Boyzone have always favoured covers--from their earliest singles (versions of 1970s pop groups the Detroit Spinners' "Working My Way Back To You" and the Osmonds' "Love Me For A Reason") to their first million-selling hit, a faithful reading of Australian high-pitched harmony singers, the Bee Gees' "Words". So the release of By Request compilation of cover versions in 1999 came as no real surprise, then. What is a surprise, however, is the amount of emotion and pathos Ronan and co-manage to invest in songs like Cat Stevens' "Father & Son" and Tracy Chapman's "Baby Can I Hold You"--far exceeding the brief most boy bands have of merely smiling sweetly at the camera and making sure the dance steps are inch perfect. Musically, all the songs here veer towards the brand of harmony-laden, lightweight dance-pop Boyzone have virtually claimed for their own. --Everett True