Boyz II Men Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya CD

This is an Enhanced audio CD which includes regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.

NATHAN, MICHAEL, SHAWN, WANYA was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and "Pass You By" was nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

The smooth R&B sound of Boyz II Men catapulted them to stardom, and this 17-song album is an expanded version of the American issue, containing three additional songs.

Boyz II Men are the granddaddies of R&B-inflected, pop-friendly, male harmony groups. The countless boy bands that sprang up in their wake all owe a huge debt to the Boyz. Here, they return to reclaim the world they helped to make from the hands of their younger disciples.

While there are a few concessions to the times (for instance, the Latin tinge to the "What's the Deal" and the opener "Beautiful Women"), the group sticks mostly to their well-established strengths; soulful, gently funky tunes powered by sweet harmonies and propelled by sensual, gently undulating rhythms. This is makeout music first and foremost. The in-your-face hooks and production of other groups are not for these guys; they'd rather usher you gently into the bedroom and whisper sweet nothings over a quietly insistent backbeat.

Even if Boyz II Men's third album Evolution didn't rival II in terms of commercial clout, the group was still inescapable. Every male urban vocal group that reached the pop and R&B charts were clearly indebted to the quartet's stylish blend of old-school harmony, post-Aretha hyper-vocalizing, and lite hip-hop beats. The group returned to action in the fall of 2000 with Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, a nearly eponymous title for their first full-fledged adult album. And, as adults, they've made sure they're responsible for their own music -- at least one member (usually all) has songwriting credits for all but two of the album's 14 songs, and the group is credited with all but four of the album's productions. Usually, when a popular group seizes control of their reins in such a dramatic fashion, the result is muddled to say the least, but a remarkable thing happens here -- the group succeeds. True, they don't expand on the formula they developed on II, but they do fulfill the expectations that album set. There are no unexpected twists or turns, just the standard lush ballads and swinging hip-hop soul, but it delivers both sonically and substantively. Not every cut on the record is a standout, but even the average cuts are pleasant, and the best of the batch are either seductive or effortlessly danceable. Also, the group is beginning to cut back on their vocal histrionics, resulting in a record that is truly their most mature yet. It might not be their best -- it doesn't have the powerhouse singles of II -- but Boyz II Men make up for it by demonstrating that they can do much of this on their own, and still sound like the standard-bearers for urban soul. [A Japanese version included bonus tracks.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Japanese version featuring 3 bonus tracks: 'I Miss You', 'Marry Me' & 'Darlin'.

CD contains 3 bonus tracks.

Boyz II Men: Nathan Morris, Michael McCary, Shawn Stockman, Wanya Morris.

Producers include: Boyz II Men, She'kspere.Entertainment Weekly (9/15/00, p.78) - "...Mature, danceable, even occasionally sexy tracks that...offer a respite from their past schtick..." - Rating: B
Q (12/00, p.118) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...As good as traditional but modern soul gets..."
Muzik (11/00, p.119) - 3 out of 5 - "...When they actually sound like B2M on cuts like 'What The Deal' and the single 'Pass You By' it's convincing..."