I did warn you… Just because Boyzone’s chart-topping days are over, we’re far from hearing the last of Groanin’ Ronan.
When You Say Nothing at All, by Ronan Keating (his 1st of three solo #1s)
2 weeks, from 1st – 15th August 1999
Barely three months on from ‘You Needed Me’, and before his band had even released their final single, Keating launched a solo career, with immediate success. Of course, he was helped in this by having his debut single included on the soundtrack to the year’s biggest romcom, ‘Notting Hill’, but still. I’ll admit, quietly and grudgingly, that I’ve always quite liked this…
It’s got a nice country lilt to it, and a decent chorus. Some of the production is very late-nineties bells and whistles, and it could have done without the overpowering backing singers. Plus the tin-whistle chorus is better not mentioned. Still, I’d tentatively state that this is better than at least four out of Boyzone’s six number ones.
The worst thing about it is… Yup, you guessed it. The singer. Ronan Keating is not a bad singer. He hits the right notes, he holds them, and you can make out what he’s saying (a quality my late gran held above all else). But his vocal affectations, his growls and lisps, his insistence on pronouncing his ‘ch’s and ‘sh’s like Sean Connery… He doesn’t speak like that. It’s put on when he sings. It’s annoying! And it was a huge risk for him to tempt every comedian in the land by releasing a record with the crucial line: You say it best, When you say nothing at all…
I’ve had various people commenting on Keating’s voice in previous posts. One has suggested that he might have had an alternate career as a grunge singer, which I can understand. Another has suggested that he is better on upbeat numbers, a theory that his performance on ‘When the Going Gets Tough’ doesn’t hold up but that we can put to the test again with his next chart-topper. Further thoughts on his vocal stylings are always welcome.
This was the fourth time in just over a decade that ‘When You Say Nothing At All’ had been a hit. Keith Whitley took it to the top of the Billboard Country Charts in 1988, while Alison Krauss & Union Station took it to the lower reaches of the Hot 100 in 1995. Both of those versions are a lot rawer, and less polished. Frances Black then took it to the Irish Top 10 in 1996, which is when Ronan first heard it. He upped the Irishness – perhaps inspired by B*Witched’s recent dedication to all things Celtic – and scored the biggest hit of all.
The UK Number Ones Blog 
I’m…actually here…ON TIME!
Whew…dude…what was with all of the boy bands? You couldn’t throw a rock without hitting one…which I would have. I do like his voice…
His voice is an acquired taste, I’d say. He chews his words like a tough steak.
I like different kind of voices…and this one from a boys band? That is different.
Yeah he was in Boyzone. Some have suggested he sounds quite grunge
I could see that if he tried!
Alison Krauss’ is by miles the best version of this, with Keith Whitley coming in second. In a field of three Ronan comes a distant fourth…
Push-button number 1 because of his name and having a nice arse. Meh.
This is…actually not that bad? It’s not great and it’s on the banal side but it’s listenable. Like a lot of British pop of this time, it’s not memorable. I’m surprised it’s as popular as it is. He’s not as annoying on this track as he can be on the Boyzone No. 1s. I think I was the one who suggested he would sound better as a blue-eyed soul in the vein of Joe Cocker or a post-grunge singer and I still stand by that.
This is a dull version compared to the gorgeous bluegrass Alison Krauss version, tasteful and tender, much as I love Notting Hill, one of the great Romcoms of all-time. Ronan is best when he’s not over-emoting and is overshadowed by a great song and upbeat production to focus on as opposed to his grating voice being centre stage. Stephen Gately could have done the song justice as his voice had the same quality as Alison Krauss does, pure, under-stated, crystal-clear and emotional in the sincerity. I have never believed Ronan’s vocal ability to convey emotions, he seems like he’s acting a performance rather than working out how best to serve the song vocally. Dusty Springfield, for one extreme example, tackled every song note by note, analysing what was needed and making it seem natural and effortless when it really really wasn’t. Ronan, bless him, sounds like he blunders in and makes it up on the spot. The next one will be fabulous though.
I agree about him acting a song out. I just think Ronan’s voice sounds affected, like he’s trying too hard to sound more than just a boyband singer. That’s why he adds a gruffness, a faux soulfullness, or a grunge rock twang. Perhaps it was insecurity all along… One thing’s for sure, there have been few more discussed topics on this blog than Ronan Keating’s vocal stylings, which is not something I’d have expected when we started out!
Better than most Boyzone, always felt like it’s telling his missus to stop talking so much.
Ha, yes. A lovely ballad about how she’s got a pretty face but a voice like a burglar alarm…