ's soaring descant between the final repeat of the chorus is amazing. 10/10

9) My Beautiful Woman - This was the first song I heard from the album, nearly a year ago. Back then, it had a decidedly more rhythm and blues feel. Personally, I love the new rock vibe. The song is very sexy and rhythmic. The bridge's spelling of "BEAUTIFUL" is cute if not a tiny bit corny. If anyone wants to hear the original R&B version, e-mail me and I'll send a link. 9/10

10) Safest Place To Hide - This is a song about devotion that features all five boys singing a verse - something I always look forward to hearing in a Backstreet Boys song. I love the sweet simplicity of the chorus. It suits the tone of the lyrics perfectly. This song is one that most everyone can relate to. Beautiful and elegant. 10/10

11) Siberia - When I first read the title, I was like, "Siberia? WTF?" I am obsessed with Brian's voice. It has such a gorgeous pure quality to it. The opening hook that drives the song is so catchy and the chorus makes the title fit the song. "My heart did time in Siberia"... wow. The only thing I don't like is the use of the synthesizer during the first part of the bridge. 9/10

12) Never Gone - The title track, written by Kevin in memory of his father. If you've ever lost someone, it will tug on your heartstrings. It could also have some potential as a graduation song (sorry, I just graduated from high school and I spent the latter half of May searching for graduation songs for the choir to sing). It is a beautiful ending to a wonderful album. 9/10

Album total: 111/120 = 9.25 average = 4.625 stars, which rounds up to 5 stars.

If you're a big fan and you love extras, go ahead and get the Dualdisc. It's worth it for the behind the scenes stuff. Yay. And if you get the CD at Wal-Mart, you'll get the bonus "Song For The Unloved", a gorgeous mid-tempo song, with melancholy undertones. Even though I killed my soul going into Wal-Mart, it was worth it for this gem that sounds like their older material.

DO NOT BUY THIS CD!! It is copy-protected! That means that it will only work in a standard CD player! If you listen to your music on your computer, or own an MP3 player, you cannot listen to this! The copy protection prevents you from doing so. My advice to all of you is, don't buy this! If you bought it, send it back. If you bought it in a store, return it, and make sure you inform the store manager why. Also tell your friends about this being protected. Finally, when you go in a store to buy more Cds, check the back of the case. Copy Protected Cds will usually say something like: " This Cd not for use in computers." Or "This Cd only compatible with standard Cd players."

There is no reason for the music industry's paranoia about music "piracy" to affect the honest consumer who just wants to play a Cd on a computer or transfer the files to an MP3 player.

Together we can stamp out copy protection. You bought the Cd, you should have full rights to do whatever you want with it.

Do not put into your computer

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20051110/tc_usatoday/somesonycdspiracyprotectioncalledspyware
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051110/wr_nm/sony_hack_dc

I like the new Backstreet Boys better than the old Backstreet boys. Because the latest album is more mature. The album have more real instruments. I also think that it's more deeper then the earlier records.

This is rejuvinated Backstreet Boys and they are back on track after the huge 5 year gap.
The album starts with a BANG! "Incomplete" is the fabulous video song which has won the boys accolades from all over. However "Just Want To Know" doesn't quite live upto the expectation youd've created about them after listening to "Incomplete".
Again "Crawling Back To You" is an emotional song and it really suits the boys well. The next 2 tracks are a bit "ordinary", to say the least. Again "Poster Girl" lends a bit of fresh air to the tracks. Again a few boring tracks till you come across "Safest Place To Hide", which is in my opinion the best track of the album. The last track "Never Gone" is a perfect "finishing" song and maybe covers up for all the "irregularities" in the album.

Overall, if you're a Backstreet Boys fan, you must have this album; otherwise, hmm, well, it 'll be another "few good songs" album in your CD rack.

I have been a BSB since 97 when the first album came out when I was going through that teen pop phase, . In my 20's now. They are still a guilty pleasure. This album is good. I think there ballads shows their talent the best. I think the best songs on the album are Incomplete and Crawling Back to you. This is great CD for all you BSB fans out there. Will not disappoint you.

Being a fan of the Backstreet Boys for 10 years now gives me a strong background to base an opinion on. Yes, their previous efforts have been a bit bubble-gum based, but I loved it nonetheless. This album strays so far away from their previous albums. It shines in a way that shows their growth and maturity. The songs are heartfelt, catchy and absolutely infectious. I find myself listening to this album non-stop, not just because I am a die-hard fan, but because it truly is an amazing album. Please, buy a copy... it will be absolutely worth the few bucks you spend on it.

At first glance most people would assume this is the same type of music Backstreet did back in the prime pop era. However its not. With a little more edge Backstreet is back and has grown up on this album. Lyrically the album is solid, however some fans may be disappointed with the lack of up tempo power dance songs. Their harmonies are right on and they sing together better than they ever have before. If you're a fan of all the boys you'll be happy to know they all have solo verses like they did back on Millennium. The only thing that seems to be a down point on this album is the abundancy of "typical" ballads.

1.INCOMPLETE- beautiful song, one, if not, the best ballads Backstreet has done however only hearing the vocals of Nick and AJ is a bit disappointing.
2. JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW- this isn't your typical song for a deceased loved one, however the beat and lyrics are catchy.
3. CRAWLING BACK TO YOU- one of the lower points on the album. The guys sing about letting go of their girl and regret it. However the song isn't that bad.
4. Weird World- Written by Five for Fightings "John O." the song is a bit of a stretch for Backstreet. Only hearing Nick's voice as lead on the song is a little disappointing however the song grows on you with time.
5. I STILL- One of the better songs on the album. Can't really say much about it except LISTEN to it and you'll know what I'm talking about. Kevin and AJ's voices really compliment on each other here.
6. POSTER GIRL- The closest to classic Backstreet as you'll get about a party girl with a wild outlook on life attracts the guys in to falling for the right now poster girl. Very catchy and one of the most liked songs.
7. LOSE IT ALL- Another downpoint on the album. Throughout listening to this you'll find yourself wondering "what is this song about again"
8. CLIMBING THE WALLS- This song tries to go for best song on the album. Max Marting originally wrote it for the Spiderman 2 soundtrack. Brian's lead on this one. Another song hard to give justice to. Listen to it.
9. My Beautiful Woman- Catchy uptempo song. One you'd hear in the clubs or blast loud in your car. Almost cheesy lyrics but a song you'll love to jam out to.
10. SAFEST PLACE TO HIDE- This song is mediocre. Backstreet's harmony and vocal abilities really make this song better than it probably is.
11. SIBERIA- One of the best if not THE BEST song on the whole album. Many people don't understand it. The song is about a girl who has found another love and leaves the guy. The guy then "did time in siberia". Siberia is referred to as a cold and loney place. This song hits right on. Many Compliments to Backstreet.
12. NEVER GONE- great power balled co-written by Backstreets own (Richardson). Anyone can relate and love this song. We've all lost someone close to us.

This album gets only 4 stars from me because it could be better, but don't let that mistake you. IT IS A GREAT ALBUM. It's not that I don't like the ballads they chose; but after listening to some of the ballads that missed making the album, I believe they had better. BUT PLEASE GO OUT AND BUY THIS ALBUM. Whether you are an old or new fan you will definately love something from this album. Its their best since Millennium. Buy it, you won't be disappointed