Hi,
Sorry if I don't read your newest reviews or return your rates at the moment but ciao's new lay...
Hi,
Sorry if I don't read your newest reviews or return your rates at the moment but ciao's new layout is beyond a joke. xx
Member since:08.02.2008
Reviews:276
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I became a fan of Westlife when they were formed in 1998. Ten years on I would still class myself as a fan of theirs. The simple reason for this is because their music is so easy to listen to and I can't honestly say that there is one song that they have produced that I have hated. I will admit that there have been a couple that I'm not as fond of but there isn't any that I physically can't listen to.
Now I know that the Westlife boys aren't exactly everyone's cup of tea and that their remakes of classic songs and on stage 'moves' don't always make them popular but this factor doesn't bother me in the slightest, as the boys themselves can actually sing, not only singly but also as a harmonised unit and it is this I think that should be focused on more than it often is.
Westlife is an pop band that initially had five members Shane, Bryan, Kian, Nicky and Mark. They were signed by Simon Cowell and are currently managed by Louis Walsh. Since their formation the bands music has greatly evolved and moved from teen pop to contempary adult music. In 2004 Bryan left the band to work on solo projects but despite rumours the rest of the band carried on performing and are still performing today. Together the boys have released - albums, sold more than 40 million records worldwide and gained 14 number one singles in the UK with I Have a Dream/Seasons in the Sun staying at the number 1 spot for 4 weeks in 1999. Their albums are; Westlife, Coast to Coast, World of Our Own, Unbreakable, Turnaround, Allow us to be Frank, Face to Face, The Love Album, and Back Home. It is Allow us to be Frank that I will be reviewing today.
Track list 1. Ain't that a Kick in the Head 2. Fly
Me To The Moon 3. Smile 4. Let there be Love 5. The Way You Look Tonight (feat Joanne Hindley) 6. Come Fly With Me 7. Mack The Knife 8. I Left my Heat in San Francisco 9. Summer Wind 10. Clementine 11. When I Fall in Love 12. Moon River 13. That's Life
Now before the release of this album I wouldn't exactly say that I was a swing or jazz fan and I wasn't certain whether this style of music would suit Westlife. I am pleased to say however that I was completely wrong, as their renditions of some classic songs made popular by Frank Sinatra are fantastic and certainly sparked my interest in the genre of music as a whole. NB: When I Fall in Love is actually a rendition of a Nat King Cole song
**TRACK 1 - Ain't that a Kick in the Head** This song opens with a show stopping jazz band and this music continues throughout the tracks entirety giving a big show style feel. The boys prove in this song that they are very versatile singers, as their voices really do suit the style of the song and despite the impressiveness of the music hey are not overshadowed by the tune as a whole. 9/10
**TRACK 2 - Fly Me to the Moon** The backing track to this song is far less in your face than the last track but it stills plays a very prominent place in the feel of the overall track. Voice wise the ways are again very competent and the interchanging lead vocals gives the song a different feel to some of the tracks they have released in the past. 9/10
**TRACK 3 - Smile** I have never particularly loved this song, as it just doesn't appeal to me in any particular way. The rendition on this album however is a very competent one. The vocals are strong and give the song an edge on this field. 6/10
**TRACK 4 - Let There be Love The very jazzy and up-beat opening to this track is in immediate comparison to the previous one and therefore immediately peeks my attention. This musical start therefore gives the song an edge in my opinion, which is built upon when the vocals, which are again very strong, begin. The musical interludes in this song keep the jazz feel throughout. 8/10
**TRACK 5 - The Way You Look Tonight** The opening of this track sounds rather like what we are used to from Westlife. It is soft and delicate yet bright enough to capture attention. The vocals however do not sound like those on previous albums, but that is consistent with this album as an entity as their usual style would not have suited it at all. This point is not a criticism at all as the vocal sound perfectly suits the song and the introduction of Joanne Hindley contrasts the deep and sometimes gravely vocals of the boys. 9/10
**TRACK 6 - Come Fly With Me** This track is the one we always knew would be there. This being said however makes the job of doing the track justice all the more difficult, as the song is so well associated to Sinatra. My opinion is that the boys do more than a valiant job, as the sound they produce is brilliant and in keeping with the way we expect it to sound. 10/10
**TRACK 7 - Mack the Knife** This song is definitely my favourite on the entire album and if I could I would definitely give it 11/10, as it is the track I always remember from the album. I'm not perfectly certain why this track is so popular with me but what I can tell is that from the moment the music starts and the vocals re interjected you are captured in the feel of the song. The vocals performances are perfection in my mind and the lyrics ones that really do conjure up images with your head. 10/10
**TRACK 8 - I Left my Heart in San Francisco** This song is another one that I'm not particularly fond of. I don't think however that it is Westlife's rendition of it that I do like, as the vocals are strong, more the actual lyrics and tune that again do not appeal to me. 6/10
**TRACK 9 - Summer Wind** This song is quite a bland one in comparison to some of the big jazz numbers contained on the album. I however quite like it. The vocal performances are strong throughout and the backing harmonies prominent throughout. 8/10
**TRACK 10 - Clementine** Now I love the backing track to this song. It is simple yet quite jolly and up beat despite the general meaning of the lyrics. The vocals also have a very unique sound in my opinion and are definitely in keeping with the feel of the track. To top of this I really like the lyrics to this song and they make me smile at more than one point. 9/10
**TRACK 11 - When I Fall In Love** Now I absolutely adore this song - the Celine Dion version that is. Westlife therefore had a lot to live up to when I listened to this song. In my opinion they do a very good job, as the vocal variety adds a different element to the song and the vocal performances are strong. For me however there is simply something that I can't quite put my finger on, missing. This is not to say however that the track is a bad one because that is not the case. 8/10
**TRACK 12 - Moon River** I really like this song too and have listened to numerous different versions of it. I must therefore say that again Westlife had a hard job to make this one I would remember. They however did it, as this version is one of my favourites. The vocals are powerful and strong yet seem to capture the spirit of the song from the beginning. The song is also paced to perfection; it is not sung to slow as to bore you by the end of the first lien nor is it sung to fast so as to loose the meaning of the lyrics. 10/10
**TRACK 13 - That's Life** The jazzy beat at the beginning of this track really sets the standard for the song, which in my opinion is another very strong one. It is certainly a fantastic track to end the album with as it has the spirit of the style of music the album is depicting firmly within it. Vocals are as usual more than competent and show of the vocal talents of the band members. 9/10
OK so that's all the tracks listened to, digested and rated. All that's left to say is that although this album is very different from any of Westlife's previous or future albums it is certainly not one that is out of their comfort zone. In many ways it simply proves that the boys have excellent vocal talents and that they are all versatile performers. This album is not my favourite of all their releases but it is certainly one I frequently listen to.
Pictures of Allow Us To Be Frank - Westlife
The front and back covers for the album
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I hadnt even heard of this album until now, dont think i would like it though all those oldies get on my nerves now so cheesey!
anakha6 13.12.2008 12:06
Great review E from me.
RICHADA 13.12.2008 09:07
Classic tracks one and all, BUT I'm afraid everyone and his dog has covered these to death. Whoever now releases an album containing this "set" of music really is only making easy money in my view. Richard.
Artists are always keen to highlight their love of the Rat Pack, either out of respect for ... more
their rich, textured vocal delivery or their dangerous, bourbon-filled lifestyle. Westlife are no different and, with ... Allow Us to Be Frank, they get to try ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Artists are always keen to highlight their love of the Rat Pack, either out of respect for ... more
their rich, textured vocal delivery or their dangerous, bourbon-filled lifestyle. Westlife are no different and, with... Allow Us to Be Frank, they get to try t...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Kids who haven't heard these songs might be taken by the melodies and new versions of the song. Disadvantages: This is not something a boy band should be performing! They do not have the talent and class of the performers of the rat pack themselves
Advantages: Kids who haven't heard these songs might be taken by the melodies and new versions of the song. Disadvantages: This is not something a boy band should be performing! They do not have the talent and class of the performers of the rat pack themselves
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