Take That

British group Take That did not have the same worries about releasing Everything Changes as they had with their debut album. By this time they were giant superstars in Europe, and the question in their minds was not whether they could get a hit single, but how many and which would make it to number one. The album spawned six hit singles, four of which made number one, making it Record of the Year and one of the best-selling albums of the decade, proclaiming them the biggest male group since the Beatles. When the hype sets in, it is hard to distinguish the value of the material itself. It is an album of dance-pop and ballads sung by five young men, with a greater maturity than most boy band albums thanks to the writing by lead singer Gary Barlow. Boy bands have their share of skeptics, and getting those to tear down their defenses usually ends up competing with their struggle to please the fan base they already have. With saucy dance tracks like "Relight My Fire" (a hit for Dan Hartman in the '70s) and quality ballads like "Pray" and "Love Ain't Here Anymore," as well as pop tracks "Everything Changes" and "Whatever You Do to Me," Take That won over everyone they needed to. What they got in return was a reputation for being a fine group with real talent. Everything Changes marked the height of Take That popularity. [The 2006 edition included four bonus tracks.] ~ Peter Fawthrop, All Music Guide