Big releases both on the singles and albums lists. Leading the singles pack is the much-anticipated comeback track for Take That. Ballad "Patience" hits all the right notes, updating the band's sound to the modern boyband sound--you have to remember that Take That called it quits before Backstreet Boys even took off. While the All Saints' comeback seems to already be over--their album Studio One debuted at a measly #40 this week--Take That is set to soar. New album Beautiful World is due next week.
Emma Bunton has the honor, or rather the luck, to record this year's BBC Children in Need charity single, "Downtown," a remake of the Petula Clark '60s classic. Coming off her last album, the jazzy '60s throwback Free Me, this suits her perfectly, and the draw of the Children in Need single is likely to deliver her biggest hit since "What Took You So Long."
The Feeling delivers another winning single in "Love It When You Call," their fourth release from Twelve Stops and Home, which continues in the upbeat retro/rock vein of their last two releases. It's already #1 on the airplay chart, and could become their fourth top 10 hit. Lemar offers a second from sophomore album, The Truth About Love. "Someone Should Tell You" is a good song, although next to his last, "It's Not That Easy," or his greatest, "If There's Any Justice," it's a bit bland.
Red Hot Chili Peppers' third Stadium Arcadium single, mid-tempo "Snow (Hey Oh)," is another winner. Pink offers surprisingly tender moments in piano ballad "Nobody Knows," her fourth I'm Not Dead single. Take That (4.5/5), Emma Bunton (4/5), The Feeling (4.5/5), Lemar (3/5), Red Hot Chili Peppers (3.5/5), Pink (4/5).
The big album of the week is the "greatest hits" package from Oasis, Stop the Clocks. I put that in quotes because this retrospective is the band-selected collection of their favorite songs, not necessarily their greatest hits. It includes recently-released B-sides like "The Masterplan" and "Acquiesce" over #1 hits like "All Around the World" and "D'You What I Mean."
Also offering up hits packages are U2, with the 1-disc U218 featuring recent Green Day collaboration "The Saints Are Coming. " If you didn't splurge for their 1998 and 2002 sets, this might be for you. Burt Bacharach offers a definitive collection while the Corrs and the Carpenters offer ultimate collections. Even Gloria Estefan has a new "Best of."
Releasing new material, sort of, is Westlife, who's 9th release, The Love Album, is a collection of remakes of love songs, including recent #1 "The Rose." Rappers Akon and Jay-Z put out new discs, Konvicted and Kingdom Come, respectively.
And if that's not enough, here's a few bizarre items being offered this week. First off is the Billy Idol Christmas album, Happy Holidays, which is supposedly a straight-up Christmas album of classic renditions. Michael Bolton swings his pony tail to Frank Sinatra on Bolton Swings Sinatra. Ten years deceased doesn't stop 2Pac from releasing his 6th posthumously created album, Pac's Life, featuring a flood of guest starss. Finally there's Love from the Beatles, which amounts to a remix and mash-up collection put together by George Martin's son.
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