2 - O-Town > Reviews > A Song for Everyone

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Great songs and lyrics, Covers many different styes
Disadvantages:	They Split up

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Sticking on a boy band theme I thought I would review this album.

Who are they? O Town were the first band put together on a TV show. Backstreet Boys and N Sync manager Lou Pearlman wanted to put together a new boy band so he got together with MTV and they created a show called ‘Making the Band’ which was aired worldwide. They auditioned thousands of people across America and then took the final 25 to Orlando (otherwise known as O Town hence the name) for further auditions and then put the final 8 into a house together under a rigorous routine of exercise, dancing, singing lessons although there was as much partying done as there was working!

The final 8 contestants were Ashley Parker-Angel, Eric-Michael Estrada, Bryan Chan, Ikaika Kahoana, Jacob Underwood, Trevor Penwick, Paul Martin and Michael Miller. The TV show filmed the boys 24/7 but unlike other reality shows where the public get to vote on Making the Band Lou Pearlman along with the dance instructor and singing teacher decide who made it into the final five and I believe before the TV shows had even aired the band had been chosen.

Things didn’t go easy in making the band though, Paul Martin decided to leave the audition process due to problems with his girlfriend and he didn’t think the band was going in the direction he wanted. Eventually the final five were chosen as Ashley, Eric-Michael, Trevor, Jacob and Ikaika, it was a really emotional episode to watch when the final five were announced as it meant so much to them all. The final five said goodbye to Michael and Bryan and the hard work really began with doing tv shows, live concerts, rehearsals, dance and singing lessons. You saw the guys in the band changing from normal people to celebrities and all the problems that were created along the way including fallings out between Ikaika and the rest of the band.

Ikaika made a shock decision to leave the band as he didn’t like spending time from his girlfriend and wasn’t satisfied with the contracts. This threw the band into chaos Mike and Bryan were both baritones and didn’t have the voice that was needed. Lou decided to ask the other members in the band to see if there was anyone they had got on well with and thought was talented during the audition process, he believed that it had to be someone the other members would get on with seeing as they were going to be working together so much. Although they were taken in separately with no prior warning all four remaining members said the same name. Dan Miller.

Dan had got into the final 25 in the auditions and Lou agreed that he was talented so they invited Dan to fly to Orlando and see how things went and from that day on O-Town were complete. O Town released their first single ‘Liquid Dreams’ in America and I believe it charted at number one. When the single was released in the UK it reached number two and the band spent two weeks promoting in every part of the UK imaginable! The first album was self titled and did well in both the UK and American charts. O2 is the second and last album from O-Town.

What happened to them?: O-Town split in 2003 as the contract they had signed in their desperate bid for stardom committed them to working non stop for very little pay (I get paid better in my office job) the contract bound them as a group to stop them from going to sign to a different company so they had no option but to split. Jacob has since formed a band called Jacob’s Loc which is a rocky band as that’s the music he always loved and Ashley has recently signed a solo record contract in America.

The album: As I said above the album I’m reviewing was their second, I have the American copy as it came out first, the American copy is called 02 but when it was released in the UK they were forbid from using 02 as the name because of the phone company so I believe it was called O Town 2. As far as I am aware that is the only difference between the albums.

The songs:

1. From the Damage

This song was wrote by Ashley Angel of the group and is an amazing song. Its much more rockier than anything they had done previously yet you can still recognise it as being by O-Town. The lyrics to this song are really good and meaningful and the band sing it really well with lots of meaning. I would give this song a 4/5

2. These are the Days

This was the only single O Town released in the UK from this album. This has quite a rocky edge to it and Jacobs voice really suits the song at the beginning because its very gravely. I like this song but personally I wouldn’t have recommended it as a single because its just not strong enough. 3/5

3. I Only Dance With You

Big mistake! This song has taken the melody from the George Michael classic Careless Whisper and changed all of the words and sang it to an up beat song. It’s an ok song but when you compare it with the original George song it seems really poor. 2/5

4. Favourite Girl

This isn’t one of my favourite songs but the one thing I loved about it was Trevor got to sing a large part of this song. Although Trevor isn’t my favourite in the band I sometimes feel sorry for him because he always seems to take the back seat and not get the chance to sing. There are only two tracks on this album when you can actually hear him and although the other members do have really good voices and are probably more advanced than him I feel on some of the songs he could do the perform to the same quality as them if not better. 3/5

5. Been Around The World

Although its not supposed to be a cover this song has a melody that really reminds me of Been Around the World by Lisa Stansfield. The lyrics are different and it is a more up beat and is sang really well but you cant help feeling whoever wrote it has just rehashed Lisa Stansfield and tried to make it into something original. I really liked the middle eight to this song, it was very simple yet effective. 3/5

6. Make Her Say

A bit more of a hip hop r n b feel to this one. It starts with a really good introduction of a male voice talking about O Town and then they start singing and it just totally fits, I can imaging them singing this live and a curtain dropping to reveal the band once the guy has finished bigging them up! Eric and I think its Jacob (I find him and Ashley can sound similar so might not be right) do the rapping. It something you could imagine Nelly singing. 4/5

7. The Joint

Not one of my favourite tracks at all. Its quite an average song and would be better suited to a b side. 3/5

8. Suddenly

This is more like the O-Town of the last album. Its more poppy than most of the tracks on the album but still has a rocky feel to it as its heavily guitar based. You cant help but singing along to this song and it’s a really enjoyable track. 4/5

9. Craving:

I absolutely love this song. The lyrics are fantastic and its really sung with feeling, when your listening to the song you can actually feel the emotions Ashley is singing about, most of the boys sing on this song but Ashley’s voice really sticks out and he steals the track totally. It’s a lovely ballad to start with but when it gets to the chorus the guitars and backing vocals kick in and it turns into more of a rock ballad that Def Leopard would be proud of. The middle 8 is again amazing as are the lyrics:

It's like you live in these walls
I hear your voice down the hall
I swear I see your face
it's everywhere it's every place

I start myself past the pain
but still it won't go away
The more I try to forget I remember

Ohhh
Every minute's like a thousand years
Since you were lying here

5/5

10. Over Easy

I absolutely love this song! Ashley wrote it and does an amazing job on the guitar and singing on this track along with Jacob. The song starts off with just Ashley singing about the end of a relationship with just the simple accompaniment of a piano and the lyrics are really powerful and heartfelt:

You said that it's over, over easy
If I let go the pain will subside
'cause sayin' goodbye's never pretty
And it's uglier livin' a lie
But answer this one thing for me--why...

Then all of a sudden drums and guitars come into play and Ashley’s voice takes on an angry tone and the song is transformed into a very guitar based pop/rock song as he sings:

What did you mean when you said that is over
I don't understand
How could this be
You promised me
You said forever
Or did you forget
Was I deceived
You needed me

This song is amazing and has everything, I cant speak highly enough about it because I absolutely love it! 5/5

10. Girl Like That

Eventually Trevor gets to sing the majority of the leads! This isn’t one of the best songs they have done and again has an R n B feel about it. Trevor does a good job on main vocals. The lyrics could be stronger and they are quite raunchy at times, it reminds me of ‘Sexiest Woman Alive’ on their first album for some reason. 4/5

11. You Can’t Loose Me

This song was written by Diane Warren who also wrote Baby I would for their first album and many popular songs for other artists including Whitney Houston. I find this song quite boring to be honest, its one of those songs were you always feel like something big is about to happen but keep listening then it finishes and you feel like you have been deprived of something! The lyrics are really nice as are the voices but I personally think the melody could have been a lot stronger.

Packaging: On the front cover there is a picture of the five members of the band sitting on the beach. Inside there are photos of the band, lyrics and thank you’s and as normal on the back there is the tracklisting.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I think there is something on this CD for everyone, if you like pop you will love Suddenly if you like Rock you will love Craving and Over Easy. They cover so many different styles in the album yes it all fits together.

Price: I bought this about 2 years ago from Amazon as it was imported from America before the UK release. Its currently selling on Amazon for £12.99 and last time I checked HMV sold the UK version for £13.99.

Thanks for reading.