Published on Jan 17, 2003
A few weeks ago, I was watching a soccer game on TV together with some friends of mine. Suddenly the commercial for Westlife's Greatest Hits album came up, and without thinking, I said (with a very loud voice, I must add) "Hey, I got that one!"
Wasn't that a party-killer… the boy-ish atmosphere was completely gone after that remark.
I don't blame them. I used to be the same… shallow and ignorant. But not anymore. Sure, it took me some courage to tell the guy in the CD store that I was searching for Westlife's greatest hits package. Trust me, I was hoping he wouldn't make a big deal out of it. But of course he had to. "It's for my little sister," I said. I don't have a little sister…
Anyway, I'm not shallow anymore, so I can, without a hint of hesitation, say that this CD is wonderful. You heard me. Nineteen truly wonderful songs. Catchy melodies, great voices and excellent-sounding productions. See, now, that wasn't that hard.
So what about the music, then? One thing is for sure; it is familiar. If you haven't been living under a rock for the past five years you'll know most of these songs. Even if you don't want to, you will be humming them on your way to the bus. In other words, a great job done by the songwriters (who are mostly Swedish).
It's basic pop material. It reminds me a bit of the sound that Chicago (not the city, the band) got themselves in the 80's, which is laidback, sophisticated and easy. Exciting? Not really, but Lasse Hallström's movies aren't exactly exciting either, yet they are still quite good.
So, my conclusion (in other words, the place where I got tired of thinking) is that owning this CD is pretty much like wearing a bicycle helmet; it's a very nice thing to own, as long as no one sees you with it. Seriously, you'll be a better person if you buy this disc.