Source: Lexington Herald Leader Sunday June 17 2001
Backstreet's back this week, and that means boy-band bashers will be out in force. One of the primary put-downs of acts like Backstreet Boys and their rivals 'N Sync is that they don't play their own instruments or write their own songs.
That criticism, not altogether true, comes from the rock 'n' roll
aesthetics of the singer-songwriter, the guitar hero, the all-in-one
package that many rock bands are.
There's a lot to respect there.
While rock is supposed to be the sloppy, rebellious genre, it puts a
premium on well-rounded performers who perform the songs closest to
their hearts.
But it's ridiculous to expect that of everyone or to blame someone for
just singing, especially if they're a really good singer.
Did people slag Frank Sinatra because he didn't write My Way?Are we
going to say that Maria Callas was only half an artist because she
didn't write Norma? Maybe she should have been the concertmaster of the
orchestra, too?
No.
Sinatra, Callas, Rosemary Clooney, Jessye Norman and many, many others
are great singers.
And what's so bad about being a singer?
A lot of people, including some I know who should know better, seem to
think that singing is something anyone can do because, hey, we all have
voices, and I sound pretty good in the shower.
Criticizing someone for just being a singer shows a basic ignorance of
what it takes to develop a voice and maintain it.
If singing were that easy, we'd all be Gregory Turay or Denyce Graves.
These folks worked tirelessly for years to hone their skills.
And guys like Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson
didn't exactly warm up their voices for the first time to audition for
the group. Littrell was a standout in Tates Creek High School choruses
before getting the call to join Backstreet Boys from Richardson, his
cousin and an accomplished veteran of school choirs and the Orlando,
Fla., pop scene.
They know all about the work that goes into developing a voice and the
diligence it takes to maintain it.
A lot of singers would give their larynxes for a showcase like Littrell
gets on I Want It That Way or to be part of the tight, jumpy harmonies
of The Call or the sweet As Long As You Love Me.
And if it makes you happy, the group's latest album, Black & Blue, did
contain seven songs co-written by band members. What's more, Richardson
gave us a lovely piano solo when the band was here last time.
But you shouldn't need that to give these guys their props for being
top-notch musicians.
There are a lot of reasons to not like an act like Backstreet Boys:
Maybe the prepackaged band veneer seems to rob the group of emotional
depth. It could be that the teen-geared tunes seem woefully immature to
you. Maybe Backstreet's brand of music just isn't your box of rocks.
But don't run these guys down for being lesser talents because they're
singers first.
Yes, anybody can sing sort of. But few can sing like them.