POP MUSIC REVIEW : THANKS TO SPECIAL EFFECTS, NEW EDITION FLIES HIGH

All the incessant comparisons to the Jackson 5 must’ve finally gotten under the skin of the all-teen New Edition. As seen Sunday night at the Long Beach Arena, the boys have counterattacked by turning their current concert swing into a scathing parody of the “Victory Tour.” At least, that’s what we’d like to think.

From a flying saucer, the four young men in their matching suits dropped onto a stage set reminiscent of Disneyland’s Magic Castle. A hidden narrator explained that they were extraterrestials here to find and collect that magic earth vibe called love . (The returning flying saucer apparently malfunctioned at the end of the show, forcing the singers to go back to their home planet like most pop aliens--via stage left.)

Cliche special effects and framing devices aside, much of New Edition’s 90-minute field trip to earth was contagiously spirited, thanks to strong, nonstop choreography among the four singers (backed by six musicians).

When not clicking up their heels together, though, the members radiated near-zero charisma individually, especially when called upon to deliver canned speeches about peace, love and happiness. The overwhelming sense was of four talented kids singing and stepping (and dodging laser beams) exactly as a bunch of talented adults told them to--which was fine, as long as they made like a chorus line.

Offering more personality was spunky, second-billed Cherrelle, whose recent No. 1 hit on the black music charts ought to translate into pop/rock success before long. Her too-short set ended with “Saturday Love,” featuring about as close to 100% audience participation on a sing-along as a performer is likely to ever get.

Opening the show were the somewhat mellower Force M.D.’s, who--along with New Edition and Cherrelle’s backup singers--helped ensure the greatest percentage of matching suits on one stage since the British Invasion.