By Ted Shaw, Canwest News Service 
Singers Joey McIntyre, Jonathan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight and Danny Wood of New Kids On The Block appear on NBC's 'Today' show at Rockefeller Center on May 8, 2009 in New York City.
Photograph by: Bryan Bedder, Getty Images
Photograph by: Bryan Bedder, Getty Images
Now that the New Kids on the Block are the comeback kids, the feeling couldn't be sweeter.
Jordan Knight, NKOTB's falsetto specialist, said the group keeps proving the critics wrong.
It marked an emphatic return to form, then a series of successful tours.
The songlist is a balance of old and new, he said. "Some groups come back and all they do is focus on the past. Others ignore the past and only do new stuff, but that denies the past."
The New Kids haven't forgotten the old fans. Their sets this tour have included most of the early hits - I'll Be Loving You (Forever), Cover Girl, Hangin' Tough, Step By Step and Tonight, among them - and several songs from The Block, including Single, 2 In The Morning and Grown Man.
The show itself is more elaborate than anything they've done before.
Then, there was the name. All the Kids were in their late 30s at the time. Would they change their name? Already, they were being billed primarily as NKOTB to downplay the youth element.
A lot of The Block features Wahlberg's raps along with the soul and R&B flavours of earlier albums. But there was no grand design to the overall sound of The Block.
Jordan Knight, NKOTB's falsetto specialist, said the group keeps proving the critics wrong.
"When we began, we were told boy bands last about five years, get really popular, then disappear and are forgotten," Knight, 40, said.In 1994, nine years after they were assembled from a massive audition process in Boston, NKOTB released their fourth bestselling studio album, Face the Music.
"The one thing we're most proud of," said Knight, "is against all odds and what critics were telling us, we reunited and came back and enjoyed some success."All five original members - Knight, his brother Jonathan, Danny Wood, Donnie Wahlberg and Joey McIntyre - reformed after nearly 13 years apart to record The Block in 2008.
It marked an emphatic return to form, then a series of successful tours.
"We heard it all," said Knight. "They called our music simplistic, said our fans were nothing but mindless, hormonal girls and that we were just good-looking guys who didn't have any talent.During the dark years after Face the Music, 1995 to 2007, there was always a glimmer of hope NKOTB would return.
"But we knew otherwise. We knew our fans were great and there was a reason they got into us in the first place. We didn't listen to the critics and we did it our way."
"The whole time we weren't together," said Knight, "we were all agreed that nothing is forever. Never say never. We kept telling ourselves that. The door was always open, and I'd say now the door is definitely wide open for another album and another tour."In his distinctive Boston-area accent, Knight said part of the reason for the latest success is that each member has a chance to perform solo material during the concert. He and fellow Kids Wahlberg and McIntyre perform at least one song each from solo albums.
The songlist is a balance of old and new, he said. "Some groups come back and all they do is focus on the past. Others ignore the past and only do new stuff, but that denies the past."
The New Kids haven't forgotten the old fans. Their sets this tour have included most of the early hits - I'll Be Loving You (Forever), Cover Girl, Hangin' Tough, Step By Step and Tonight, among them - and several songs from The Block, including Single, 2 In The Morning and Grown Man.
The show itself is more elaborate than anything they've done before.
"There was a lot more care in our approach this time," he said. "In the past, we just kind of threw a set list together and went for it. But putting a show together now is an art. You pay attention to things like the transitions from song to song, the order of the songs, the length of each one, the staging. It's almost like putting together a Broadway show."Likewise, when the five decided to record the reunion record, The Block, they didn't go ahead until all the pieces were in place.
"First of all, it had to be the five of us. It would not be the same without the five; it would be lame."There were suggestions Jonathan Knight would not return for health reasons - he had been experiencing anxiety attacks - and that Wahlberg's acting career would keep him away.
Then, there was the name. All the Kids were in their late 30s at the time. Would they change their name? Already, they were being billed primarily as NKOTB to downplay the youth element.
"That was the one thing everyone asked us," said Knight. "And every time we were asked, we said, 'No way!' A group transcends its name. You didn't see the Beach Boys changing their name."Knight grew up on a diet of English rock 'n' roll his older siblings listened to - Queen, The Who and Led Zeppelin. Later, when he got into breakdancing, he listened exclusively to hip hop.
A lot of The Block features Wahlberg's raps along with the soul and R&B flavours of earlier albums. But there was no grand design to the overall sound of The Block.
"People perceive us (being) shrewder than we actually are," said Knight. "We didn't think too deeply about the music. It was more feel than anything else. If something needs a rap here, we put it in; if it needs a falsetto there, we put it in. There wasn't a lot of planning that went into it."In the same way, the band doesn't work at staying together. It's a natural process, sort of like family, said Knight. It's not all sweetness and light in the NKOTB universe.
"It's kind of like having brothers. There are times when we're really tight and times when there's friction. Healthy friction. Sometimes, someone rubs you the wrong way and you don't like him for it, but you don't stop loving him. The bond is always strong."
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