Westlife - Greatest Hits (Part 4)

So from here on out Westlife went for a Turnaround - but it wasn't all for the better!

(16) Hey Whatever - #4



Dire cover. Dire lead single. Just Awful

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆


(17) Mandy - #1



This is probably the best Westlife cover there is. Originally a #12 hit entitled Brandy for Scott English in 1972, the track was renamed Mandy and managed to go one better at #11 for Barry Manilow in 1974 (but did manage to hit #1 on the Hot 100). Westlife introduced the classic track to a brand new generation, and this was the highlight of seeing the band live. It encapsulated everything the band had achieved up to that point, and with the fireworks at the end of their video (and set) really seemed like a celebration; and yet there was a hint of sadness with the track. With Brian McFadden just about to announce his departure from the band, this would be the final time we would see the band on the top of the charts as a five piece.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★


(18) Obvious - #3



So Brian left and this gets a release as a third and final cut from the album before the band head off touring again. I really like the light bulbs hanging from the sky in the middle of the desert in the video, but this song is about as generic Westlife as you can get really.

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆


(19) Ain't That A Kick In The Head - Didn't Chart
(20) Smile - Didn't Chart



So what do you do when you lose a band member? Record a Rat Pack covers album. 'Allow Us To Be Frank' charted at #3 in the UK's album chart but I think it's time to move on...

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆


(21) You Raise Me Up - #1



The band make a return to form and top the charts once again. During my days in sixth form this track actually garnered some popularity with several students (much to my surprise); the simple chorus really hit a chord as you would hear people singing it around school - something I never thought I'd see!

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆


(22) When You Tell Me That You Love Me [Feat. Diana Ross] - #2



This was a rather guilty pleasure of mine; it is the last song that I can remember actually recording the latter part of the music video onto an actual video cassette so that I could watch it back. Then I actually got a Westlife loon from my school to actually burn a copy of the song to CD for me (oh how times have changed!) At the risk of missing out on the Christmas #1 again the boys actually released this a week early; rather ironically they were held off the top spot by yet another child favourite Nizlopi with the JCB song.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆


(23) Amazing - #4



You know you're turning into a fanbase act when your new single goes in at #4 and then disappears from the top 40 the very next week! This is the band's lowest selling single; probably quite a key factor in the decision which made this the final time Westlife gave us a third cut from an album!

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆


(24) The Rose



So Westlife's final #1 (unless they pull out something amazing with Light House) and with this lazy song choice being the one to do it I'm quite pleased they haven't managed any more since. In their attempt to make a 'Love Album' they almost released Total Eclipse of The Heart (Turn Around) as a second cut from this album - and I think we're all quite happy that that didn't happen!

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆


(25) Home - #3



So Westlife cover Michael Buble! Unfortunately for them Michael Buble was on the cusp of replacing them as the 'Christmas present for mum' act. Then with Take That's returning to Rule The [Pop] World there wasn't really room for two mature man bands!

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆


(26) Us Against The World - #8



I don't really know why in retrospect but this was one of the 'few' songs I actually downloaded from itunes during my first year of University - no doubt it was all those itunes vouchers I'd got for Christmas.

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆


(27) What About Now - #2



Yes, I have embedded the Daughtry version. It was one of my highlights of 2008, a song that was all over the radio in America. Daughtry is the rock group fronted by American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry. Their self-titled album is one of America's (let alone American Idol's) biggest success stories of the decade - it sold over 4 million copies and along with Taylor Swift, earned them an award for the longest running debut album to reside within the Billboard Hot 100 albums (it spent 101 weeks unbroken and has since amassed a further 17 weeks). What About Now was the seventh, and final release from the album - and their only song to chart in the UK after it was prominently used in Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor. The track was written by Ben Moody, David Hodges and Josh Hartzler (the first two former members of Evanescence, the latter married to Amy Lee) and is every bit the cinematic, dramatic, arms aloft rock ballad. I suppose I have to acknowledge Westlife's version, which reached #2 in 2009 - but there is absolutely NO comparison. What gives the song that sense and depth of epicness is Chris Daughtry's gruff vocal, and the way the electric guitar serenades him during the final choruses is fantastic. Take that away and whilst the chorus hook is still there, the song lacks a massive amount of feeling it has in its original form.

Westlife appeared on The X Factor to promote this with enough strobe lights to send the entire nation into epileptic fits - I like to think that they obscured enough people's vision to get them accidental purchases to reach #2 (any other week would have seen those sales put the band at the top of the chart). For me the Westlife version is just too polished and removes the emotion and raw passion the original conveyed so effectively.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★


(28) Safe - #10



When the lead single from your album only hits #10 it's time to be concerned!

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆


(29) Light House - TBR

Let's wait and see if they can end on a high....

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Westlife - Greatest Hits (Part 3)

Album 3 sets off to a great start and enables the band to get in an early Greatest Hits...

(11) Queen Of My Heart - #1



Easily my favourite Westlife ballads; and I don't think I'm the only one thinking that, with opening numbers which sent it shooting up Westlife's biggest sellers list and gave the boys their 9th #1.

 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★


(12) World Of Our Own - #1



After missing a trick with When You're Looking Like That on their previous album; Westlife released their first uptempo single.  Most people seemed to like it - I didn't.

 ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ 


(13) Bop Bop Baby - #5



They were getting a little bit more creative with their videos at this point but I think there is a reason that this became the band's first single to miss the top 2!  Need I say more.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 


(14) Unbreakable - #1



So the lead single off the album of the same name and Westlife were back doing what they do best! 

 ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 


(15) Tonight/ Miss You Nights - #3



Up to this point I had been very up to date in terms of my Westlife singles releases; but this one really did bypass my attention.  I think it very much got lost in all the Christmas hype that year and I suppose I wasn't really expecting anything else to be released from the Greatest Hits.  Miss You Nights is a Cliff Richards cover; but Tonight on the other hand is a real gem.  I remember one frosty Sunday morning my parents had got me up early for a family trip out and I was not enjoying the bitter cold, I had the chorus (or what I could remember of it) stuck in my head.

 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 

Westlife - Greatest Hits (Part 2)

So with their first four #1s under their belt Westlife started their second year on a role...

(5) Fool Again - #1



When I was reading about Westlife's split in a newspaper last week I was relatively surprised to see this listed one of the band's 3 hits that were mentioned. I remember listening to the chart on the radio as this reached #1 and they were moving straight on to their next project. I think this could well have been the last time an act managed to get five #1s from an album in the UK - sometimes we're lucky to even get a 3rd cut these days.

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆



(6) Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) [feat. Mariah Carey] - #1



With Mariah having had topped the Hot 100 each year of the nineties in the US, and Westlife looking to break the record for the longest run of consecutive #1s since their debut - this was a combination of two artists very much on top of their respective games. This is a bit of a lazy cover with a lazier video but it still topped our charts!

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆


(7) My Love - #1



This was SM:TV live and CD:UK at their best; well this along with a certain Kylie performance that Oli is quite partial to. Possibly my favourite Westlife single up to this point, it had been a year since we'd been Flying Without Wings and this was just what the band needed to launch their second album 'Coast To Coast' which I seem to remember giving the Spice Girls a run for their money in a chart battle to become a #1 album. Oh how predictable the charts were at this point when the Spice Girls, Steps and Westlife each scheduled their single releases in consecutive weeks so they all could take a temporary perch atop our singles chart.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆


(8) What Makes A Man - #2



After so easily obtaining the Christmas #1 the year before, why not try again? I didn't realise this was a cover until a few years ago when I truly discovered the true magnificance of their version. At the time I was unimpressed and quite pleased to see Bob The Builder hold them off the #1 as he (with the help of Scoop, Muck and Dizzy) racked up the sales over the Christmas period to make his way into our exclusive million sellers club.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆


(9) Uptown Girl - #1



Speaking of million sellers, Westlife teamed up with Comic Relief in 2001 and covered a Billy Joel classic.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆


(10) When You're Looking Like That - Not Released



It's hard to believe that one of Westlife's greatest and most loved tracks was never granted a singles release in the UK or Ireland for that matter. It seems bizarre that a Westlife album track was actually a staple at our University Cheesy Pop night. They had broken their #1s streak by this point so why it never got the release it was crying out for is beyond me! Acts often struggle to follow up their million sellers effectively (see Gnarls Barkley) so maybe the management just decided to move on and focus on the preparation for album number 3. Since the inclusion of downloads in the chart this track has reached the lofty heights of #118 but I reckon there are quite a few people out there who have downloaded this gem.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Westlife - Greatest Hits (Part 1)

After 12 years the group decide to call it a day

Spyke

It was right back in 1999 that Westlife first began their assault of the charts; and what a way to start! With their first 7 singles debuting at #1 they broke record after record - until Bob The Builder got in their way and Brian left. From there on out they struggled to try and recapture that initial magic they had and very much became a 'Housewives' act and with Take That making their outstanding return to the forefront of the Pop World, Westlife became quite redundant to be honest.

When the band came to headline at Carlisle Live (the Cumbrian attempt at a music festival) my friend dragged* me a long; it was around the time they had just released The Rose as a four piece and I was very impressed with them both vocally and in terms of how they commanded the stage and their audience. This autumn sees the band release their second greatest hits - which doesn't build too much on their first one which came out 9 years ago! They have been one band that I have grown up with and it seems a little bizarre that they are calling it a day just as Steps are making their return to the top of the album charts - a mere 10 years since their split. Anyway as a tribute to their long and successful career here is a full and comprehensive review of their singles and how my music taste has developed over the past 12 years.

*I say dragged - it was probably just as much my idea!

(1) Swear It Again - #1

Not being the avid chart follower that I am now, at this point it had rather bypassed my attention who this new boyband were. Just as we were saying good bye to Boyzone, Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell were working hard (out of the public eye) to get their new group launched. It was only when this appeared as one of the better tracks on a free 'Top Of The Pops magazine' CD that I really gave it a listen. I think it's clear from this very first single that Shane and Mark were the ones in the band who were their for their voices; Kian and Nicky for their looks and Brian there to make it a five piece.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

(2) If I Let You Go - #1

So at this point the hype was starting to build and my cousin (a year older than me) already had a poster of the band on her bedroom wall. Compared to the ballads that JLS and The Wanted are offering in 2011 I'd take this mid-tempo track any day. Selling relatively well I can't help but feel that this song has been completely overshadowed by what was to come next...

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆


(3) Flying Without Wings - #1



This was the game changer. If you're after longevity then this is what you need; Robbie had his Angels, Rihanna her Umbrella and Steps their Tragedy. This track hit the commercial big time and even became the first single to top the downloads chart in 2004. Much against the band's wishes the track was released by the second winner of American Idol - Ruben Studdard who saw the track reach #2 on the Hot 100, which kind of scuppered their hopes of cracking the US.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆



(4i) I Have A Dream




Coming off the back of Flying Without Wings and ITV's Abbamania, this track would easily have been enough to secure that coveted Christmas #1 position all on it's own without the need to be part of the double A side option that seemed all the rage a decade ago. Whenever I would hear the opening few bars to this track on the radio I used to get rather excited; only to be disappointed that it was this and not Steps' After The Love Is Gone.

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆


(4ii) Seasons In The Sun - #1



Wikipedia informs me that the Terry Jack's version is one of only (about) 30 tracks that has managed to sell over 10,000,000 copies globally. I think this double A side release of covers should have been a sign of what was to come from Westlife; and it really wasn't cool to have youe parents know the words to the song that you liked which had just topped the charts. Probably about as cool as my friend Jacqui makes her pupils feel when she makes Rihanna/Drake references to the square root of 69 in her Maths classes!

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Rihanna - We Found Love

The best video of 2011 - amazing!



Spyke

Sometimes a music video can make a song (see Lady Gaga's Telephone), and this one certainly upgrades the track to 10/10 status. Obviously a new Rihanna single was always going to rack up the play counts on my laptop's itunes and so this soon hit it's 100th play within a few days. However I wasn't fully convinced that the track was really all that. A year ago we were able to compare Rihanna's return to commercial heights (album wise at least) with Only Girl (In The World) against Kelly Rowland's second team up with David Guetta on Commander. Both songs are similar in terms of structure, sound and vocal delivery but Only Girl soars above the latter for some reason; it has that rare finesse that allows songs to claim their millionth sale in the UK. With Love The Way You Lie becoming the 108th million seller just last week, Rihanna looks to be set to claim her second with Only Girl by the end of 2011.

We Found Love sits very nicely within the UK's music scene at the moment. In a year that has seen the likes of Nero, Example and Calvin Harris at the top of the charts this track feels very much at home. I was slightly concerned as to whether the same sound would cross over just as effectively in the US; but given the boost the video has given this track on itunes it will only be a matter of time before Rihanna ends Adele's reign at the top of the Hot 100 to claim her 11th US #1. So given the repetitive lyrics and standard Calvin electro magic, what makes this 7/10 track able to compete with Rihanna's impressive back-catalogue? The video.

Lady Gaga listen up - this is how you make a GREAT video in 2011 - I have high hopes for Marry The Night! I love the cinematic feel; right from the intro I'm hooked. Controversially filmed in Belfast, this video is unashamedly British; the field rave, the council estates and the drink/drugs culture. It has the feel of 'This Is England' and tells a story. The spoken 'It's like you're screaming, and no one can hear; you almost feel ashamed, that someone could be that important' that opens the track are moving; they are very reminiscent of All Saints' Never Ever. The beginning shows vulnerability that reminds me of The Artic Monkey's When The Sun Goes Down; I can only imagine the marvel of seeing the video for the first time without knowing where the song is about to go! I'd have been getting excited for another Rated R esque ballad until the Thunder kicks in; breaking the mood and throwing you full force into the electro sounds that are just about to hit in.

Calvin Harris ended his DJ Set with this track when I saw him supporting Rihanna at Manchester's MEN Arena. That was the day Rihanna first hit #1 in the UK with this track after being rush released earlier that same week; unfortunately it was one of the notable exemptions from Rihanna's 26 song set (along with the incredible Russian Roulette). With the track's original release date planned for two weeks time I would be very surprised if it is still being omitted from her later tour dates in the UK (namely before Christmas when Oli goes to see her at the O2).

Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa feat. Bruno Mars - Young, Wild & Free

This trio give us a nice laid back tune



Spyke

Imagine if you took Kanye West and Adam Levine's Hear 'Em Say with R Kelly's Ignition (Remix) and added a touch of Rihanna's Cheers (Drink To That) then this is exactly what you'd get. It's the chilled back sound that R Kelly captured so well in 2003 preparing for the Freakin' Weekend. Add to that the piano riff that Adam Levine brought to us, when he featured on Kanye West's third cut from Late Registration in 2005, and this track just sounds oh so familiar.

Now for me the worst element of Rihanna's Cheers (horrible Avril Lavigne sample aside) is the bar break down near the end. Although it helps encapsulate the Friday feeling with the crowd raising their glasses, I just don't like it. This track goes for exactly the same approach near the end; relaying that chilled back atmosphere to the listener. But with the coughing (probably as a result of smoking too much pot) the cackling and group laddy singing, it just gives me the impression that this is nothing more than a little something they through together whilst knocking back a few joints - which I wouldn't put past Bruno Mars with his track record.

The single shot to #1 on US itunes but didn't say there long so it's hard to predict the success it might have over here. There is a chance that it will take off right up the chart like Afroman's Because I Got High did back in 2000. However that was catchier and at the time I thought it was just about getting drunk; I can't see this having the same appeal with people singing along about how they are going to roll up. Though I am quite partial to songs making reference to the artist's previous hit (Lighters).

Chart Predictions:
Spyke 32
McLovin -
Actual -

Taio Cruz - There She Goes & Hangover

Two leaks from Taio's upcoming album

When you have delivered two of the biggest pop tracks of the past few years then the pressure is on to get the next one. Taio has come a long way since he first he hit the charts with Come On Girl; we've had the phenominal global #1s Break Your Heart and Dynamite. Here we are, in the build up to the release of album number three and there certainly have been plenty of demos floating around. One rather good track Believe Me Now got a bit of circulation on a few mix-tapes earlier this year but it didn't seem to get a release. These two tracks see Taio jump hot on the heels of Enrique down the very generic yet successful sounding RedOne route.

There She Goes: (Feat. Pitbull)

This RedOne produced track sits very well with some of the massive hits of 2011: On The Floor and Give Me Everything. It also has the common denominator of featuring Pitbull; so make of that what you will but he is exactly how you would expect. Later the track introduces the sort of synths you might recognize from Enrique's Tonight (I'm F**kin You). The production here is the key element, really going all guns blazing to make sure that it will get you on the dance floor - or just have you nodding your head along on your headphones. Unfortunately it falls shorts of being Dynamite part 2 but it is a good attempt.

Hangover: (Feat. Flo Rida)

This has just been released to US itunes as the actual lead for the album. Right from the opening 'Whaoooohooaah!' this song has you hooked. From my personal experience being hungover is never as fun as Taio is leading us to believe. 'So I can go until I blow up (hey); and I can drink until I throw up (ay)' Oh Taio you make it all sound so fun!

This track is very much a bit of a party anthem, much like a very polished and meticulously refined version of Rihanna's Cheers (Drink To That). I just can't really take Flo Rida seriously; whenever a song breaks into one of his raps I almost have to laugh at how much it cheapens it. If only he put as much effort into his music as he did whoring himself out to producers (RedOne and Guetta) then I'd be a bit more interested to see what he has to offer. However, when this get its UK release I can see the track going nicely top 5.

Charlene Soraia - Wherever You Will Go

An attempt to re-create the (Ellie Goulding) success of Your Song



Spyke

If you were one of the millions of people tuning into this weekend's X Factor then you may well have noticed this during one of the ad breaks. It would seem that Twinings have taken inspiration from last year's very successful John Lewis Christmas advertisement. 2010 saw Ellie Goulding soar back up the charts with her take on Elton John's Your Song (but of course you've read all about that here). Selling strong well in to the new year, her cover version managed to shift an impressive 600,000 + copies in the UK; a feat that only 9 singles have achieved this year so far.

Given that we have the Goo Goo Dolls' Iris currently sitting at #3 on our UK charts as result of the X Factor, this is very much the sort of track I imagine that has been selling rather consistently on downloads over the past few years. It was a surprise to me to find that the original version of this track actually managed to chart as high as #3 in the UK (and #5 in the US) when it was released by The Calling in 2001. I think this is one of those tracks that really benfits from being sung in a slightly hoarse, deep imperfect style. As the track opens 'So lately, been wondering . . .' you can feel the passion and emotion behind the vocal; as though the singer has 'just' been through a break-up. You just need to compare Westlife's version of What About Now to that of Daughtry and decide for yourself which one portrays more passion and hurt in their delivery.

So it won't come as much of a surprise to you that this track doesn't really do much for me. I very much expect that it's the sort of version that X Factor's Janet Devlin will be providing us with for the next few weeks... and after losing my favourite Amelia Lily last night then I don't think I'll be too switched on by them. This track is currently sat at #13 on itunes so I imagine it could continue to climb up in to the top 10 any day now...

Chart Predictions:
Spyke 9
McLovin 10
Actual 3

Marina & the Diamonds - Radioactive

New scorcher from Ms. Diamandis

McLovin

Back in early 2010, Marina & the Diamonds, aka Marina Diamandis, came second in the BBC Sound of...poll, beaten only by Ellie Goulding. Throughout the year, the two artists were often lumped together as their career trajectories mirrored one another. Both had one big breakthrough single (Marina with Hollywood, 12; Ellie with Starry Eyed, 4) and high-charting debut albums (Marina with the Family Jewels 5; Ellie with Lights, 1). It didn't help that they also appeared together on magazine covers, such as this one, fudging the distinctiveness of each performer.

While Marina's campaign quietly faded into the background, Ellie's was given a new lease of life thanks to the Your Song-John Lewis-Christmas ad campaign. Buoyed by this number 2 smashed, Lights was re-released as Bright Lights, with seven additional tracks, including her take on Elton John. Being handpicked by William and Kate to sing at the Royal Wedding reception in April helped raise her profile even further.

However, it seems Marina has pipped Ellie to the post with her second album, Electra Heart. The lead single Radioactive was released at the end of September, and will hit the top forty this Sunday. Hopefully it will rise to the top ten as it builds an audience; it is certainly my favourite Marina single so far. While I've always liked her voice (especially when she's channeling Kate Bush), this is the first time one of her songs has been noticeably racking up my playcounts.

Radioactive is an infectious dance single, driven by a pulsating synth line and Marina's emotive performance matching its anthemic nature. It is no surprise to learn that the producers are none other than Stargate, the team behind monster hits such as Rihanna's Only Girl (In the Word) and Katy Perry's Firework. What I really enjoy about Stargate productions is that their songs tend to have an instant appeal, but, unlike a Guetta single, continue to reveal hidden subtleties after repeated plays. Even if Radioactive doesn't hit its chart stride immediately, due to its pedigree, I wouldn't be surprised if it eventually makes a more substantial impact.

Chart Predictions

McLovin: 5

Spyke: -

Actual: -

Alexandra Stan - Mr. Saxobeat

I succumbed to its charms...

McLovin

For our non-UK readers, you might be surprised to hear that, contrary to expectations, the past few days have seen the country basking in unexpectedly glorious sunshine. Yesterday as I was walking along my local river, I saw children diving off a bridge into the water, a rather noisy steamboat and an independent ice cream vendor. In October. These are sights I did not see once throughout the summer, so to observe them as we reach autumn has been a real pleasure.

Equally delightful has been my ears decision to finally embrace Alexandra Stan's Mr. Saxobeat. It is a song I grudgingly accepted a few months ago, but am now openly choosing to listen to. Last week at a wedding disco, I found myself contently head bopping away to it. And at a friend's party this weekend, I demanded its presence on the playlist (alongside Rihanna's What My Name, obviously).

When I first heard it around May, I initially dismissed the distinct saxophone hook on the grounds it doesn't really sound like a saxophone, more a sneaky kazoo in disguise. Alexandra Stan's vocal performance, while enjoyable, didn't really stand out for me. In a Romanian pop star battle for survival, I'd probably choose Inna over her. So why have I decided to become better acquainted with Mr. Saxobeat?

First, I really like how simple it is, reminding me of ATB's 1999 hit 9pm (Till I Come). There isn't any added complication, no dub-step breakdown to fit in with the contemporary landscape. The single is happy to use the sax/kazoo loop in tandem with Stan's singing. Second, this simplicity is achieved using just three chords throughout the song: B minor, E minor and F# minor. Typically used to create a 'sad' sound (against the 'happy' major chords), if I were to write a song using these chords, I'd be ecstatic to come up with anything half as toe-tapping and uplifting. I'm quite a sucker for minor chords, so I take my hat off to the Mr. Saxobeat team for producing such a catchy single comprised solely of them. I'm really happy that the recent sunshine has swayed my opinion over this summer hit. With hindsight, its number 3 chart placing was thoroughly deserved.