Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Way better than expected. I bet this shit was all over 85’.
Decent 80s record. Surprisingly good synth “drum fills” and good vocals. 3.5/5.0
Some dull 80s garbage, complete with faux soul, a random saxophone, and some organ to boot.
Standard 80s Britpop. The vocalist is very good, but the music doesn't stand out at all. There's nothing unique or iconic here. The more I keep going with this, the more I wonder what people are smoking to justify their choices on this list. Oh well....
ugh
Great at the time
More 80s pop slop Very generic Not bad but not great 3/5 Favorites: red box, picture book
This is what happens when the music industry manufactures a band. It was so bad it was funny at times which was amusing. I'm sure it's playing in all the best bathrooms and elevators of the UK.
A cool and groovy album with pleasant vocal parts and amazing percussion
It had variety. From disco, to soul, to new wave. But none of the songs grabbed me. Not bad, but not intriguing. 3 out of 5.
Some was a bit rough, but some was decent.
Good God what a struggle for this listener. The smooth soft jazzy slop made me want to pull my earbuds out and throw them into the sea. Alas, I'm landlocked, so the effort would be as futile as this trash. 2* because it slightly improved on second listen when my expectations had been appropriately lowered.
There's one good song in here, namely Rolling Back The Years, but the rest is surprisingly 80s slop.
Holding Back the Years is gold but the rest is just okay.
Michael Jackson sound alike
Funkier Michael Jackson
Well, this is one of those albums that if I had listened to it when I was younger, I would have hated it. It still has its parts that I’m not too crazy about, but overall, it was slightly better than average with a few standout tracks. It’s definitely well-produced and polished, capturing the sophisticated pop and art pop sound of the ’80s, with a strong blue-eyed soul influence. Another element that had to grow on me was Mick Hucknall’s voice. I’m not too crazy about it, but it grows on me each time I dive deeper into the album.
Was a chill album to listen to but didn't particularly stand out.
Me encantó. Me gustaron las letras, la melodía, el estilo de ritmo
Picture Book starts off promising enough, with an upbeat disco-esque song. But the pacing is spoiled by the next track, a slinky late-night jazz song. It's a good song on its own, but its placement is jarring. "Look at You Now" gets things back on track, but another slower song, this time an unexpectedly soulful Talking Heads cover, kills the momentum again. It's a very interesting take on the song, if not a super enjoyable one. From there the album never recovers, with mostly slower tracks including a couple sluggish ballads in "Holding Back the Years" and the closer. When the album is upbeat it's fun pop music, but there's not really anything unique about it and the less energetic tracks accentuate that. There are a few socially conscious tracks and some interesting decisions, but in the end it doesn't lean far enough into the sounds it's going for.
Unclear what this album is doing on the list.
Classic 80s vibe with jazzy undertones
maybe a little cheesy occasionally but otherwise very funky fun. Just a cool vibe. Prefer the original Talking Heads song tho. 8/10
I don't get the love for this band. I thought Stars would be the only complete album I would have to subject myself to. Nope. Schmaltz. Cheese. Hate it.
soft 3. nothing really stood out but easy listen. nice to work to
the reviews ar BRUTAL. don't think we needed the expanded edition. holding back the years is a nice tune
I bought this when first released as I liked the single Money's Too Tight. Probably only played in two to three times in those 40 years as I wasn't that impressed. However I must be getting old or my tastes have changed because I quite enjoyed this. It shouldn't be on the list but 7/10 would be a fair score so a low 4 stars
None of this rang a bell, the artwork reminded me of the Smiths, and it's a project from 1985. I admit the first track had me groaning, then the second one came on and I gave it a shot, slightly more jazzed out. The production quality is '80s, so it's going to be difficult finding a positive light to it. I feel like if the toms didn't annoy me, or the excessive synth, maybe this would be ok. Frankly, the other Simply Red projects I get recommend after hearing this are more appealing to me. 2.4/5
This sucks
I'd call this a guilty pleasure, except for the fact I feel no guilt. Holding Back The Years is an all-timer in my book
Ansi flott bara.
No me gustó
Soul music that got pretty boring after like the first two tracks -- and the album never provided much more.
Picture Book is a good, if dated album. I have never heard of this album or this band in my entire life so i had no expectations for this album. What i ended up getting was an album that had a style of music that was popular in the 70s but with 80s production and that's where my belief that this album sounds dated comes from. That isn't to say it was bad though, There were some really solid songs here and i don't think that there was a single one that i would consider to be bad but i just think that for an album from 1985, I would expect it to sound like an album from that year, not like a remix of an album from 1978. Best Song: Holding Back The Years Worst Song: Money's Too Tight (To Mention)
Many of our 80s pop albums could learn from this one (although, I liked the Sanada Maitreya album that you two seemed less excited about, so maybe I'm just a little more partial to 80s music), or so I thought, but after the first song, which was funky, up-tempo, and had a compelling chorus, the album was mostly mid-tempo songs that didn't capture me as much. There was still decent musicality on display, but they mostly struck me as noticeably more run-of-the-mill 80s pop. "Money's Too Tight," "Open Up the Red Box," and "No Directon" also stood out as songs with decent energy, but the average brings this down to a solid 3, I think.
2 in a row for Brit Bias -- and, more specifically, mediocre British records that shouldn't be on this list. Even when this one came out, it seemed like (and I think was pretty widely regarded as) an ok but kind of mediocre record. Mostly only remembered (and known at the time) for the single "Holding Back the Years," which is ok, I guess -- nice enough, but nothing really special (although, now that I think about it, I remember that it was kind of an annoying ear worm, in its 80s heyday). Also, arguably, touches on the appropriation issues we've discussed previously: a white guy who's a decent (but unexceptional) soul singer? Let's make him a star! The music on this one is ok, but there's nothing special here. A decent bar band, maybe? 2 stars.
pretty fun and energetic, but not outstanding. I would say it stands right in the middle of the 80's
This is barely past the quality of a high-end lounge act, and this guy's voice is too good for that.
A bit dubious when the best song on an album is a cover song. That’s probably the only thing that saved this from 1-star. But how many times has “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” been covered? At least 48 times so far, just stop.
I would prefer normal 80s synthpop instead of this weird synth jazz fusion. It's not all bad, and I like a few songs, but it's not memorable enough for me to claim its a Must Listen To album.
A great album. Not a fan of Simply Red, but this is a funky and soulful album full of non stop fun. Sure the slow songs break the momentum a little bit, but the rest keeps it from losing its charm. Played well, sung well, great songwriting. Not perfect, but a 4.5/5
Great variety of 80s pop and a sort of jazzy sound. Lots of soul and great singing!
This was ok but nothing great
Oh dear, oh no. Won’t get the 40 mins back.
This album is so forgettable. The best song is Heaven and that owes all the credit to David Byrne and The TH because it’s a banger no matter who sings it. I listened to this less than 24 hrs ago and all but that song is wiped from my memory MIB style. Could’ve saved 45 min of my life by never hearing this one.
Heard before?:❌️ Will listen again?:❌️ 1.5 On the surface it sounds pleasant enough but I can't help but feeling like like there is no soul behind this album(?) Which for a supposed soul band isn't the best look. It's not offensively bad or anything, I managed to listen to it front to back without issue and kinda enjoyed the title track. Which is why I've been debating whether to give this album one or two stars. I've been handing out a lot of 1stars recently and I don't want to come off as a killjoy with my "critic" rater style but I also have to stay true to myself and admit that this list has some bs on it and that taste is subjective (oh my god no waaaay!)
There was something very familiar about this 80’s soft rock album… then ‘Holding Back the Years’ and ‘Money’s Too Tight’ hit and I recognized them. Solid 3.5/5, if not a bit slow at times.
Album is kind of all over the place. There are some nice songs and the singing is good, but there are some real dull ones as well. Enjoyed the cover of "Heaven". 2.5/5 Probably won't listen again
No private session used for Spotify. Couple of the songs on this album were on heavy rotation on KOZE growing up. It was never my jam, it still isn't. Though I do appreciate the rock/soul blend, but upset with the cover of "Heaven". There isn't anything interesting our unique about this album, except the ginger with soul aspect, not enough to make it on this list.
Come to My Aid 3.4 Sad Old Red 3.2 Look at You Now 3.3 Heaven 3.6 Jericho 3.4 Money's Too Tight (to Mention) 3.2 Holding Back the Years 3.3 (Open Up the) Red Box 3.3 No Direction 3.4 Picture Book 3.5 Score: 3.36
Enjoyable funk/soul, listened multiple times. Felt very '80s.
Elevator music at best
It's fine. Good sound but they don't do much to differentiate between songs. Formulaic at times. Good lounge record
7/10… sophisti pop / brit soul / *1985
Blue eyed soul, though something I normally wouldn't go for, is mostly enjoyable on this one. Mick Hucknall has a great voice and, though the music is pretty 80's with synths and drum machines on some songs, most of it works Favorite tracks are "Money's Too Tight to Mention," the Talking Heads cover "Heaven," and, of course, the all time classic "Holding Back the Years."
Pardon the shitty pun, but color me impressed. What a stellar voice this guy has, somewhere between Rod Stewart and Daryl Hall. Jazzy and soulful pop music, sounds very 80s but definitely pays tribute to R&B and soul from earlier decades. It had me at the cool cover of Heaven. 3.5 rounded up
Damn that British male ginger sounds just like a Black woman singing. Blue-eyed soul, indeed. The songs are fine, marked by ‘80s chestnuts like sax on a pop record. “Holding Back the Years,” the big single in the U.S., is lovely.
Incredibly boring. Mick Hucknall has a great voice, but the end product is not worth the time investment.
Dober
Britpop beginning threw me off. Then the vocal kept me tuned in. I can't get behind the easy listening vibe, but sure like the voice.
Guy’s a tosspot but I am very fond of this album and he has a great voice.
It just really boils down to me not enjoying the compositions. Singing's pretty good, production is helplessly stuck in the '80s, but this was 1985 and the band's first record, so of course it is. The jazzy slick big vibe isn't for me, I liked this less than a 3-star, but I'm going with it.
I liked this more than I thought I would. It's not my cup of tea, necessarily, but it's soulful, and the arrangements are tight. I liked the live song. had a great sax solo.
Synchronicity! Jen and I were just discussing Simply Red 3 days ago. I thoroughly enjoyed this album. While Jen might suggest Mick Hucknall is a strange old lady, my ginger crush has been reignited.
Not sure why this was on the list, but at the time I'm guessing it was significant.
This was fine … nothing stood out to me much either positive or negative.
Bland pop album from the 80’s. I remember seeing them on MTV back in the day, but their music was so unremarkable I never heard a song that I was familiar with today other than Heaven, but that’s just because I’m a big Talking Heads fan and it made me sad that someone ruined a perfectly good song. Nothing horrible or offensive here, just banal pop music for the masses.
Great Songs: Sad Old Red Good Songs: Come to My Aid, Look At Your Now, Heaven, Jericho, Money's Too Tight (To Mention), Holding Back the Years, Open Up the Red Box Mid Songs: No Direction, Picture Book Bad Songs:
Didn't enjoy this one. Sounded like a bad Madonna album. 2/5
I will never listen to this again
Good vibes, some songs I like
80s White Soul. Smells like Yuppies. Musically, it’s fine, I guess. It’s just that Mick Hucknell disgusts me. Sorry, that may sound extreme, but I’m just trying to record the feeling I get in my body when I listen to this. Yuk! In fact, I found myself saying this more and more as he covered the song “Heaven” by Talking Heads. I love that song and this version just makes it feel so flat and unemotional and bland. It really helps to highlight why this sucks. Having to sit through that was the point where this album lost a star from me. I was going to give it a three as a “pleasant enough if you heard it in a coffee shop, I suppose,” album. Eeurgh. Bleh. Vomit. After this, I’m afraid I’d lost any semblance of my easy-going “Let’s give them a chance” attitude. And I still had half an album to get through! Half an album of mediocre pandering yuppie bullshit. Fuck Simply Red. Even the hits like “Money’s Too Tight to Mention) which I seem to remember having a hook just sound boring and anaemic. Absolute dogshit.
Terrible.
Review - tacky music for '80s yuppies. I feel personally attacked that it features a cover of one of my favourite Talking Heads songs. Sad that TH unleashed/inspired music like this. Score - 4.5/10 Need to listen? NO
Fairly inoffensive, but not really for me.
es ist mir als würde ich ein entspanntes 80er-Jahre DJ-Set hören. All killer no filler. jetzt beim ersten hören noch nichts, was ich vom Klang her super deep finde, aber es ist wirklich gut produziert und man kann echt mitwippen
tällästä post syntikkameininkiä, joka kyllä sekoitteli jo myöhempää hitaampitempoista ja laulupitoista popahtavaa meininkiä. Välillä RnB ja soulia.
Enjoyed the lyrics ideas, pretty good
“British soul“… Sounds like a lounge act. Warm electric piano, smooth…we used to call it “soft rock“, suitable for dental waiting rooms. Had to skip a couple songs, irritating.
Okay, not my vibe
Mick Hucknall's voice doesn't do it for me, and the musical accompaniment sounds like what I imagine would be playing in a clown car.
My first thought when I got this was - named after a Kinks song this better be good! Dear reader, it is not. In fact it’s awful 80s soft rock.
This has its moments, and I liked bits of it, but it's a pretty sub-standard album and I don't see why it's here (this description can be used for the majority of albums on here). It's pretty British and somewhat endearingly corny.
Super 80s, really great and I have no clue how I didn’t know this album existed before this!!
I’ve never understood Simply Red. It’s all very cringeworthy. Massive success, sure, so it’s clearly just me, and I can sort of see what’s going on with some things - there’s some decent hooks in there sometimes. But it’s all so creepy.
A couple of decent songs in there, matched the vibe I’d associate for music around this time, didn’t hate it.
This was not as bad as I was expecting tbh. Very surprised to hear a cover of Talking Heads here. Jericho is a funky little number, a sort of meandering number with no chorus or even a hook to speak of, but it works. Look at You Now a fast paced, heavier number that shows Hucknall's not just doing soulful MOR crooning. Overall it's better than holding back the years would suggest.
Listened before?: nope Come to My Aid - 4/5 Sad Old Red - 3/5 Look at You Now - 3/5 Heaven - 2/5 Jericho - 4/5 Money's Too Tight (To Mention) - 3/5 Holding Back the Years - 3/5 Red Box - 2/5 No Direction - 2/5 Picture Book - 3/5 Average score: 2.9/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ all i can say is i didn't care for this all that much. it's decent enough to be 3-stars, but just barely
Elendig!
Høres ut som enhver britisk pop/rock-plate fra den æraen.
Likte dette bedre enn jeg hadde forventet. De tre hitene bærer plata til en firer.
booooo album carried entirely by one song booooooo
Good record.
"Holding Back The Years" only reason to listen to this. Some of his stuff... does not sound like him at all!
Pretty decent. I'm not saying it's amazing, but the blue eyed soul it's good.
6/10. Buen disco. Pensé que iba a ser otro disco británico más de rock, pero me sorprendió para bien. No es la gran cosa, pero los primeros temas son buenos y reescuchables.
A much funkier affair than I was initially expecting, especially judging by the fact that I'd only ever heard Holding Back the Years prior to actually sitting down for the whole album. Mick Bucknell's voice is an absolute revelation in my opinion, bursting onto the scene like the second coming of soul itself, and I really found myself entranced by both the upbeat and downbeat tracks. There's some seriously infectious rhythms throughout, the synthwork is on point, and there's even a Talking Heads cover in the middle of it all which I very much appreciated. What a debut! Favourite track: Look At You Now Least favourite track: Picture Book
Nice variation within the 80s vibe
I wanted to like it, but felt like it was so forced. Enjoyed the genre fusion however, just felt cheesy.
This never really was my thing. It’s not so bad though. Money’s Too Tight To Mention is the standour by far and it’s a cover, and also now just realising that the lyrics don’t make sense unless sung by an American. It does fit the theme and maybe that’s the audience they were going for. There are a few other decent songs here too
Disappointing to see this as an album selected from 1985. There was one good single and not much else going on here. Do better 1001.
For the 666th entry on the 1001 journey, I was hoping for something goth, spooky, demonic, etc. They gave me Simply Red- an act I’d never heard of before. I thought, well, simply red sure does sound like a devilish name. Too bad this was only devilishly boring. I thought the first track was ok- it sounded like something my dad might put on if we were shooting pool. After that though, I just kinda felt, ughhh, is this in fact what hell sounds like?
Some mid 80s pop that was funkier and more varied than I expected. Not really my kind of music, but not bad all the same.
3.5
Solid stuff.
I remember driving in the back of Nanny's car in the late 80s, "Holding Back the Years" came on, it was raining and that AC was working great. Was one of the best naps of my life.
Soul music, minus the soul
What in the wild world Yacht Rock is this? It's ALMOST smooth sailing, but every so often I catch myself confused or angry... f it, 3 stars?
Nice to hear them again
Just OK for me. Positives: 1. His voice. 2. The horn charts can almost distract one from remembering that this is, in essence, 80’s Britpop. Negatives: All that jelly and no toast - this kind of does a slow burn to nowhere.
Some beautiful 80’s pop, hard to fault it! Nice to include a talking heads cover too. Standouts are Come to my Aid, Look at You now, Holding Back The Years and Open Up the Red Box.
Very much an 80s album. The vocals are impressive, but nothing stands out.
Non mi ha detto niente
Pretty boring. I just can't take this seriously. A bunch of brits trying to make Soul music with the charisma of wet cardboard. Honestly I have no idead how this group became so big. Key tracks: Holding Back the Years
4/5 Favorite song: Come to My Aid
Ничё не знал ни про альбом ни про исполнителя, было какое-то предчувствие "ой небось опять какая-то жижа" и опять второй раз за день я ошибся. Балдёжный альбом, понял что похоже что мне нравится софисти-поп, учитывая как мне приглянулся Cafe Bleu. Приятные джазово-соуловые аранжировки, отличный голос. Хорошая штука.
Knew two songs from back in the day but hadn’t heard the rest. Not bad.
Как будто прослушал саундтрек к фильму 70-х годов
Gear: ZMF Auteur Classic LTD Shedua Artwork: 🧑🦰🧢🖌️ Production (Recollections 2025): 😌👂🧈 Music: 📻🧼😑 Rating: 📕(📗)/5
Holding back the yawns
Remember this from the original release - not their biggest fan but its OK
This album is pretty dated. And most of the songs sound alike with just a few lyrics repeating over and over. Not very creative. If I heard just one or two songs, I might think they have a cool sound.
I really love “holding back the years” and the lead singer has a great voice. Solid album, I also liked the cover of talking heads’ “heaven”
Clearly a gifted, distinctive vocalist that much like Adele I can't quite put my finger on why I don't enjoy them. Other than Holding Back the Years this album is a testament to its times, dated sounding and the quality plummets once you get past the single. It sounds like half of the instrumentation was created on a Casio keyboard every kid had in 1985. I can think of 15 albums from 1985 better than this off the top of my head. I understand that everyone has wildly different taste in music but I would like to sit down with the person that decided that THIS album was one of 1001 albums you MUST hear before you die. 1 solid single doesn't save this.
It's got a very 80s, but at the same time jazzy sound to it.
Didn't do much for me. 4/10
What the fuck is Mick hucknall doing on a list of albums I have to listen to.
Das hät richtig bockt.
Simply Red? Geen idee waarom, maar ik heb altijd een beetje een stoffig idee bij deze band. Misschien omdat ze Symphonica in Rosso hebben gedaan, das natuurlijk wel een beetje ouwelullen muziek. Maar ik moet zeggen; de band verrast me best wel positief! Het rockt, het funkt en we horen al vrij snel een saxofoon en trompet! Misschien zijn mn vooroordelen wat te vroeg geweest, want dit klinkt best wel lekker! Wel interessant dat na Look at you now eigenlijk alle tempo uit het album gehaald word. Simply Red switcht naar ballads en ik vind daar meestal wel wat van. Opzich klinken ze goed, instrumentaal redden de blazers ze wel een beetje merk ik. Als je dan een ballad doet, toeter er dan ook bij, dan lijkt het een beetje jazzy. Ok, nee... Ik was eerst best wel down voor dit album, maar alle tempo is er uit. Picture Book is een verschrikkelijke afsluiter als je het mij vraagt. Er zitten wel echte highs op dit album, jammer dat die wegvallen richting het einde, maar nog steeds ben ik Simply Red wel iets meer gaan waarderen dan ik aan het begin dacht. FAVO: Look at you now, Holding back the years
It isn't bad. He has a distinctive voice and is a fine singer, but it's kind of annoying. They picked the single well.
tolles album aus der jugend!
War noch nie meins.
Didn’t mind it tbf. Some classics on there
Surprisingly nice at points
not for me.
Competently made, but offered nothing to interest, excite, or inspire me. Sounds like a retread of music that predates it. Their soulful take on Talking Heads’ “Heaven” is a good example of how much the arrangement matters in making songwriting shine: it’s one of my favorite TH songs, but was an absolute snoozer here.
Very enjoyed. Jazz sounds.
🤮 Fuck right off!!
I don't think that I'd ever purposefully sit down and listen to this band again.
Well, if it isn't the 1980s version of Coldplay. This is a good effort though, featuring the mighty Holding Back the Years, a truly excellent song. Much of the rest passes muster as background music in a trendy wine bar, but let's not be overly harsh here. It'll do, is all I'm saying.
This is the most epically alright thing I've ever listened to
klassiekertje
I'm surprised and pleased this was as much of a hit as it was in the 80s.
Может и не супер оригинально, зато крепко, уверенно и плотно.
Great
I liked this! I had never heard anything besides their two hits.
++: Come to My Aid, Sad Old Red, Look at You Now, Money's Too Tight (to Mention), (Open Up the) Red Box +: Jericho, No Direction, Picture Book +-: Heaven, Holding Back the Years 7,7/10
Liked it more than I expected I would. Mick Hucknall has a good voice. I like “Sad Old Red” a lot.
Good
A grower of an album that lulls you in with smooth sounds but gets to making you shake it too. Not bad for some ex-punks.
Can’t believe I had to listen to this.
I tend to enjoy this 80's blend of soul, funk, city pope etc. This, while having decent prodcution and performances, feels a little less memorable on the songwriting and overall just a littlee cheesier. I'll give simply red the single "Stars" since I remember my coworker sent me the music video and I thought it was amazing in a meme kind of way. She also showed me APO Hiking Society so if you want some good cheesy music hit those guys up.
I throughly enjoyed this. Great instrumentation and rhythm. The bass playing definitely stood out to me.
Sigh, the sounds of a promo for Smooth FM....... There is SOME redeeming features on here - the cover of 'Money's Too Tight To Mention' is good, and Holding Back The Years has been a staple on FM radio for years. But the rest of it just kinda sucks. Taking 'Heaven' by Talking Heads and turning it into a boring dirge should be a hanging offence. And the rest is mostly just jazzy nonsense with terrible 80s production. No thanks.
This album sucks. I randomly read this weird little piece written by the singer of Simply Red talking about random shit (it was like some "sound off" column where they have celebrities write whatever they want), and holy shit is the guy a fuckin' asshole! Massive arrogant prick. This guy honestly sees himself as THE SHIT, like the most important singer of his generation and all that. Fuckin' incredible actually. And no sarcasm, no tongue in cheek, just balls-out I'm the shit and everyone can kiss the ass (or arse probably). Anyways, none of that really matters to me. What matters is the music, and here the music is really lame. I'm not gonna give it a 1 'cause it's not actually pissing me off, but it's right on the line. Nah, you know what? It's getting a 1 STAR. Fuckin' crap music.
Cool grooves
Wanted more from this one. Starts off really strong and I was prepared to actually like it quite a bit, but just sort of meanders through a lot of other slower tracks that are trying to be jazz or soul and don't quite hit the mark. Not really sure why Holding Back the Years is their biggest song? It's just sort of a lite AM radio jam and a little schlocky honestly. Jericho is OK, the closer is OK. His voice is sort of interesting in parts, but yeah, this one wasn't for me.
Yeah this was awful dynamic 80s psychopath pop. Wiki reckons this is in a genre called "sophisti-pop" and I think this is the collective term for this sound that I find so irritating. Lowest common denominator stuff that seems to think it's pushing boundaries. Often comes with really terrible use of brass too. Did this have brass? I've already forgotten it really, can only remember it was awful.
Picture Book is alright, I suppose. The rest is wailing synthy nonsense. It isn't a 1, to be fair, it is listenable, so I'll knock it up for parity. Stars is a cracker, but not on this album.
Got a fairly strong dislike for simply red, not entirely sure why..... Might be because he's a United fan? Anyway it's pretty deep rooted for whatever reason, so this didn't bode well for old Mick going into this. I remember a childhood friends family really liking him and me not understanding at all....I think my instincts were correct. Pretty sure I've never listened to a simply red album before. Unnecessary cover of heaven, which annoyed me. Jericho was awful. Even holding back the years is bad. Sorry Mick, 1.5, would never choose to listen to this
The corniest bits of synthy new wave, smooth jazz, funk soul, and disco brought together into a 80s pop Frankenstein. Holding Back the Years is an amazing bit of pop balladry, slow, tense, emotive.
It’s a lot easier forme to get nowadays than when I was a kid. He does the blues really well and from a place that is so far from blues country but needed it too.
Holding back the years.
A classic, near Top 100.
not my style at all
Imagine the raw emotion and personality all the greatest soul singers have brought to their music, and now imagine a soul album with none of that. There are some talented musicians here, but the album falls flat because there is absolutely nothing to make the music here stand out from just about any other bland pop album. It wasn’t a horrible listen, but you know it’s not great when the album ended and I didn’t even notice for a good 10 minutes.
fajne
What in the yacht disco is this ginger doing?
so so 80s
I was so bored
Nicely done and enjoyed listening to it.
good background music
This one surprised me. I was expecting it to be like the rest of the other Britpop records in this list, and at times it is, but there were more than a few times where it stood out. Favourite Track(s): Jericho Least Favourite Track(s): Look at You Now
Why is he looking all wistful on that cover? Why does it look like a cheap, yet pretentious sketch? As for the music... I absolutely loathed Simply Red before this. "Fairground" and the associated album was my first conscious encounter with this... Project? All of that was terrible. This album starts with a reasonably famous and okay song. Followed up by a more obscure but also okay song. From there on in, it descends into absolute 80s hell, including an incredibly unnecessary Talking Heads cover. I mean... The song's lyrics mock the boredom of a place where the same uneventful music plays all the time. He's turned the song into the thing the original was taking aim at. He must really hate Talking Heads. Soul music for (and presumably by) people with no soul.
Kind of like if you averaged out every 80s song like those pictures of the 'average' human face. But in a good way.
A few city-pop style bangers surrounded by monotonous blue-eyed soul (and a genre I already dislike) and a pretty average talking heads cover. Bordering on Britslop.
It's 80's pop. Some of the songs are fun, but, there's nothing here that I really felt I needed to hear. It wasn't a bad listen, but it felt more like something to pass the time rather than a musical must.
Range developed within a debut album is incredible. Some songs were too slow or dragged for me, but once in a lifetime talent depicts true poetry through their understanding of compositions
I love listening to him, and although this album is not the best representation of his work, since he has even better ones, and with more hits, it is definitely interesting to start with and introduce someone into his opus 👌😎
I didn't expect to enjoy this and overall, I didn't It started off ok but the longer it went on, the more I remembered why I've been convinced that I don't like Simply Red for the last 40 years It's not a complete train wreck, but it's not for me
Decent blue-eyed soul.
“Simply Red standing by” *proceeds to get shot down by a tie fighter*
there is a moment in the pre-chorus of Come to My Aid where the beat does a little shuffle and I got super excited for the rest of the album bc of how awesome this song was... - also, apparently, Jericho is NOT a gay song? I don't know how the hell that happened. also! there is a really high pitched noise in Money's Too Tight and I think whoever produced the song was too old to hear it. it hurts really bad. OTHER THAN THAT, this was a fun album but nothing too special. idk
I knew I wouldn't like this album just from the cover art... it looks like a dramatized version of the South Park ginger kids. There were some sparks of Weather Channel jams within the piece, but nothing fascinated me.
Masterpiece
woooah this is so cool wow. "Look at You Now" is a very cool song. it's all pretty cool, maaaaan
sorry simply red i was not familiar. this one was a hoot (some might even say a holler as well). i definitely put it back on after it had finished playing because i was enjoying it so much. it's no secret the #1 way to my heart is the saxophone
Jazz, soul, pop, sophisti-pop??? This album had it all. Definitely a pleasant surprise.
This album was kind of all over the place, especially in the beginning. I didn't gravitate towards any song in particular, but it wasn't terrible. A low 2 for me. Also, what the fuck are the adlibs on "No Direction"?? It sounds like my two-year old when he enters into what I lovingly call "gremlin mode."
I liked the cover of "Heaven." That’s one of my favorite songs ever written so it’s nice to hear this version do it justice. Beyond that I enjoyed most of the well enough but don’t expect to revisit.
A shining example of the Yamaha DX7 synth and its ability to slice through the mix like a gorgeous laser
Yeah look I was never the biggest fan, though the hits were pretty good pop.
Uggg, I'm getting tired of writing reviews for these lousy albums. Simply no.
I really disliked this. It was very corny and very 80’s. It was not my style.
Maybe I'm lame but I liked this a lot more than I would. A very good singer and some good tunes on this.
It's good. No strong feelings from me.
Cool album but would never really add to playlist due to its simplicity
This was big when it came out, but sounds a bit dated now.? They played my local club and I worked with them at Rock Am Ring also had a chance to kick a ball around with Mick.
Je vais passer mon tour merci bonne journée :)
Y paraît que ça se trouve partout dans'les bargain bins; ça fait du carton d'allumage pas cher pour le camping.
Karaoke core for Genxers
Sounds like one of those mail order catalogues that gets sent to old folks homes.
I’ve never liked SR, or for that matter Mick Hucknall, not really into any white soul either, so no different here.
I really thought I was going to hate this album. The picture they used on Spotify made me think that this is the exact kind of British fuck that I hate to listen to. I was, however, very pleasantly surprised. The album was really fun to listen to and a really good mix of a lot of core 80s sounds. I don’t think they did anything spectacular or really that innovative but it was great writing and a bunch of good with some great songs.
Oh what a nice trip into music history. Those were the other side of the 80s in that time experimental pop jazzy.
C’est très funky. Pas trop mon genre mais en vrai c’est pas mal. Bon… c’est répétitif quand même mdr. Du coup je sais pas si je connais déjà le son ou si j’ai vachement entendu les mêmes accords / sonorités / rythmes aux chansons d’avant. OK ça aurait du s’arrêter au 11ème titre Money’s too tight (ou avant même mdddrr). Là c’est chiant en fait. J’étais parti sur 3 mais c’est trop. Dommage pcq Holding back the years est sympa (l’est-elle parce qu’elle l’est ? Ou juste pcq ça change des 1h en boucle qu’on vient de se taper ?)
Rv
Not bad, just not memorable.
This album sucks.
There’s certainly a good portion of schmaltzy musak. But the band is tight and there’s a clear competency. A lot of the music sounds dated. This is emphatically 80s. But it’s not the worst. You can tell he’s trying.
Pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album — especially after seeing the reviews. I enjoyed the fun blend of pop-adjacent genres and, most surprisingly, the 80s production that didn’t feel too offensive.
Honestly, this has been the worst album in this entire process. I'm about 250 albums in. I'm British, so I see what happened, the writer grew up in the UK and listened to this. I think if we're actually being honest, this is true garbage, and should never have made it to the list.
I like the 80s vibe and the airy feeling this has. Otherwise, I was simply (bo)red.
стильно, но для своего времени
The best songs are the ones without the synth and obligatory "'80s sound".
470 albums in. Very unhappy and disappointed at the amount of terrible, garbage music on this list. The bulk of it is just average at best: there’s a review here from someone who is over 900 albums in complaining of basically the same thing. I think I’m going to tap out at 500 albums because what’s the point of keeping going if it never improves? I find more new music to me every week that I enjoy than the year and a half I’ve spent doing this project. This album? It’s wonderful if you like unpopular old British synth pop from the 80’s. It’s boring. That’s one of the worst things any art can be. That’s me on the album cover, looking away, sad, blue, and wondering how soon the end of the album is so I can find happiness again.
That one hit was helpful!
Guilty pleasure terrority. Reminds me of being a kid in the car.
It is hardly a quintessential record and I can imagine loads of album that would merit its inclusion before this one. But at least it was an easy listen. 7/10 [DROP]
80sSlop.wav
It sounds exactly like how one would expect a 1980s British Pop-Rock album would sound like. Almost as if ChatGPT created this, and snuck it on the list. It's not too bad though. There is one track that unlike the others, and then you go back to just listening to what you're expecting to hear. Favorite Track: "Jericho".
Sure, he has a great voice but not even that powerful voice can save this album from being as boring as it gets. Simply crap.
While there are a few highlights throughout (Jericho, Money's Too Tight, Red Box) most of the other songs are mindless mixes of pop and jazz fusion. 2.4/5 -> 2/5
cheesy, very 80s, and ultimately uncool, but i did enjoy it? i’ve now listened to a lot of weird 80s pop/rock on this list and it’s the best of a bad bunch. i do find the album cover terrifying though? why did they pick this? 3.5!
music is love
I do not like this very much
-1 for all the covers
Yeah, I don't do this often, but I tapped out on this one. Every song feels like it's trying to be a better song that already exists. I'm not listening to over an hour of ripoffs.
This is what 80’s music should be! It’s creative and kinda weird and unique! The instrumentals are big and dramatic and the vocals have a ton of audible emotion. This album made me want to stand at the edge of a ship, partially unbuttoned shirt softly blowing in the wind, cigarette in hand, sweat and ocean mist on my forehead, the taste of whiskey and kisses on my lips, staring out at the infinite water to try to remind myself that the world is so much bigger than my problems or my whims. The world is greater than me and so is this album. Fav Song: Sad Old Red
This album is so awesome. It feels like if Tom Waits possessed Randy Newman, smoked a joint with Michael Jackson, then listened to the Talking Heads and then made an album. Favorite track: Sad Old Red
A mighty average listen. For every good song on here, there's one (or two) mediocre/boring songs. A bit of a snoozefest, but I enjoyed the production quite a bit.
7 - some good tunes, some mediocre but goddamn does he have a voice
Come to my aid! what a song to start off this album with! I love it Holding back the years is exactly the kind of song i love about the 80s
This is another debut album, from the British group Simply Red. I listened to the original 1985 release (ten tracks). On some of the tracks Red’s voice became a bit annoying. The jazzy/blues number was pretty good. Some of the tracks have that typical 1980s sound. When “Holding Back the Years” came out, the consensus was that this group was going to be huge. They did have another minor hit, a cover of a Harold Melvin/Blue Notes song, then they faded into obscurity here. Overall the album was good for a debut.
Never heard of this. Not a great album cover. At least "simply" is an adverb. Sounds very 80s. I dunno. The first song kinda reminds me of 'How Long' by Ace. The songs are peppy, which I like. Except for 'Heaven', which starts with the hilarious lyric: "Everyone is trying to get to the bar / The name of the bar / The bar is called Heaven". Apparently it's a Talking Heads cover, but I gotta assume the original is better because this is a real snoozer of a slowjamballad. Overall, it was fine.
3.2 This is the first time I ever listened to Simply Red, out of choice, as I have a vivid memory of my dad turning it off when I was a kid as he said "Simply Red" referred to Mick's love of united (scum). Older and hopefully wiser, with less pettiness in my life, I actually thought it wasn't that bad. A lot more soulful? Motowny? than I expected. His voice really, really surprised me, not at all what is as expecting. The thing which holds it back is there aren't any really great songs. No Direction has the most promising opening and then goes off the rails with some grunt singing half way through. Money's too tight to mention is probably the best on offer but it feels cheeky to include a cover and have that be the best track. All in all, pretty average, but glad I've finally had a listen.
"Holding Back the Years" is one of the most beautiful songs ever written for me. The rest is fun but not so interesting.
Back in the day I was aware of Simply Ref but not really familiar with them. The song I knew was Holding Back The Years which is fine but I don’t love it. This may explain why I never got into this album. That was a mistake. The other tracks aim this record are fun, jazzy and interesting. Will add to the rotation.
"Grown up-pop". It's not a sign of quality, but an expression of souly, jazzy music performed with very "feely" vocals. To me it's a little bit too much. There are a few decent songs, but this isn't a very good album. Favourites: Holding Back The Years,
Definitely giving the 90's vibes
very nice
Some of the best 80s pop I’ve heard, I’m surprised this is my first time hearing any of this album! Really solid, makes me want to look further into his work overall. 4 stars
genérico, repetitivo, sem graça, xoxo esses são apenas algumas das características negativas desse álbum tem muito mais mas nem vale a pena escrever!! não precisava escutar esse antes de morrer.
eh definitivamente não precisava estar na lista mas não foi odiável não. só chato e monotono. bobo pra carai.
This is more damaging to redheads than the 'Gingervitis' episode of South Park
Fantastic ballads infused with 80s feeling. His voice is buttery smooth!
Quintessential yuppie/80s sophistipop. In terms of the sound, tempo, and vocals I imagine someone who looks like Patrick Bateman from American Pyscho would listen to this album. Surprisingly there's actually some socially conscious lyrics. The mention of reagonomics in "Money's Too Tight To Mention" and "Come to my Aid." I wouldn't necessarily gravitate toward this album, but I could see myself playing a few songs for my parents while driving in the car. The blend of jazz with the synthpop isn't terrible. And he's got some range with his vocals.
I don't see the hate for this album. It's white boy soul, sure. But it's pretty damned good white boy soul. Holding Back the Years was pretty inescapable for a good while, and there are a number of really solid tracks on here. Best of all, it doesn't *sound* quite as much like the 80's -- no gated drums, some solid guitar work, synths back in the mix to highlight the voice. Money's Too Tight To Mention is a banger. A solid four. Just gotta receive.
Nostalgic is probably the right word for this one. Outside of actually being nostalgic, they just exude this aura that fits the vibe. The hit singles are the standouts here and Simply Red is much more of a singles artist to begin with. There's a few other pleasant songs here besides though. The album does really sag in the stretched out songs for me, Simply Red can't really hold my interest enough for him to go on these more sprawling and longer songs,
Groovy
I listened to this while doing errands and it didn't grasp my attention at all
Weirdly nostalgic
Low 2. Vocals don't work for me for the majority of the album.
Not terrible, not too my taste. A few tracks were nice enough
Did not enjoy
Boring and annoying in a few places. Slick production.
I was surprised by the degree to which this album charmed me, it made for a very perky, smooth Saturday morning listen. The first two thirds have more interesting songwriting, after which it does spin its wheels a bit, but from end to end it’s perfectly pleasant. It manages to have bundles of energy without ever becoming more than pleasingly low key. I was especially surprised by the Talking Heads cover, clearly it’s not my favourite version of Heaven, but I was impressed at Red’s ability to transform this song album unrecognisably, and it still worked well.
Simply Red gets a low 2 from me, the Talking Heads cover is unforgivable and much of the album peters out into mid tempo nothingness - however, the production is pretty and occasionally they hit a similar spot to my beloved Blue Nile, just far too rarely
Not my thing
Very much department store music vibes. More generic british garbage that doesn't deserve to be memorialized by this list. They should have stopped at 500 instead of adding filler to get to 1001.
Holding back the years is an incredible fucking song
I saw a review that said it sounds like this would be playing at K-mart — I must agree
There was more disco than I was expecting on this album. And the rest was soul/blues, which is is never my thing.
Super cheesy.
Maso
Just sorta there not really doing much
Honestly, I’m surprised I enjoyed this one as much as I did. 1980s pop/soul group from the UK is not something I expected to like, but there were some good songs on here
Despite the vocal, this one’s pretty good, I like the bass
Sure. Man, that one 5 star review guy up top has some of the worst taste I've ever witnessed.
Fun basic
jazzy, easy listening type stuff
Didn't really enjoy it.
Holding Back the Years is best known track here, but none are my jam.
*1985. English pop and soul. *Very different - it was like R&B mixed with very 80s elements. *Dave immediately knew Holding Back the Years - I guess that was their big hit. *The lead singer is bizarrely a red-haired white guy, but his voice could pass for a female soul singer at times. *Totally fine, but not at all memorable and wouldn't revisit. RATING - 5.5/10
Doing mental gymnastics to justify this being someone’s guilty pleasure album in my most generous state of mind. Much like that Bruce Springsteen ‘Rising’ album from a few days ago, I don’t think you can fault Simply Red for lack of effort. But you can criticize the end result. More importantly, you SHOULD criticize the decision to put Picture Book on this list. “Heaven” wielded some of this albums worst lyrics, heavy-handed writing and a clunky vocal delivery. It’s a fine representative for this album’s lack of substance. “Money’s Too Tight” was the most listenable, a song that actually finds a groovy pocket and pairs it with a catchy chorus. Really the only song I enjoyed. I am out of my depth here, but I think this record borrows from a lot of music made from black Americans years before. I don’t have a specific record to point to, but I’d encourage listeners to look in that direction instead of listening to this waiting room music. Low 2/5
I can get with this, mostly bc Mick Hucknall's voice. Wow.
So fun to hear songs i never heard from simply Red. Good album.
I had only heard one of the songs prior to this. I like the mellowness of the music.
fun and funky
groovy!!! not really my style but i have nothing bad to say either
здесь есть что то
Not a bad album. Just don't like Simply Red
A couple of good songs and the dude can sing but not my cup of tea.
Pretty good nothing crazy
Well compared to my previous two albums that were also British (The Fall and Ian Dury), at least Mick Hucknell can actually sing. This is fine. Pretty standard sounding mid-80s sophisti-pop. I like Holding Back the Years. Wtf was No Direction though...some weird 80s shit going on in the middle there lol.
During the 80s, I thought Simply Red was a one-hit wonder, and the one hit pretty lame at that. Eventually I came to realize that in the UK the band is taken more seriously, and Mick Hucknall is a star. It made me curious about Simply Red, especially as there is this whole UK pop-soul thing (Style Council, Swing Out Sister, Everything But the Girl) that we don't really have. None of it is great, but it's kind of interesting. Like a much less compelling Two Tone. So, thank you to the site and the Remorseless Eating Machine for arranging for me to finally listen to a Simply Red album. It's pretty good. None of it is great, but it all works if you listen long enough and let the songs develop. Solid and consistent. Good job, Red people. Probably not gonna listen to them ever again. Though ... apparently, their album Star from a few years later was even more successful ... ?
The day this record was assigned, I happened to see the friend who had recommended I participate in this enterprise (she's been doing it for a while now). When I mentioned this was the album for today, she laughed and said when she had gotten it, it was the first time she had written "why is this on the list?" as her review. I have to concur. Can Mick whatever his name is sing? Absolutely. But the material and 80s production doom this collection. The cover of the Talking Heads "Heaven" is a perfect illustration of how an excellent voice does not necessarily elevate a piece of music.
Did I hear lyrics about Reaganomics? This record is fine. I like "Holding Back The Years", and there's a decent cover of Talking Heads "Heaven", but overall this is a pretty average album of 80s pop music.
Just fine
Another UK-centric album for this UK-centric list. One of the many albums from the ‘80s that had one or two good songs on it and the rest of the album is quite weak. I thought the one good song on here would be “Holding Back The Years” but listening to it years later I found that song didn’t really go anywhere. I remember liking it when it came out but also being slightly annoyed at how over-played it was on the radio back then. Turns out there isn’t enough to that song to be truly essential listening. The best song actually might be “Money’s Too Tight To Mention” but I just learned that it’s a cover so… Since this list is for essential albums this one should be left off.
Æ tror ikke det her albumet og Skylarking av XTC kommer godt ut av det når dem blir lytta til rett etter hverandre, alt fløyt sammen i en masse av åttitallsmusikk æ i utgangspunktet ikke e spesielt interessert i, og så blei det bare verre. Det e liksom ikke forferdelig, men æ synes kanskje ikke det e så interessant heller.
Someone needs to walk me through how the hell this ended up on the list. It has one stand out moment that everyone knows, ‘holding back the years’ is a great song and showcases an admittedly great voice. But the rest is utter pap. The cover of ‘Heaven’ is laughably bad. The vocals on ‘Jericho’ and ‘Moneys Too Tight To Mention’ are painful and gimmicky. This needs immediate deletion from this list.
Sad that it sounds cheesy now cause this is great!
white boy got pipes and about two and a half different songs.
105. ok
I enjoy Simply Red
Simply Red’s debut album is terrific! Highly recommend!
mick hucknall's voice is extremely grating to me, i like this kind of music a lot but this didn't do anything for me. one or two songs i thought were pretty good, not exceptional though
Lush and nice production. Songs are of wildly varying quality. Honestly this is a step away from other sophisti-pop stuff that I love so I'm trying to stay humble.
Inoffensive at times, but always dull.