10 Years of Hits
boasts quite a title; at the time of its release,
Ronan Keating
had only been a solo artist for four years, and not one of his hits from the six previous years as lead singer for
Boyzone
is featured in its original form. The three
hits, re-recorded for this collection, were all previous hits for other artists --
"Baby Can I Hold You"
by
Tracy Chapman
,
"Words"
the Bee Gees
, and
"Father & Son"
Yusuf Islam
(
Cat Stevens
). If it is a misleading title, it is also a forgivable one, because 13 U.K. Top Ten hits are included in the collection, as well as duets with
LeAnn Rimes
Lulu
Bryan Adams
's
"The Way You Make Me Feel,"
on which he sings background vocals. It is a comprehensive collection of
Keating
's material up to 2004, and if one doesn't find anything of interest on it, one will probably not find much of interest on the individual albums, because he has a very set sense of style, and seldom strays from it. The other artists mentioned are an indication of that style, which reflect his love for country, pop, folk, ballads, and light -- very light -- rock. Signature
ballads include the U.K. number one
"When You Say Nothing at All,"
which he recorded for the
Julia Roberts
film
Notting Hill
and began his solo career, a cover of
Garth Brooks
'
"If Tomorrow Never Comes,"
which reached number one in the U.K., and his self-penned
"The Long Goodbye,"
which reached number three in the U.K. and won him the BMI European Song-Writing Award. It was also covered by
Brooks & Dunn
in the U.S. and reached number one on the
Billboard
Country Chart. His other number one hit is the pop song
"Life Is a Rollercoaster."
The CD booklet offers a photo collage, scans of the singles covers, a letter by
, and track notes and thoughts. All in all, a respectable artist, and a respectable collection of songs. ~ Peter Fawthrop