Next - "Too Close"

this song is so good that even those pricks Blue couldn't ruin it when they covered it;

Now girl I know you felt it
But boo, you know I can't help it
You know what I wanna do

I feel a little poke coming through

No song makes me happier when it shows up on the radio

I swear no one in my hometown recognized it was a song about 'oops lol boner' or they wouldn't have played it at every school dance like it was 'One Sweet Day' by Mariah Carey & Boys II Men orsomething.

So Classic. Just listened again and realized the groove is more 80s boogie-sounding than I had remembered.

Abbott it was the same in my town. I think everyone I grew up sort of discovered afterward that the song was not romantic at all and was literally about popping boners on the dance floor. I always used to think that R. Kelly was soooo jealous of this one. He probably still is.

Re: "Just listened again and realized the groove is more 80s boogie-sounding than I had remembered."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVju8BeUQWQ&

I would say this is the best pop song of the '90s. Because it is about boners.

This song shows up in my dreams

I had a dream last night that Scissor Sisters came out with a new single called "Robert DeNiro Rap," which started out pretty epic but then ended up being a sample of "Too Close" by Next, the woman's vocals, over a bunch of disco lasers. Disappointing.

― cosmic abbigong (Abbott), Wednesday, August 12, 2009 9:29 AM (1 year ago)

Fortuitous thread bump! About 6 days ago I looked this up on Youtube, and I think I've only now just been able to get it out of my head; I've listened to it way too many times in the last week.

It's definitely the best songs about erections I've listened to in a while.

I was the only one to vote for this masterpiece in the songs of the century poll. same with Thong Song. wtf people?

This is miles ahead of Thong Song though

I mean I really hate to say this but it's one of those kind of unique 90's songs that defines the era so damn well and doesn't really sound like anything else. I would say "I Want You" (Savage Garden) is another one in this category.

Loved hearing the band West Side play this in their Minnesota-leaning set circa 2003, and still have quite a bit of affection for it. Curious how it "doesn't really sound like anything else" though--maybe you were listening to more radio than I was to catch the nuances. I wasn't exactly a connoisseur of Boys II Men et al, but I recognized the sample and had the impression this was a catchier and funnier version of a common going formula. Remember seeing them play with a bunch of other boy groups, too.

Just the way the vocals sounded was very unique. I don't know how else to explain it. I know that there's really nothing different about the song but it just has some specific kind of sound in the backing vocals that I always liked. Just like "I Want You" by Savage Garden. But most of all what I appreciated about "Too Close" is that there was no real subtlety or anything hidden. Its just straight up about b0ners

Such a perfectly arranged song, too. That whole first Next album was quite good, though nothing on it topped "Too Close," of course.

Next's frontman RL released this single in late '09, which sounded kind of like a sad, low-budget rewrite of The-Dream's "Rockin' That Shit":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn5njO3JvoE&feature=related

But I'm still holding out hope for a possible new Next album this year. The title, Ninety Seven, seems to promise a return to that early sound.

can't believe the UK was introduced to this track via fucking blue

does anyone else immediately pair this group with "ruff endz" (also 90s; "no more", and "someone to love you"...)?

tough for me to disassociate the two

this shit and 112 were my jamz.

yes xp

I think there was another one I grouped in with them too.

Jagged Edge, although I guess they kinda distinguished themselves later.

I know I'm conflating different eras of R&B here, but seeing (of all acts) Bell Biv DeVoe kill it last night playing with The Roots on Jimmy Fallon made me hope that Next would also use that show to springboard a comeback. I would love to hear what The Roots do with "Too Close."

"i just wanted to point out that i was otm in this thread"

this song is so amazing

the way that you shake it on me
makes me want you so bad sex-u-all-y

ooh giiiirl

you love when i shake it like that uh uh uhnnhh

this song is v unique in the scheme of pop from that year, it almost comes across like a chic homage

Well it does sample Kurtis Blow's Christmas Rappin'.

S0 GOOOD

first time I heard "Christmas Rappin" I was really bothered by it, because I knew that it was sampled big-time somewhere but couldn't put my finger on it

this song is perfect and this thread is perfect

I swear no one in my hometown recognized it was a song about 'oops lol boner' or they wouldn't have played it at every school dance like it was 'One Sweet Day' by Mariah Carey & Boys II Men orsomething.

― kind-hearted, sensitive keytar player (Abbott), Tuesday, July 14, 2009 11:34 AM (5 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

so otm

I never heard another song by Next but in my mind they are all remixes of "Too Close" and they're all amazing

"butta love" is notable for lauding a woman for not having corns on her feet

"wifey" is also a jam

will you be my wifey

yes i'll be your wifey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPtG8UVWsV0

Can I splash?
As I used to play across your chocolate beaches
I would always vision your love canal
Dreaming I could reach it, oh yeah yeah
And as I wade in your waters of passionate cream
I realized it's not a dream
I can finally splash, I don't have to ask, no

decided to spruce it up a bit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m8t6dmDniM