The Hits--Chapter One
OhmygodtheBackstreetBoysrule!!!!!!OK, with that out of the way, let's reviewThe Hits--Chapter One, which is one-stop shopping for the hunky pop group's three American albums--their 1997self-titled debut, 1999'sMillennium, and 2000'sBlack & Blue. The first disc really shines with "As Long as You Love Me," "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," and "All I Have to Give," capturing the Backstreet Boys' essence: sunny pop under the influence of blue-eyed soul. "I Want It That Way," from the second album, is an undeniable classic, while "The Call" has a deliciously frenzied sexual urgency and a strong, danceable beat. But the other tracks are uneven with the oddball fan-appreciation anthem "Larger Than Life" surrounded by somber, predictable ballads. The new single, "Drowning," is same-old same-old: lazy moaning over a drum machine.The Hits--Chapter Onemight be an optimistic name for this '90s retrospective. The future is cloudy for chapter two.--Courtney Kemp