A1 Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
In their efforts to conquer the American pop scene, perhaps this quartet of London lads doesn't realize their name is the same as one of our famous steak sauces (A1). Hopefully, they won't be inundated by questions about it. But that's not their real competition. Bolstered by the huge European smash "Caught in the Middle," these guys are definitely going to compete for chart space with *N'Sync and The Backstreet Boys. Their voices harmonize magically together and their hooks are equally infectious. As hard as it may seem to believe, however, they're not a zillion dollar packaging coup, assembled as a product; they met four years ago while pursuing separate careers in London, and they write or co-write all their material. This seven-track sampler album features selected highlights from their U.K. releases "Here We Come," "The A-List" and "Make It Good." The song "Make It Good" offers a soaring mix of their soothing vocal presence, a string section, and even a hint of Celtic influence. "When I'm Missing You" is a bit more acoustic-based. Mark Read takes the lead on "Everytime" and shows a strong leadership ability, even if otherwise the vocals are mostly done in unison. As the songs are friendly, of-the-moment pop, it's hard to predict staying power. But being a legit group, and strong songwriters, is a good start. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A1 learned a few tricks from American boy bands for their sophomore outing, The Hit List, which is quite a bit more aggressive than their debut, similar in style to the songs which propelled 'N Sync to the top of the U.S. charts. "Same Old Brand New You" is a good example of that formula, utilizing beats that recalls the Backstreet Boys' hit "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)." That song, incidentally, was a European chart topper, and another, "No More" (a very 'N Sync-ish song, especially in regards to attitude), hit the top ten. This disc is full of ballads, some alright, some big and powerful, some formulaic, although "She Doesn't See Me," complete with Scottish bagpipes, is quite a compelling production. These guys try different styles of music (all of them highly produced), including Latin (on the somewhat cliched "Celebrate Our Love" and urban ("I Wonder Why"), but overall, this is a straight-ahead pop disc, and a little less Euro-dance than their previous. As a side note, A1 scored a huge European number one smash with their bubbly remake of a-Ha's early MTV-era staple "Take on Me." Not a bad disc, especially considering these guys play their own instruments and write most their own material, but not much sets it apart from other boy band material. ~ Jose F. Promis, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
At first glance, A1 may seem no different than the rest of the late-'90s onslaught of boy bands, but these guys differ in that they write their own songs and play their own instruments. That said, this group is definitely a boy band album in the true sense of the word (they're really a "band"). Their upbeat songs are extremely catchy, proving these guys are quite adept as songwriters and may have much longer careers as tunesmiths than what a boy band career may promise. Vocally they are more 'N Sync than Backstreet Boys, although their music, when upbeat, is more disco than 'N Sync's edgier sound. Half the songs on this album are Euro-disco pop, while the other half are ballads. The strongest song on this set is the incredibly catchy "Be the First to Believe." This album scored four European hits for the band, those being the aforementioned "Be the First to Believe," "Summertime of Our Lives," "Everytime" (a double-sided single b/w "Ready or Not," whose string arrangement recalls the disco classic "Never Can Say Goodbye"), and "Like a Rose." Perhaps due to its more disco leanings, or perhaps due to its being less aggressive than American boy bands, this disc never saw a U.S. release, although their European success continued to escalate with their second album, The A List. ~ Jose F. Promis, All Music Guide
