Legacy: The Greatest Hits [ECD] - Boyz II Men (CD 2001)

I've always loved Boyz II Men songs, but I had never gotten around to buying one of their albums. I'd go to the store intending to get one, but then I'd see one of the new releases and be compelled to get that instead...and then I'd silently vow to get the Boyz II Men the next time.

And of course, in typical fashion, I forgot about it.

Until, that is, a few weeks ago when I was perusing through a record store and stumbled upon "Boyz II Men Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection". Perhaps it was Fate, perhaps it was coincidence, but either way, this was the answer to my problem. Instead of having to buy all of their albums, all I needed to purchase was this ONE...and it had all of the songs that I liked. Every single one.

I couldn't wait to get it home, so I opened it in the food court and listened to it in the car on the ride home. While it's not exactly perfect for car music, it was good enough for my boyfriend and I to sing along on the ride home. Classic love songs never die.

Before I go any further, the track listing is as follows:

1. "Motownphilly"
2. "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday"
3. "End Of The Road"
4. "In The Still Of The Night (I'll Remember)"
5. "Hey Lover"
6. "I'll Make Love To You"
7. "On Bended Knee"
8. "Water Runs Dry"
9. "One Sweet Day"
10. "Doin' Just Fine"
11. "4 Seasons Of Loneliness"
12. "A Song For Mama"
13. "Pass You By"

If you like slow songs, or you need something for a romantic evening, this is your best bet. I don't know one girl who doesn't like Boyz II Men. Or one guy for that matter. It's classic.

"It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" is almost completely devoid of instrument, but it's a good thing. Their voices speak for themselves. If you don't at least shed one tear during this song, you don't have a heart. It's that touching. "How do I say goodbye to what we had?/The good times that made us laugh/Outweigh the bad./I thought we'd get to see forever/But forever's gone awayIt's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday./I don't know where this road/Is going to lead./All I konw is where we've been/And what we've been through./If we get to see tomorrow/I hope it's worth all the wait/It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday./And I'll take with me the memories/To be my sunshine after the rain/It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday." When Aaliyah died, Usher sang this on "Regis And Kelly" and then he started to cry. This song is touching.

"End Of The Road" is a good "let's stay together" song. "Although we've come/To the end of the road/Still I can't let go/It's unnatural/You belong to me/I belong to you".

"Hey Lover" features LL Cool J and is a lot more upbeat than most of the songs on the album. Boyz II Men and LL blend well together.

"I'll Make Love To You" has always been my favorite song. It's sweet lyrics "I'll make love to you/Like you want me to/And I'll hold you tight/Baby all through the night/I'll make love to you/When you want me to/And I will not let go/'Till you tell me to" and sensual harmonies make the perfect love song.

"One Sweet Day" with Mariah Carey has also always been a favorite. Between Mariah's incredible vocal talents "Never had I imagined/Living without your smile/Feeling and knowing you hear me/It keeps me alive", the soulful beginning "Sorry I never told you/All I wanted to say /And now it's too late to hold you/'Cause you've flown away/So far away", and the powerful chorus "And I know you're shining down on me from heaven/Like so many friends we've lost along the way/And I know eventually we'll be together/One sweet day/Eventually I'll see you in heaven", it's amazing.

As for the rest of the album, it basically speaks for itself. Boyz II Men paved the way for artists like the Backstreet Boys, *N'SYNC, and O-Town, all of which have mentioned Boyz II Men as major influences. Boyz II Men pretty much invented harmony.