Boyzone Album: «Where We Belong»

- Customers rating: (4.5 of 5)
- Title:Where We Belong
- Release date:
- Type:Audio CD
- Label:Polydor
- UPC:731455739824
This is the best among this Irish band's three studio albums. Boyzone have found their niche while writing their now trademark melodies on "Where We Belong".
This CD is a VERY pleasant mix of danceable tunes and melodious ballads, all brought together by Boyzone's excellent five-part harmonies. Of ALL the CDs in my collection, THIS IS MY FAVORITE.
The tracks in this album are a mixture of fast-paced songs: -- "Picture Of You" (also from the "Bean" and "Snow Day" soundtracks), "One Kiss At A Time", "Will Be Yours", "Must've Been High", "Walk On (So They Told Me)" and "I'll Never Not Need You". This last one was written by Grammy and Oscar nominee Diane Warren.
ballads: -- "Baby Can I Hold You" (originally done by Tracy Chapman), "All The Time In The World", "And I", "You Flew Away", "I Love The Way You Love Me", "Where Did You Go", and the group's biggest-selling single, "No Matter What" written by Andrew Lloyd Weber.
and those songs in between: -- "All That I Need", "That's How Love Goes."
This album includes five singles -- "Picture Of You", "Baby Can I Hold You", "I Love The Way You Love Me", "All That I Need", and "No Matter What" -- which when released all stormed the UK charts. The first three peaked at #2. The rest went straight to #1.
My personal favorites are "All That I Need", "Will Be Yours", "That's How Love Goes", and most of all "Walk On (So They Told Me)".
This is a must for all Boyzone fans and pop music enthusiasts.
If you prefer the heavy metal and alternative music genre, this CD isn't for you.
This is pure harmonic pop at its best.
To go from the throw-away bubblegum pop of 'Love Me For a Reason' first released in the band's native Ireland five years ago, to an album of this pedigree, is quite something. Never gaining the recogntion they deserved, Boyzone have continued to progress through the teen market to achieve a sound capable of pleasing even the most critical of pop fans. Standout tracks include Bean movie theme, 'Picture of You' and the UK number one smash, 'No Matter What', taken from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, "Whistle Down the Wind". The majority of the album is laid back ballads, with the Tracy Chapman cover 'Baby, Can I Hold You', and the two-part story, 'I'm Learning', being performed with feeling, and lead singer Ronan Keating using his unique voice to it's maximum. Stephen Gately also performs well, with an mid-tempo feel-good song in the shape of 'Where Did You Go?' and for the first time on an album, Mikey Graham, sings lead vocal, providing one of the best songs on the album with his self-penned, 'Good Conversation' - a fantastic debut effort. A quite brilliant album for pop music fans - one of those albums that simply cannot leave you disapointed. If this band are in a town near you, be sure to hear them perform this material live - they always guarantee quite a show.
Forget Backstreet Boys and N'Sync! These guys are the genuine article, and the fact that they aren't major stars in the US should be a cause for national shame. I don't normally like "boy bands," and I might have thought that Boyzone was just another teenybopper group, but I saw them performing "No Matter What" on a PBS concert special, and me and my wife (yes, my wife! ) were both completely taken by their vocal power. These guys can SING! This CD is a keeper. Every song on it is rich and gorgeous, but "I'll Never Not Need You" and "No Matter What" (also featured on the "Notting Hill" soundtrack) are among the albums standouts. Buy this album, and you'll never want to hear any other "boy band" again.
This is the first CD I have owned by Boyzone. Since I first received it, I have checked out other songs by this fab 5 boy group. Let me tell you, they are hotter, in my book, than other pop groups of this time. It is too bad they haven't come to the US and broke into the hearts of Americans. But, that could be soon! Their music is a delicious sensual mix of everything that you would want to hear. Ronan Keating and Stephen Gately definitely know how to sing a song with the right pizazz needed to catch your attention and make you listen again. I definitely recommend this CD to anyone aged 10-100. Definitely a 5 star CD to me and I can't wait to get more music by Boyzone.
I always enjoy comparing the various 'boy groups' out there, for I am a great fan of pop music in general and I have good recognition at the quality of the sound. When I was in Japan, i picked up By Request, Boyzone's greatest hits album, to see what they had. (In the United States, they aren't very prominent.) I was impressed with the vocal performances, which are among the best I've heard, and the production is flawless and well put together. Several months later, I purchased the U.S. version of the 1998 album Where We Belong and I was just as delighted. Highlights of the album include the clever Diane Warren-penned "I'll Never Not Need You" and Andrew Lloyed-Webber's "No Matter What" (honestly, I don't see why everyone loves this song so much, but it is nice.) More are Sturken and Rogers' (writers of 'N Sync's massive hit "God Must Have Spent," among others) "All That I Need" and "One Kiss At A Time." Jorgen Eloffsen, the writer of Britney Spears' "(You Drive Me) Crazy" and "Sometimes," wrote the outstanding "Will Be Yours" on this album. Eric Foster White, who has written and produced for Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, wrote "Must Have Been High" on here as well. Others I like are "Walk On (So They Told Me)" and "All The Time In The World." This album is really brilliantly sung and the music is excellent. Definitely worthwhile.

