Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Oct 21, 2013 20:45:34 GMT 1
7TH NOVEMBER- WHAT ABOUT NOW- Westlife (1 wk)Written by two former members of Evanescence and lead singer Amy Lee's Husband, this is of course a track originally recorded by Daughtry who had a US top 20 hit and thanks to use in the "X Factor" it made No 11 just weeks before this version saw the light of day from those Westlife boys. Essentially their problem was the same as Williams, there was little development in their career, clever Westlife however had switched their marketing from the notoriously fickle teenage market to much more predictable "woman of a certain age" market- I generalise obviously and to some extent Robbie had done the same, but for Westlife they were never really concerned about "artistic credibility" it was all about what sells- they had long since sold their souls to the dark spirit called Louis Walsh. "What About Now" is, like most Westlife covers, competent enough, even if it drains the life out of the original, but really to be still doing this kind of thing 10 years into a career built to a large extent on cover versions seems quite pointless and this does little to alter that opinion.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Oct 24, 2013 8:32:55 GMT 1
Difference between the British and American mainstream music.
Jay Z gets publicity because of his music.
Williams, Saturdays and Westlife get it entirely because of their looks.
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Roo.
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Post by Roo. on Oct 24, 2013 10:01:57 GMT 1
I'd say Jay-Z gets publicity because of his wife, who gets publicity because of her looks. His stock in trade certainly shot up once they got together...
Man In The Mirror is arguably my favourite MJ track, considering I'm not much of a fan.
Supernova totally passed over me when it was out, and Mr Hudson was on Watch The Throne so hadn't fallen out with Kanye by 2011 at least.
Get Sexy I find nowhere near as abhorrent as most other people, but agree that it doesn't fit into their catalogue well.
Empire State Of Mind is amazing, and the solo version spoils it by becoming another bland snoozefest.
Forever Is Over sounds exactly like what it was supposed to be; a Kelly Clarkson song. Not a bad song but not really suiting their style.
Bodies was... different. I preferred You Know Me by miles.
Westlife's version of What About Now is, like most of their covers, dire. Being a big Daughtry fan doesn't help that opinion of course. Only their version of You Raise Me Up resonates with me in a positive way.
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borneoman
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love is tough, when enough is not enough
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Post by borneoman on Oct 24, 2013 11:43:24 GMT 1
Robbie hasnĀ“t done any half-decent song since Feel... clearly Chambers was the one with the inspiration...
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Oct 24, 2013 11:58:12 GMT 1
^ I'd've stopped at the word "since".
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borneoman
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love is tough, when enough is not enough
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Post by borneoman on Oct 24, 2013 12:26:04 GMT 1
I think he put a lot of good stuff during his first 5 albums. I kinda hate him as a person but some of the songs are brilliant: Strong, Feel, The road to Mandalay, Eternity, but I think the genious one in the partnership was Chambers not Robbie
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Oct 27, 2013 15:03:26 GMT 1
21ST NOVEMBER- HAPPY- Leona Lewis (1 wk)Dorothy Parker once wrote "Every love is the old love in a duller dress" quite an apt phrase for Lewis' career until recently. No one can deny that she has a fine set of pipes on her, nor that she looks the part of a popstar, but the personality doesn't quite measure up and she had become by round 2010 a one trick pony. "Happy" is essentially an attempt at "Bleeding Love Pt II" co-written similarly by Tedder and naturally it isn't quite as good and perhaps the rather predictable move makes this song a little underwhelming. Of course when your one trick is as impressive as Lewis' voice is then that's fair enough but the risks and chances that she has taken with her output over recent years perhaps came too late to salvage the image of Lewis as balladeer. With the right song its possible she reach the No 1 spot again but "Happy" is rather too formulaic to hit home and dare I say it, a tad LAZY.
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Oct 27, 2013 15:14:29 GMT 1
12TH DECEMBER- RUSSIAN ROULETTE- Rihanna (1 Wk)Few would claim that Rihanna had a voice to match Lewis but of course Rihanna is a POPSTAR without question. She doesn't always get it right (some single choice have just been bizarre) but no-one can refute that she does take CHANCES and has a good popstar's eye for popping in and out of genres with ease. "Russian Roulette" isn't ground breaking but it has a menacing tone that you suspect Lewis would have trouble pulling off and its charms, whilst subtle, are undeniable, and she sells it with utter conviction. I wasn't won over by this when I first heard it but its grown on me over the years and by the end of 2009 she probably was the biggest popstar on the planet (well her or Gaga) and so it's fitting that we should end the decade with her
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Oct 27, 2013 15:16:45 GMT 1
So that's it folks! I've covered 30 years on the "journey" as an X Factor contestant would say, thanks to everyone who has commented and agreed or disagreed with me. It's been......long
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borneoman
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love is tough, when enough is not enough
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Post by borneoman on Oct 27, 2013 15:41:53 GMT 1
if only Leona had got Halo instead of Happy!!!!!!!!!!!!! so that's it? went pretty fast
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