Another bonus: whereas on the previous albums, Joe and Jordan took the Lennon-McCartney vocal-hog reins, on Step By Step, all five New Kids are utilized to their fullest potential. Danny Wood can (sort of) rap! And he's not the only one...judging by Donnie's searing, dis-filled rhymes on "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again," he would probably school his younger bro Marky Mark in a rap-off on 8-mile Road, yo. And contrary to popular belief, Jonathan Knight is not a mute...like you and me, he can sing a lame-o hack job of "Happy Birthday" really really badly...who knew? So what brought on this sudden collective effort on the mic? In some circles, it was believed that the New Kids overthrew Maurice Starr's authority over their careers and kicked him to the curb, thus allowing Jordan and Joey to go on tour with the Stylisitics and the rest of the New Kids to step into the recording studio for the first time ever. Another branch on the grapevine contended that because Joey had ventured past the age of 14, suddenly his soprano pipes lost in a battle with a new, deep, ugly voice called puberty, and the other Kids had to make up for his absence, since Jordan couldn't do it alone (what with his inevitable fledgling solo career on the wings). The New Baritone Joey was brave enough to go on the record with "Where Do We Go From Here," but try to get through the track without cringing and longing to listen to "Please Don't Go Girl" on repeat. With Joe all grown up and forbidden to sing, Jordan single-handedly carries the group vocally with his stellar Barry Gibb impersonations, particularly on "Step By Step." As usual, it is his voice that makes the New Kids. I can't help feeling cheated that he didn't do a Justin Timberlake-style rise to solo stardom. He could have really rocked my body.

Like watching old Baywatch episodes while tight-rolling my stone-washed jeans, tucking the cuffs under my socks, and slipping on my lace-free Keds, I always find a buried fondness in my heart for treasures I onced loved but am now embarrassed to admit it. This is the way I feel about the New Kids on the Block's Step By Step. Please let the one-star rating I've bestowed upon this album serve as a testament to its enduring significance in the boy band genre for generations to come.


Talk about a flashback   March 29, 2004
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

I was with my best friend and her boyfriend this past weekend and her boyfriend put this CD in their player. It brought back a flood of memories. During step by step we still knew who sang what step and the words to it. I remember I went to see them on July 14, 1990 it was raining and I was on a hillside I fell and broke my ankle and I cried so hard because I didnt get to see "my donnie" and I was on crutches for the rest of the summer. But I did end up getting to see them that November. Because of my parents telling my story they moved us 6 rows back from the stage.