Unbreakable: The Greatest Hits

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Product description ------------------- Unbreakable - The Greatest Hits Vol. 1 CD RCA, 74321 975902, 2002, 19 Track .co.uk ------ Said to have extended their contract, things look set to continue for Westlife despite the "kiss of pop death" that is the greatest-hits collection. Unbreakable features the very best of their first three albums, their Top 10 hits and the lead single and title track, which was newly recorded for this album. It includes memorable covers, such as the Christmas single "I Have a Dream" by Abba, the duet of a Phil Collins song with Mariah Carey ("Against All Odds") and, like Boyzone before them who did "When the Going Gets Tough", the Comic charity record "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel. It's quite impressive that half of the songs here have hit the top spot as an A-side, making it a far more appealing album than any of their others, as there simply isn't room for the customary fillers that litter such artists' albums. So with their past encapsulated on one disc, it's time to look to the future for Westlife, although with lessons learnt from Take That's Greatest Hits ( /exec/obidos/ASIN/B000005S27/%24%7B0%7D ), Boyzone's By Request ( /exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JG3B/%24%7B0%7D ), Steps' Gold ( /exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005O7OX/%24%7B0%7D ) and possibly the Backstreet Boys Greatest Hits ( /exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005RD9G/%24%7B0%7D ), no one should be holding their breath. --Georgina Collins P.when('A').execute(function(A) { A.on('a:expander:toggle_description:toggle:collapse', function(data) { window.scroll(0, data.expander.$expander[0].offsetTop-100); }); }); Review ------ Only Westlife could stretch the definition of greatest hits to its full potential. For four years now the band has stolen the hearts of our nation's youth, clocking up a record-breaking eleven number 1 singles and 3 multi-million selling albums along the way. With recent single "Unbreakable" topping up this total, there seems no end in for the unprecedented success of these Irish boys. Unbreakable (the album) is a chronological showcase of their career to date. From debut "Swear It Again" and the karaoke-favourite "Flying Without Wings" to the Cliff Richard cover and forthcoming single "Miss You Nights", the Westlife formula is blatant. They know how to ham it up for the ladies and are masters of the sentimental power ballad, smouldering sincerity and well-rehearsed harmonies. Maybe it's just that they offer a change in tempo to the ste of the bands' fodder but Westlife sound at their best when they loosen their hips and rock out a bit. "World Of Our Own" is a stormer of a pop song and goes at least some way to excusing their more painful moments, such as "What Makes A Man" and the weedy "My Love". "When You're Looking Like That" (despite sounding like the illegitimate child of A1 and Boyzone) gives fans the chance to stop sobbing into their Nicky pillows and tap their feet for a moment. Westlife however know their place in pop and the 6 new tracks featured here all show a lean further and further towards more grown up songs as their audience matures and the lure of the US market beckons. Greatest Hits have a habit of being a final nail in the coffin for many a band before them (remember Steps and Five?), but there still seems to be enough steam in Westlife's engine to keep them going for a while yet. --Jacqueline Hodges Find more music at the BBC ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/syn//albumreviews/-/music/ ) This link will take you off in a new window See more ( javascript:void(0) )