Westlife - 'Ö÷²¥´óÐã'
Sometimes it really is better just to keep your mouth shut. Last week, I happened to mention to Fraser in an offhanded sort of way an interesting (well, perhaps "interesting" is an exaggeration, but perhaps "noteworthy" would work) fact about Westlife's recent singles, and somehow in the process ended up volunteering myself to review this one. And on the list of things I'm keen to volunteer for, listening to Westlife is right down there with experimental root canal surgery and being on Jade Goody's PR team. So, lesson learned: in future, I shall keep my observations to myself.
But having already got myself into trouble with this one, I don't see how repeating it can make things any worse, so here goes: since November 2003, a period of nearly four years, Westlife have released seven singles, including this one. Of those seven, only two ('Obvious', released in March 2004 and 'Amazing', released in February 2006) were not covers, unless I missed something.
Now, I love a cover version as much as the next person, but that is not a healthy ratio, at all. If original tracks were to covers as lettuce is to lardcakes, they would have a serious obesity problem. As it is, they just have a severe originality problem.
This is originally a Michael Buble song, of course, but if like me you have a not-so-secret addiction to American Idol, you'll probably know it better as one of the songs that has been covered to death on there, usually three or four times a season at the very least. Which, let's face it, is probably where Simon Cowell got the idea to hand it over to his favourite tribute band.
They have, as they always do, delivered a clean, polished and utterly lifeless facsimile of the original, which will no doubt be adored by their hoardes of existing fans, who by all known laws of averages really ought to have moved on to another act by now, and yet remain to torment us by further lining the wallets of this lot with their unerring devotion.
With that in mind, it doesn't really matter what I say here. I doubt there's a single person in the country who hasn't already made his or her mind up about Westlife one way or another by now, and neither this single nor this review is going to change that. Similarly, arguing about the complete lack of artistry or inventiveness or general creative spark involved here is also entirely moot, because that was never the point of Westlife; they are simply there to, in the basest of corporate terms, 'shift a lot of product'. Which they do. And I am powerless to stop it, so I shall simply go and listen to something much better instead. The sound of vomit rushing up my throat, perhaps.
Download: Out now
(Steve Perkins - he's a fight-starter, twisted fight-starter)
Comments
It isn't that bad cos they haven't changed their style since the year dot.
90% of the album is new material - 1 star is very harsh - they do a much better job than most of the people on American Idol
this is my favourite song and its so much better by michael buble. They totally wreck the song. GRR at them. and cant they write their own songs for once instead of doing covers all the time is so annoying. But anyway
SONG WRECKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!
One star is extremly harsh for a band which has dominated the english charts for nearly 10 years now. The songs they release, ok yes, aren't always ones that they have written, but it isn't about who writes it, in my opinion, it's about how the song is sung and the feeling you get when you listen to it. I think Westlife have done a fantastic job with this single, and album for that matter, and maybe, just maybe, Michael Buble will even be happy about how it turned out; you never know.
I can't believe how harsh you are being about Westlife's new single Ö÷²¥´óÐã it is absolutely brilliant!!! and to the person who wrote that review you were right nobody cares about what you write and it isn't going to stop the millions of Westlife fans including myself from going out to buy the single!! so if you haven't got anything good to write about Westlife who are the best band EVER just keep your opinions to yourself!! Ö÷²¥´óÐã is a fantastic song and Westlife are the BEST!! thats why they have 14 number ones!! come on Westlife!! Ö÷²¥´óÐã for Number 1!!!!!!!!
"They have, as they always do, delivered a clean, polished and utterly lifeless facsimile of the original"
Absolutely correct.
I think one star was a bit much though, isn't there a half star or no star option?
THE WORST REMAKE FROM THE WORST GROUP of all TIME
I HATE THEM FOR remaking this song
HAVE SOME RESPECT PLSSSSSSSSSssssssss
HOME IS a GREAT SONG YOU HAVE RUINED it
I dont understand! There is one thing doing a cover of a song that was released 20 or 30 years ago and introducing it to a new generation with a fresh twist, but to cover a song that was so successful, only quite recently and offer nothing different to the original is quite another. Of course westlife fans are going to buy the album - and in the droves anyway. So why release this as a single? They could have tucked it away in their album somewhere which fans could pay to indulge in at their leisure and instead allow the rest of us to continue listening to the original and far superior sounding michael buble version on our radio stations!
I disagree. I am have not yet seen more than three of their videos and I am have not followed the band history. But I do have all their albums and I love them. Good music is not about originality, it is about what the listner hear and feel. take the song Total Eclipse of the heart for example, the westlife version is far by the best that I have heard! it is my openion but I do count myself as a westlife fan. I may not know their names or Birthdate, I may not be able to recognize them down a street but I know one thing for sure, I can regognize any of their songs anywhere. And I enjoy it. an old song in a modern voice! Ö÷²¥´óÐã is as good as any other single that they released. I love the rose much better but thats just because not even westlife can out do their performance on that single. I sincerely hope that Ö÷²¥´óÐã is a number one in the UK. and that Westlife would go on for a long time... And I also hope that westlife would stick to their "ballad" style that some people like to put down so often because I think they do it the best. Good Luck to them!!!
1 star to anyone who utterly slaughters a michael buble song is MORE than generous in my book. the fact these idiots have been in the charts for almost 10 years now says a lot about the complete rubbish people are willing to listen to to be a 'loyal fan'. im all for sticking by your fave band but its ridiculous!
I'm a huge westlife fan. What you said is half true. But they just follow what the label company wants them to! In this album, they did says it's ORIGINAL. To be frank, Michael Buble version of home is better.. and when i heard westlife singing have you ever.. my first thought is "you shudn't sing that song westlife" brandy did a good job one that song. BUT the others songs in BACK HOME is nice! even thou there's three more covers inside. I believe the next album either it will be Greatest Hits 2 or one FULL ORIGINAL ALBUM by westlife or shall i say "Shane & Mark"? no offense. i couldn't even listen to kian and nicky singing vocal. I even can sing better than Nicky. Sigh... Don't know wat to say anymore. Ciaoz
When I heard Westlife had done "home" I was not sure if it could come anywhere near the Micheal Buble version... I was right...they aint bad singers but whoever produced this CD should have read the words of the song. They get it wrong. AND IT ANNOYS ME EVERY TIME I HEAR IT.
To be fair to Westlife, it's not really their choice of song, now is it? They sing the thing, that's all. If we're all going to agree that they shouldn't have covered it, we should blame who's idea it was in the first place...Simon Cowell! (I'm pretty sure that's his job.)
All the fans can do is hope is that the original songs on this album (written by them or not, just not covers) are better than this.
I never really liked the original, (or Michael Buble...) even, so Westlife doing it is not going to make me like it better.
obviously whoever made the decision to m ake them sing this song, thinks that their core audience has the memory of the goldfish and will have already forgotton the sound of michael buble's voice from the song in 2005.
i have never ever liked westlife and i can't believe they continue on this path of covers. And the fact that one of them is saying the album is "full of westlife songs" - ok, so maybe its just one cover song - but why lead the album with it?!! I'm sure there are enough decent songs out there that perhaps could have lead the album.
I've always been a backstreet boys fan. Granted - they are a bit old and tired now, but back in the day they did shake up the boy band trend (i.e. they had to be able to sing.......) but for all the things that people could diss the backstreet boys for - their biggest hits were actually original songs, not someone elses. Not something you could say about westlife, who have succesfully made my ears bleed on several occasions when covered songs that i like (against all odds, when you tell me that you love me).
And did the original song have a boyband style key change in it at the end?
The choice to release this song is as bad as giving Leona Lewis the song that made kelly clarkson famous and also advertised a holiday resort........ hello?!
THEY ARE GOOD ABD PPL LIKE THEM EVEN MORE NOW:):):):):):):):):):):):):)pp)
[In response to Zoe's comment (No.3)]
Thats a matter of opinion. Westlife are brilliant, and if theyre such song wreckers then why are they 3rd for UKs most number 1's behind elvis presley and the beatles !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Westlife may be 3rd on the all time list for number 1 singles but that don't mean a thing, they've had what 14 number 1 songs? and i'm guessing that the total number of weeks spent at number 1 is something like 20 weeks. ie one week wonders, normally a week when no one else of any stature is releasing anything.
Not the Westlife lads fault off course, they are just puppets (well paid ones) for Cowell and Walsh,
did anyone else notice how Westlife had a pop when Take That came back last year saying they were younger better etc, then when Take That blew them away in the charts (singles at number 1 for more than a week and an album that stays in the top 20 for 10 months or more) the Westlife camp went away and hid before this lame effort, that by the way failed to get higher than Take Thats single which had already been out for 3 weeks