The touching son’s love

Although the cult pop band of 90s called Boyzone did not officially state its disbanding, the musicians did not record or perform together for a long time. However, it did not stop Ronan Keating, may be the most charismatic member of this boy band, set off the solo career in 2000. It is a well-known fact that the former members of such collectives seldom reach something significant in the show business, but Ronan took the risks to record his four solo albums and became the exception from the rule. The secret of his popularity is as old as the world. In Boyzone, Ronan charmed the female hearts, which he pursued apart from the band colleagues. Besides the music, the artist became the Good Will Ambassador in the United Nations Organization, takes part in different charity actions and even formed the charity organization of his own along with his relatives - The Marie Keating Foundation. This fund is called in the honor of the singer’s mother, who died of cancer, and fights this terrible illness. This year, Keating decided to record a disc for the woman, who has her special place in the heart of any man – it is the mother. The album was titled Songs For My Mother. Although Marie Keating is deceased, this touching dedication to her, which was released around the Mother’s Day, could definitely be a dear present for her.

Daring covers and one new song on Songs For My Mother

As for the ambitiousness, if we use this term in relation to the disc Songs For My Mother, it was shown by Ronan not in the field of arrangements or performance, but in the process of choosing the songs. One should be really adventurous, for example, to cover the track Suspicious Minds by great Elvis Presley – well, Keating did and won. It should be also noticed beforehand that the long-play features only one new song, which is the romantic balladry piece This Is Your Song, written by the singer for both his parents. It elegantly closes the album. All the rest tunes are the covers for the songs that were popular someday and to which little Ronan listened with his mother – the artist touchingly included in the full-length all her favorites. These compositions differ from the traditional folks as Wild Mountain Thyme and Carrickfergus to the hit of mid 80s Time After Time, which opens the album and originally was recorded by Cyndi Lauper. Such tracks as Make You Feel My Love by Bob Dylan and Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell do not need any further descriptions. Moreover, Keating included his interpretation of Mama’s Arms by Joshua Kadison on the album, as this song helped him in the period of suffer after the mother’s death.

Ronan Keating took a break before the next studio disc

It is a pity, but on the disc Songs For My Mother we can appreciate Ronan’s songwriting talent only by the track This Is Your Song. His previous disc was greatly promising in this matter. Anyway, it would not prevent the listeners from enjoying Keating’s wonderful vocals, while the artist performs the universe hits of his mother’s youth time. All these songs have an amazing quality, which is evident – it is hard to spoil them, especially if you have a tender and penetrating voice of Ronan Keating. Besides, thanks to the contemporary arrangements, the hits of the past years got a new life and fresh sound. No doubt, no one is able to sing these tunes as Elvis did, for example, but he was called the King Of Rock’n’roll not in vain. However, Keating presented each track on Songs For My Mother with a drop of his love to his mother and something special, which is characteristic only of his bright person. Having listened to a disc as wonderful and spiritual as Songs For My Mother, one can add only one thing. It is clear that Ronan Keating can sing and loves to sing – he proved it in the Boyzone already (by the way, they are re-forming soon) – but his solo career showed that he is also a gifted song-writer. Well, we will hope that the follow-up by Keating will have his own tracks and covers in the absolutely opposite coordination.

Ninelle Kazakoff
01.04.2009