Full Circle

by

Boyz II Men

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What do you call this stuff? Judging by what I hear on the radio, it's fairly archaic, with a DNA based on doo-wop and an RNA from Motown. I get the impression that Boyz 2 Men are passe with the Youth, but I swear I never heard or heard of them until they sang the Star-Spangled Banner at a baseball game I attended. Usually the national anthem is a form of torture to the ears almost as vicious as a Bush State of the Union to the conscience, but the Boyz sang the old song with artistry and taste. I was impressed. Just the fact that they could sing four-part harmony in very good tuning made me want to hear them on their own turf.

And now I have. Scoffers, pay attention. There are definite musical values here. The rhythm tracks are too monotonous and predictable, and the Boyz take very few chances with their riffs, way fewer than traditional gospel singers like Claude Jeter for instance. But their songs have structure and even some chromatic development, and the Boyz have the ears for close harmony. Another reviewer declares that he's "waiting" for them to cut loose. I'm not sure what he wants to hear, but I feel the same way. The pop genre is too confining for their talent. Like the Beatles when they discovered Indian music, the Boyz are ready to reveal their awareness of the larger musical world. I can imagine them taking on the challenge of real jazz singing, or just to be totally fantastical, hearing the Hilliard Ensemble singing Orlando de Lassus and thinking 'Wow! That's something we can learn from!"