Backstreet Boys "A Very Backstreet Christmas"

 It's safe to say I have waited far too long for this record to come to fruition to not be skeptical. One of their main competitors released a festive record that has been in sync with the holiday music listening regimen for decades, and another group not only raised the heat with one modern pop masterpiece but managed to rekindle that flame for a second time; both of which I have enjoyed for twenty-four and five years, respectively, without breaking a sweat.

I had lost hope that the boys would ever record a festive album a long time ago, but when I heard that they were working on one, I think my spirit inside lit up like a Christmas tree; you could blame it on nostalgia and my imagination. 

It was inevitable that I would compare A Very Backstreet Christmas with those of their contemporaries Home For Christmas by N'SYNC; and This Christmas and Let It Snow by 98 Degrees. Then there was that Bieber boy who filled the void while Under the Mistletoe waiting for a kiss, from me? No No. So where is this review going to go?

I can say that this record cannot be compared with N'SYNC's modern pop masterpiece, for it is on another level, and one of the few records of this variety that features eleven original songs. While many were not as potent as "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays," many of those were solid additions to the merrypotoire.

But now, BACK(to the)STREET BOYS! They are one of the few boy bands that have been as consistent as they are productive with the same members throughout their career, and it shows. Yes, I prefer quality over quantity, and maybe not every record is a smash, but some of these records should be sleeper hits, at the least.

 This record includes many songs that overworked that one horse running for an open sleigh, yet despite that disadvantage they managed to revitalize those weary horses for another round on the same snow- covered track. "White Christmas" takes its cues from the version recorded by the current "King of Christmas," Michael Bublé, with assistance from Shania Twain. There's a queen, so why not a king? Yes, Bublé caught the drift from Doo Wop.

While the next three covers were charming, I would have to say that this was another standout. Yep, the boys made the good list with their version of "Last Christmas," and just when I think my list of favorite versions is complete, another shines its light to compete.

 Yes, I must applaud how they handled "O Holy Night" and "Silent Night," but I was most interested in how they took the classic "Same Old Lang Syne" and brought it into the new year. I will not assume what Fogelberg would say if he were able to hear their version, but I suggest you listen to the versions you have not heard as a smaller, more attainable resolution.

There are two original songs that are saved for last on the record, one about spending, and reveling in, the holiday "Together" with that special someone, and "Happy Days" inspired by that feeling that JT couldn't fight before he became a branch on the tree of trolls. I can type something I usually don't, and that is that I enjoy the covers of canon classics more than the original tunes on this record, but it does not mean that I will not grow to appreciate these later on.

I guess the final question that I must address is, was the album worth the wait? If I consider the time waiting with knowledge of one in the works, then yes. If I count the time waiting with only the hope of one, then I would say no. It was good, but over twenty years for the group to catch up with their contemporaries? Not that good. 

I cannot imagine how the G'N'R fans that knew of Chinese Democracy before the aughties began felt as they waited, and as it finally came. I was only waiting the tail end of it, maybe two or three years, and it could have been called "Use Your Illusion III" in the sense that you had to convince yourself it was worth the wait. There were some good songs on there, and I may be in the minority on that, but to say it was worth the wait from the time of inception? Missed the mark, but I got over it and learned to appreciate for what it was, and I'll do that with this record too.