Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By New Kids On The Block, Sony Music Entertainment 2019.
It’s been 30 years since the release of Hangin’ Tough, the break-through album for New Kids On The Block.
To mark the occasion, Sony Music has re-issued the original 10-track album as part of an 18-track package that includes three new songs and five rare remix tracks.
The three new tracks are 80’s Baby, The Way You Should Be Loved, and Boys In The Band (Boy Band Anthem) and the remixed tracks are Please Don’t Go Girl (extended version), You Got It -The right Stuff (7” version), I’ll Be Loving You Forever (7” remix), Hangin’ Tough (Tougher mix), Cover Girl (7” remix).
The album is an interesting curio.
Does the platinum selling disc stand up all these later now that the lads are no longer boys?
As a piece of light weight pop confectionery it’s inoffensive and says quite a lot about where we were up to in the 80s.
The boys all sing well and were good looking enough to be (pre) teenage heart throbs and some of the songs still appeal.
I remember many boy band songs that weren’t anywhere near the quality of these tracks.
But will there be a market for this re-release? After all their fan base are all 30 years older and many will have children of their own who are driving them crazy with their own musical choices.
I found the three new tracks the most interesting part of this album.
The boys have partly moved with the times.
80’s Baby features Salt & Pepper, Naughty By Nature, Tiffany, and Debbie Gibson, thus combining the close harmonies that the band are known for with hip hop and a contemporary sound.
The most interesting track is the Boys in The Band theme song. It’s a song about why they still do what they do.
Being older the chaps have had to come to terms with changing vocal ranges but they still have great chemistry and harmonies.
The new track that is closest to their old stuff is The Way You Should Be Loved and to me it’s the least interesting of the trio of new songs.
I think there is enough to interest old fans but doubt the album will have the impact it had when first released.
