1990 Album Review: New Kids on the Block - Step By Step (3.5/5)

I don't own any New Kids on the Block albums. That may come as a surprise, but I was never really into them. In 1989, when they were at their peak, I was more interested in Madonna, Milli Vanilli, Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson. So listening to Step By Step, their third album, I was actually pleasantly surprised by the fact that it was pretty decent.

Sure there is some crap here. The Caribbean-inspired "Stay with Me Baby" is particularly cringe-inducing, as is the group's attempts at rap, such as on the uninspired closing track "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again." And the second half of the album has too many bland ballads as filler.

But there are some pleasant surprises too. Of course I was already familiar with "Step By Step," the group's #1 single from 1990 that was their biggest hit, as well as "Tonight," its follow-up top 10 hit. "Step By Step" has quite a bit of energy, more so than anything from Hangin' Tough, which you may recall as upbeat, but give it a listen and by today's standards it sounds absolutely tired. "Tonight" is particularly interesting. It opens with a little Spanish guitar, before segueing into its piano and strings-backed first verse that name checks the band's biggest hits from the previous year ("Please Don't Go Girl," "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)," "(You Got It) The Right Stuff" and "Hangin' Tough," in that order). It's a slow song, but the ballad jumps up a few notches for the horn-backed chorus. It wasn't much of a success, but it's interesting for its unusual flourishes.

"Baby, I Believe in You" has cool '70s flourishes I didn't expect from a 1990 boy band album. It's appealing bass beat and '80s synthesizer arrangement give it a decade-hopping feel. "Call It What You Want" has a faster tempo, sounding not unlike something from Paula Abdul or Milli Vanilli, and is vaguely reminiscent of "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" too.

"Let's Try It Again" is a smooth R&B ballad that also has a retro late '70s/early '80s feel, kind of like Michael Jackson's "She's Out of My Life." This was the album's single, but due to the significant backlash that developed in late 1990, was their first single to flop, peaking at #53. "Happy Birthday" reaches back even further for a laid back doo-wop feel. "Time Is On Our Side" is another ballad, and sounds an awful lot like Boyzone's "Love Me for a Reason."

Their willingness to explore these various styles is admirable, but backfires too. "Games" aims for a more urban sound, but doesn't score any points for credibility. The second half of the album fills up too much with unremarkable ballads, like "Where Do I Go From Here" and "Funny Feeling," which both strive to capture the spirit of the group's first #1 hit "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)."

Not a masterpiece, but not awful either, and better than I was expecting.

Best: Tonight, Step By Step, Let's Try It Again, Baby I Believe in You, Call it What You Want