Artist: New Kids on the Block
CD title: "Greatest Hits"
Grade: B
Now's the perfect time to remember where it all began. New Kids on the Block — the boy band that sparked a teenage fan frenzy across the world a few decades ago — reunited this year for a new tour and a new album, "The Block," due out Sept. 2.
In the meantime, anyone in need of a dose of nostalgia can find 14 NKOTB classics on a new greatest-hits release, plus four bonus tracks including Joey McIntyre's 1999 single "Stay the Same" and the "2008 New Kids on the Block Mega Mix," combining snippets of some of their biggest hits.
Do yourself a favor and skip over "Games (The Kids Get Hard Mix)," when the New Kids made an embarrassing attempt at going street to shed their pop image.
As an added bonus the album comes with an official world tour poster folded up inside for die-hard fans.
Ahhhh, to feel 13 again ... all that's missing are cuffed jeans and those ridiculous NKOTB buttons.
— MICHELLE FONG, Dayton Daily News
Artist: John Mellencamp
CD title: "Life Death Love and Freedom
Grade: B-
There's a lot to like on the latest from John Mellencamp: 14-tracks of folksy soulful twangy blues produced by T Bone Burnett. It's deep, thoughtful and impressive songwriting.
On the flip side nothing from "Life Death Love and Freedom" is going to be featured in a Chevy ad a la "Our Country." This is a dark, brooding production that takes a cold hard look at just what it says — life, death, love and freedom.
Mostly death.
On "If I Die Sudden" Mellencamp growls, "I'm not afraid of dying, this life's been right to me. I got a whole bunch more than I deserve, now I will be free." This seems like sunshine compared to "Troubled Land" which follows it and needs no explanation, the title says it all.
This album will leave you feeling neither perky nor optimistic.
Occasional tracks are stripped bare of nearly anything interesting by Burnett's minimal production style.
Despite it s sleepy pace and grim sentiment, this record has a lot to say and is delivered by a guy who continues to stay relevant and strives to keep it real — happy or not.
— ALEXIS LARSEN, Dayton Daily News