Don't love me for fun, girl

Continuing my trip back in time through the album charts

14/01/96 : Said And Done - Boyzone


A second visit with Michael followed by a second visit with Boyzone.  Ambassador - with this music, you're really spoiling us!  Last time I visited them my comment was "worse than I expected, but not hateful" - I can't say my expectations are much higher for this.  But, before that, we've got an album that I'm a bit conflicted about...

...Michael Jackson's HIStory:Past, Present And Future, Book 1.  I mean, part of me wants to reject it just for the title, but that would be a bit petty, wouldn't it?  It's an odd double album - the first one is a compilation of his previous tracks and the second one is mostly new stuff, with a bizarre couple of covers - "Come Together" and "Smile".  So I feel like I should probably listen to the second album, but I don't feel the need to listen to the first - despite it having some cracking tracks on it.  In the end, I came down against it because it was, imho, a MASSIVE ego-driven (who remembers the statues?) distraction ploy.  And, can you separate the art from the artist?  I do like "Scream" though and it had a cracking video.  Anyways, back to Boyzone...

And well, it's better in places than their previous effort and no worse in most - I actually don't mind "Love Me For A Reason" and "Father And Son".  What surprised me most is that the singing is, in some places, pretty dodgy - it just wouldn't happen these days because it would all be auto-tuned out of existence.  I imagine this album brings back lots of happy memories for some, but I suspect kids these days would be somewhat bemused by the whole thing.  And no, there's no danger of any of the Reed family owning it - 12/51

We're at #5 in the charts this week on their 20th run of a 55 week run.  It debuted at #1 and looked like it was going to slide down the charts and out after about 15 weeks, but something (either Xmas or a single, I guess) saved it and pulled it right back up.  The rest of the top five are Oasis, R&J, Pulp and Michael Jackson - and yes, it's amusing having Jarvis next to Michael because '96 was the year of THAT Brits.  And if you read Bob Mortimer's autobiography you get an amusing telling of the story - because, of course, Bob acted as Jarvis's lawyer after the incident.  There are no new entries in the top ten - the highest is, quite obviously, the best of Sweet at #20.  I always thought it was The Sweet but there are some classic tracks on here - "Ballroom Blitz", "Teenage Rampage", "LIttle Willy" and "Wig-Wam Bam" are all proper bangers.  There is also some utter garbage on there as well, of course.  That was the only new entry in the charts that week - I guess mid-January isn't exactly prime time.

Wikipedia tells me the most amazingly unbelievable fact.  You're never going to believe this.  Seriously.  Are you ready?  This album got to #1 in Ireland.  Mind blown, eh?  It didn't really do much anywhere else apart from here - and that's all it tells us really.

"Customers also listened to Stephen Gately, Ronan Keating and 911 - I can't say I'm amazed to see any of those names.  Overall, I didn't hate this but I can't see anyone who hasn't heard it before being converted by it now.

07/01/96 - A bit kitchen sinky
21/01/96 - Awww, he's so young!

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