Sir, Why should people ignore Stephen J. Place's advice on not buying the latest Boyzone single (letters, January 11th)?
Because No cover version is better or worse than the original, merely a new, and sometimes radical rendition of it. I should remind Mr Place that the Beatles began by playing covers.
Contrary to Mr Place's allegation, all of the band can sing.
Boyzone's contrived artificiality is neither here nor there. The current craze among the British music weeklies, Rona, is a genre that is overtly artificial and delights in it.
As I am not one of the 5-15 year old girls" that Mr Place derides as "not old enough to know good music" and I am therefore eminently qualified to pass judgment, let me point out that Boyzone's sublime Love Ale For A Reason was streets ahead of the sweaty gruntings of the guitar clutching, po faced traditionalists whom Mr Place probably sees as the apotheosis of "good" music (yes, Oasis and Christy, this means you).
Mr Place's point on the current religious persuasion of Cat Stevens is an obvious attempt to furnish his anti Boyzone crusade with gravitas. This succeeds only in arriving at self important political correctness and, along the way, giving all level headed readers of his letter a good laugh. Mr Place, get off your high horse. Yours, etc.. Arranmore Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.