Customer Reviews

Karaoke No More: The Real Story of the Beginnings of Westlife

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Karaoke No More, a book about the formation of the musical group (boy band) Westlife, is a MUCH better book than I expected. I am a big fan of the group, and have always been curious about its early days. I've owned their first single as IOU for a couple of years. But.... this book SEEMS like it would be an angry tirade about how 3 of the original 6 were booted out of the group just as they were on the cusp of success. I was prepared to read nasty stuff about those who STAYED... but, it turns out that the book is actually rather even-handed. It is written by one of the guys who produced that IOU (pre-Westlife) single, and has a very authentic feel.

I will say that the book has a bit too much about life in Sligo, Ireland, and about the author's own musical past, but I just skipped ahead when the matters got too tangential. One certainly feels for the guys who didn't make the cut. Westlife has gone on to be the 4th biggest grossing boy band of all time!!

One observation. That IOU single ("Together Forever" and "Everlasting Love,") is very amateurish sounding. If this is the best the people in Sligo who originally helped the group could come up with, I can see why Sean Filan's parents would say "This is just plain unprofessional." And seek out Louis Walsh, famous producer of Boyzone. Still, a VERY good book and I would say essential to any hardcore Westlife fan.