Amazon.co.uk Review
Legacy is just about the right title for this album. Boyz II Men were the original, modern-day boy band who formed the mould for groups such as
Take That and the
Backstreet Boys to be cast from. Heavily influenced by Doo Wop groups such as the
Platters and the
Dells and developed by ex-New Edition and BellBivDevoe member Michael Bivins, Boyz II Men quickly rose to heavyweight status after the foursome's 1991 debut
Cooleyhighharmony. Their success is based on romantic ballads and strong vocals, the type of which groups such as
Another Level could only dream of. However they've lacked the charisma and looks to really impact upon the world, being perhaps the only group that could be described as "quietly" selling an incredible 35 million records. This collection of their best moments concentrates on their strengths as crooning Cupids, best exemplified by their massive hit and classic ballad "End of the Road" (taken from the Boomerang soundtrack). "Hey Lover" featuring
LL Cool J is as energetic as the album gets and
Legacy is unashamedly assembled for lovers of slow, romantic bedroom soul. But a lot of Boyz II Men's work hasn't aged too well. "I'll Make Love To You", a one time smash, sounds tinny and tacky and "On Bended Knee" is gut wrenchingly saccharine in a way today's R&B artists just wouldn't even try on. This Greatest Hits album effectively closes a chapter of Boyz II Men's history. Having just signed a new record deal with an album for release next year it will be interesting to see if the quartet move on or stick to their tried and trusted sugar-on-sugar methodology. --
Jake Barnes
CD Description
Carrying on the tradition of black vocal harmony groups dating back to the '40s heyday of the Ink Spots and Mills Brothers, Boyz II Men burst onto the scene in 1991 and broke ground for the success of boy bands like Backstreet Boys and N Sync later in the decade. LEGACY compiles all the hits from these clean-cut Philly natives starting with their breakthrough up-tempo, new jack jam "Motownphilly". From here, this gifted quartet found their greatest success as pie-eyed balladeers affirmed by the success of "The End Of The Road", a single from the BOOMERANG soundtrack that broke Elvis Presley'srecord for the most weeks spent at number one.
Other fine examples of the Boyz' goosebump-inducing harmonies can be heard on their heartfelt ode to motherhood ("A Song For Mama") and a pair of potential prom/wedding songs ("I'll Make Love To You", "On Bended Knee"). Elsewhere, Boyz II Men hold their own against talents ranging from hip-hop legend LL CoolJ ("Hey Lover") to pop diva Mariah Carey ("One Sweet Day").Also noteworthy are stellar versions of the doo-wop classic"In The Still Of The Night (I'll Remember)" and '70s soul chestnut "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday".
