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....

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆