Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Pretty mainstream
Okay but not something I want to add to my library.
I like this. Unique vocals, kinda experimental, cool disco groove on some tracks.
The lead singer is a particular flavor and it is sadly not mine.
songs of this genre tend to bore me out of my mind but something about the eccentricity of this project made it work for me a lot more than i thought it would. beautiful stuff!!!
This was a fun listen, approaching cultural appropriation.
Not typically a Pop Music fan, this record is a nice soothing listen. Some very good writing, and of course, "Holding Back the Years" is classic 80's that create some great sense memories.
Glossy, synthetic 80ths sound with cheesy organs, unnecessary saxophones, and an allegedly soulful singer making up my Sinthi-Pop album. Overall okay to listen to without feeling the need to relisten.
Judging by the cover (yeah, I know) I expected something a little more gritty, maybe along the lines of a Dexy’s Midnight Runners. I didn’t expect jazz and soul, reminiscent at times of Sade. It gave me some 80s nostalgia but not my favorite sounds. And with this being the second album in a week that covered a song from Talking Heads’ “Fear of Music” (both artists did not make any improvements), I know my assignment.
I remember the name Simply Red more than I remember the actual music, so I was surprised to hear these soulful, jazzy tracks. The album avoids many of the typical 80's production sound traps, but at the same time, I am not sure how much it really stands out. Lyrically, the album is strong, and I get the impression that putting together this album was more of an art project. That said, it comes across solid enough with strong exhortations and lessons stronger than the average pop mantras.
Not a fan
Not too bad, nothing special
I thought it was pretty cool actually
Cheesy as hell but Hucknall is undeniably a great songer
Decent bass, decent soul vocals, but it just doesn't all add up to the sum of its parts.
Holding Back the Years and Money's Too Tight to Mention both still sound fresh, the rest is okay-ish, but feel quite dated.
It was fine.
Fav: Open Up The Red Box Least Fav: Heaven Not much to say, it’s simply ok. What’s not simply ok was that cover of Heaven, the original is one of my favourite songs and I respect it for trying something new, but I just didn’t like it
So it was so 80's, but also different and unique feeling. 80's can be super cheesy and over the top, but something about it took in the 80's vibes and felt unique and sincere. It had deep inner feelings taking in the times.
In 1985, Holding Back the Years was on the radio and I remember not really liking nor disliking the song. Probably because Run DMC's King of Rock and Motely Crue's Theater of Pain were clearly the best albums that year. And 40 years later (that's alot of years to hold back) do I feel differently about this Simply Red song? Can I relate to it now that I'm an old jaded man who's wasted all the tears and wasted all the years? Like from an adult contemporary perspective, has my appreciation for the soulful sound of Simply Red deepened through life's struggles, triumphs, and losses? Not really, nope. I'll keeeeeeep hold'n on. Come to My Aid has a good dance vibe. Sad Old Red has a few good jazz moments with the horns but maybe not blue enough on the blues lyrics over and over and over. Really milking that bass line guys. Ya. I get it, he's sad. he's old. and he's so red that he's blue. Also I don't believe that this is really a live track. I think they put that audience applause in there. It's canned applause and makes me wonder if he dyes his hair. Not really finding this album that creative but it's kind of quirky in it's own way. Heaven is a bar where nothing ever happens. Cool. Jericho seems to address some issues he has about rich people using him as a toy and he's clearly upset about not going to the ball. Money's Too Tight to Mention has a good groove but his rhymes crack me up. Mention. Pension. Unemployment Extension. Just repeat the word Money over and over. Then explain that you are TALK'N about money. wow. The struggle is real. Red Box has a great beat and I like the music but the lyrics just don't really grab me and I'm not sure he's really selling me on opening up that box. I dunno. Something good could possibly happen to me. He really cuts loose in No Direction by going in a similar direction as most of the album but a little more funky. Although his singing is soulful, he doesn't really enunciate that well in these last two songs. It's inexplicable. It's like his lips suddenly stopped working before the album could finish. I can't understand a damn word of these last two songs and it hasn't been a problem up until now. I would love to watch some misheard lyrics videos to this shit. Picture Book is the last song and the title track of this album. Can't make out a word of what he's singing. "We Beseech them by the Sigh"? By the Side? Am I the Sign of the So? Am I the Side of the the Bow? what the fuck, Red? I'm not even going to google the lyrics because I prefer the ambiguity. Watch the video for Holding Back the Years on youtube. It explains alot and he also wears suspenders.
I’m mixed on this one. Until I did a deeper dive, I thought I was listening to a soulful black woman sing, so that was a confusing pivot I had to make in my brain. The music is still good though, I dig the soul and the disco vibes, it just threw me off. Overall I enjoyed it, and there was a lot of cool instrumentation and song composition, despite some elements that had a little bit too much of an 80s cheese feel.
Feels like sitting at a bar with a drink and a stranger, just to swap stories and part ways.
Whoever said this was K-Mart music, I couldn’t unhear it lol
United maður hann Mick.
Alltílæ eitís. Sá þá í höllinni 1986.
This was another shrug album for me. I listened while working on report cards. I do not recall what it sounds like later in the day. Fine but not memorable
Sing it, white boy. I think his vocals are exquisite and the song-writing is tight. This album kind of reminds me of a Jamiroquai project performed by someone with more musical talent.
This was pleasant enough for a Sunday morning in the poppier moments, whilst straying a bit too far into cheese at times.
Ye, this was very okay, I liked it.
Definitely cheesy at times, but not irredeemably
Voix particulière, chaude, mais les synthétiseurs et le côté un peu mièvre ne m’ont pas interpellée
Up tempo jams, down tempo slogs
This was a seesaw for me. I immediately hated it, and song 2 was “Sad Old Red,” which I know and appreciate. Back to hating, then a Talking Heads cover. And so on and so on. Wanted to give 1 or 2 stars most of the time, but the periodic gems (“Holding Back the Years” and nostalgia from working at Rite Aid) pushes it to 3.
Good songs but not my type
Mick Hucknall isn't Tom Jones, Bobby Hatfield, or Bobby Caldwell, but he sure can sing nonetheless. His artistry isn't profound, and no song here is as passable as 'Heaven' or 'Holding Back the Years,' but he has enuf talent to overcome the saccharine disco-soul that comprises much of the record. I hesitate to employ the pejorative 'boring,' but that's how it ultimately falls w/ this one: tracks like 'Come to My Aid' and 'Jericho' are dull, not so much blue-eyed soul as shut-eyed soul: yawn, yawn, go to bed. Thing is, when it comes to The Righteous Brothers, classics like 'Unchained Melody' and 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling' are what they are: classics, songs I return to constantly. What's here that's got me coming back? No mucho.
Album 768 of 1089 Simply Red - Picture Book (1985) Rating : 3 / 5 Good listen. Not something I'm going to crave and go back looking for but was an enjoyable album. Certainly representative of the time.
3 1/2 Stars. Solid debut with some groovy tracks. Shout-out to the session musicians that make this whole thing work.
Simply Red are a bit of a joke these days, but this album is nice. Mick has a good voice and there's nice soulful/jazzy elements as well as the poppy hits. An enjoyable listen to begin with but got worse throughout. By the end of the album I'd had enough.
Not a fan of the genre, but liked the songs.
Mick Hucknall has a great voice here. Get some Phil Collins vibes at times, maybe they were influenced by Genesis(?) Definitely an 80s album, wasn't a slog to get through by any means. A solid first album but two of the better songs aren't originals. 3/5.
Glad I listened to more than just the opening synthesizer 80's sounding tune. Way more depth and styles that expected and pretty good overall.
Presently surprised as I expected an 80s pop album. The throw back r&b was abundant here, but often felt out of place, or disingenuous. Didn’t hate it, sure didn’t love it.
80s torch songs... should be part of any K-Tel love songs compilation.
I wanted to hate this, because Mick Hucknall is an insufferable bell-end. I didn't dislike it as much as I'd hoped though The jazzy elements are good and it does have a sound. His vocals are good, and the covers work It's pretty bland and inoffensive so I'm capping my score at 3. Wouldn't say I love it but it's an alright album
Simply Red are pure millennial nostalgia for me. I like them on a 'Greatest Hits' level, but they don't really hold up for whole albums of (easy) listening. Love Money's Too Tight (To Mention) and Holding Back The Years.
This album hasn't aged well. Its 80s soft pop, AOR sound just oozes through every minute of listening. Something not acknowledged or recognized in the reviews for this miss out on how much Simply Red has defined the term 'Blue Eyed Soul'. When this came out. Mick Hucknall comes off as a suave soul singer from the southern US, not some bloke from Manchester. regardless that the sound may seem smooth jazz sax cringy it definitely belongs here. 3/5
Fun album but nothing really stuck to me. I'll have to revisit.
as soon as I saw them described as "British Pop and Soul" my expectations sank, but it fared bettet than I thought it would! Pretty serviceae in most areas, its got some little jazzy spots that remind me of a late night infomercial (Jericho specifically), where you would wake up on the couch at 3am and see some product fading in and out on a grainy 90's broadcast with a 1-800 number in yellow at the bottom. Not bad, the instrumentals give me early Persona game vibes in the overworld.
Wasn’t impressed when the album first started but it grew on me as it went on. A cover of one of my favorite Talking Heads song (Heaven) didn’t hurt either. “Holding Back the Years” made it clear why this album made the list and then the last couple songs were enjoyable enough. I’d prefer to listen to Bobby Caldwell if I’m in the mood for this kind of music but that isn’t very often
My wife walked in while I was listening this and says 'it feels like I'm ordering a drink in a hotel lobby'. She's not wrong. Pleasant, but ultimately pointless and says nothing of interest of value in a fairly mundane way.
Solid example of this soft rock/disco pop music.
3.5* 83%
well i had fun
A couple of good songs but some of it very middle of the road as well.
Simply good
honestly idk what the hell this one was but i liked it
Somewhere between 3 and 4 maybe 3.5
Betted than I thought, but cringey
Better than I thought it would be. Not quite so mainstream as Stars, and some nice tunes on there.
Pretty good but dips a bit for me pretty much every other song across the album, thought some were way too generic especially the two popular ones moneys too tight and holding back the years, but the deeper cuts were nice, best one was the first song for me and Jericho was second. The last three songs were highlights as well but not to the same degree.
The more funky bits can be enjoyable, but there's also a lot I'm not particularly fond of here. 2.5
Well I would have considered this an iconic 80s album but listening now it's rather bland. The hits are there but boy the rest is uninspiring.
Not my favorite, but musically enjoyable
He's good a pretty good voice, some of the songs are fun and jazzy, some are just boring, and some complain about Ronald Reagan and not being able to afford new shoes. Uh...average.
I enjoyed myself! This did often feel quite dated, though.
smooth, just how i like it. very pleasant listen, would return to this. ok the funky tracks are a little cheesy i don't like them that much. but the soul stuff hell yeah thats good
This was pretty good. Not exactly my cup of tea but generally enjoyable.
It's some fine funky pop/soul, but doesn't leave a strong impression on me. The covers were probably the best songs.
I’d rather listen to the good old white boy Michael. But it’s alright Moneys too tight to mention
Nice, not really my tipe, but I enjoyed it.
an overall fine listen. sounded a little bit dated throughout but never enough to pinpoint why or where
Some solid 80's stuff that sound like something I'd tune out while shopping. It was pretty nice but I'll probably forget it soon
The first two tracks are an introduction to the two facets of Simply Red: the pop/post-disco side and the jazzy, soulful one. I think they pull off the latter better, though it's a fun experience seeing two very different genres being juggled pretty convincingly by the same band. Little elements like the walking bassline and fluttering sax lines on Sad Old Red take me back to my jazz big band days. Although no other tracks reach the smoothness of Sad Old Red, you can still hear hints of soulful jazz and blues through some of the keyboard and vocal parts, particularly on Jericho and Open up the Red Box. A couple of songs are definite misses. The Talking Heads cover, Heaven, is too artificial for my taste. No Direction is created in the fashion of "throw more musical bits and bobs at the mix until something magical hopefully happens", and it's a little more chaotic and non-cohesive than I'd like. The vocals are also pretty inconsistent between tracks. It almost sounds like every song features a different singer, yet there's a good reason why most musicians tend to avoid doing this. Regardless of any flaws, though, this is far from a 1-star album. The top reviews are almost entirely 1s and 2s, and this surprises me, because there's some genuinely good stuff hidden amongst the 80s-era sheen. I suspect widespread, deep-seated hatred for anything 80s-related is the culprit here. And if that sounds like you – man, what are you doing this project for? 3/5 Key tracks: Sad Old Red, Money's Too Tight (To Mention), Open up the Red Box
Desperately 80s, I quite enjoyed parts of this. I was shocked to find Heaven, which I thought was abysmal, was a Talking Heads cover. Nothing new going on but easy listening, good vocals. 3.25/5
Mid
This soul is far too blue eyed for my taste.
Not at all what I was expecting. This is a lot more funky and jazzy than Holding Back the Years. 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. Come to My Aid and Money’s Too Tight are catchy. The rest sounds like something you’d find on an 80s movie soundtrack.
This 80s soul/adult oriented pop is not my cup of tea but I have to appreciate its smoothness, the production and the singer's voice, so I'll give it 3 stars even if I won't listen to it again.
I guess I'm lucky to have not been over exposed to Simply Red and maybe I have a bit of a soft spot for pure 80s pop. Anyway, I didn't hate this, don't really love it, it just is what it is. Fave: Money's Too Tight (To Mention). I mean we're talking about Reagonomics!
Anos 80 na veia...soul e meio que dance music...até q gostei...achei um pouco parado
Yllättävää kyllä mä tykkäsin tästä! Jotain tosi kasaria, vähän niinku soulii ja poppii versiointii jostain synabändeistä. Täytyy tutustuu lisää. Kolmonen tulee, ei ihan taivu neloseen viel. 3/5
Kuunneltu riittävä epäselvässä tilassa en ymmärrä kriiitikkoja.. Kelpo musiikkia josta en muista heh mitään... Iso respct artisteille aina jos 3 star..
A couple of ok songs. Overall not very good but not the worst I've heard.
porukka on tehnyt tieteelliisen tutkimuksen miten tehdä miellyttävintä musiikkia mahdollista... teki ehk gradun asiasta ja totteli sääntöjä.. valitettavasti miellyttävä != maukas... maukkuuttahan tässä ollaan alusta asti arvosteltu, ja siinä pitää vähän kritisoida pikkasen kritisoida. hajutesti eka snifffff.. odota.. kulaus, purskuttele suussa... päänojaus taaksepäin silmät kiinni mieti universumin tarkoitusta: Tuhkaverho oli nyt poissa. Taivas oli selkeä ja hyvä. Hän lähti takaisin alas viimeiseltä vuorelta matkalla viimeiseen kylään. Se ei olisi vaikea kävely. Ja vaikka olisikin, hän ajatteli, ei hän nyt niin pahasti välittäisi. Se antaisi hänelle aikaa muistaa. Ja takaisin maailmaan... hymysuin kättelee tarjoiliaa kiitos kiitos.. 3/5 sad old red
I just didn't dig it. It wasn't bad but it wasn't me. Still I'm a little older after having listened
No doubting micks got soul and holding back the years is a winner but more of a housewives choice
Sounds more modern than I would have thought... weirdly not 80s?
Pretty fun, I actually prefer the version of Heaven on this album to the one on Stop Making Sense. I'll probably never listen to this album again.
this is fine. no i did not need to hear this before i die
Pre-listening thoughts: guy on the cover looks like Ethan slater AHHHHH 😱😕😢😨🫣😵 Post/during listening thoughts: ok 80s pop but not in a cool Peter Gabriel or Kate Bush way but rather in a mid synth way. I like pop regardless though so it gets a few brownie points. This is totally a guilty pleasure kind of listen where I know it’s not pop or 80s at its best but I still enjoy a good amount of it regardless. WHAT is going on in No Direction 😭😭😭😭😭6.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nope Fav tracks: Come to My Aid, Jericho, Money’s Too Tight, Red Box Least fav tracks: picture book
Nice to hear an album rather than just the hits. Can’t deny he has a great voice, and the album artwork is a classic.
pretty bland but enjoyable
Had a fair amount of good song in this, would listen again. Give it a 3.5 if I could
Came into this expecting to hate it. And, while not groundbreaking, this turned out to become actually nice, plesant, easy listening.
This bloke thinks his shit doesn't stink if he's got his ginger mug on all the albums his made. A quintessential 80s pop album, absolutely mid.
Went in with low expectations, they weren't exactly met but was still pretty underwhelming
Empshasis on simple, nothing insulting but nothing to learn from either
Didn't leave a mark.
Don't like
It's alright, but I don't get the fuss. Mick Hucknall winds me up too.
Simply Red is not exactly in my lane, this is their debut album and i found it quite relaxing chilled background music to work to. It feels quite old-school to me and makes me think of elevator music etc. Nothing stood out to me throughout the album. Not my favourite but very inoffensive.
Better than I thought it would be but kind of just fine for me. I got very confused when the song Heaven started as it's a Talking Heads song and I thought maybe Talking Heads covered Simply Red which blew my mind, but no, it is a Talking Heads song.
2/3
Gave this one a few listens and I enjoyed it a decent amount. It's not perfect but it finds a nice little corner to enjoy. I love the control of the lead's voice. Also anyone that covers Heaven has a thumbs up in my book. Favorites were Come to My Aid, Heaver, and Holding Back the Years.
"Lookin' atchyo head! Head! Head!" 3/5
Solid album
It’s okay
Not sure what I was expecting from these but I like it. Getting jazzy and bluesy vibes. Unexpected.
Some new wave soul out of the UK. According to Wikipedia, Simply Red would go on to win the grammy for best new artist and become a staple of UK charts for years to come. They are perhaps best known for their hit song Holding Back the Years, which is fine. You may also recognize the song Heaven, which was originally done by the Talking Heads, and is fine. In fact, several times throughout this album I would think about how much I would prefer to be listening to the Talking Heads. Nothing against Simply Red, but they don't quite hit the same mark for me. It's all mostly fine.
Sort of cringed when I saw Mick’s face appear for my pick today but I actually didn’t mind this too much. It was for the most part catchy, though sometimes as always, it was the vocals that left me feeling like I could have done without it.
Definitely not what we were expecting, although with the context of the rest of the album you can hear the soul influences on "Holding Back the Years." It's a strong 3, edging toward 4.
not the biggest fan of simply red but undeniably a great album back in the day
Decent album.
Was alright, made me want to listen to the more popular fairground album.
Catchy 80’s pop/rock. Fun to listen as it’s not too serious. 2.8
Simply Red are a band that I’ve been aware of my whole life, but I’d have struggled to tell you anything they sang. After listening to this, there were definitely some tracks I recognised, but just never knew it was them. This made for a pleasant listen. I’d probably describe it as a light jazz pop, mainly piano focused, with really nice soulful singing. It’s not usually a genre I’d gravitate to, but I can certainly appreciate this for what it is. I understand the appeal, and will continue to enjoy when I come across these songs in the wild, but will likely also continue to not seek it out myself.
decent
More like simply mid
Never heard of these guys before. It's alright so far. Definitely has that 80's sound. Wasn't crazy about it. 3 stars.
Pop soul, blue-eyed soul. Energetic and passionate, I enjoyed this album even though it went on a bit long. I can see why fans of the genre enjoy it but maybe it's not completely for me. Light 3.5/5
Couple songs I’ve heard before overall enjoyed it!
Sooooo. Simply Red get a bad rap. The production is vomit inducingly 1980s. But a lot of the songs underneath are actually great, and performed with power. And unexpectedly there is a surprisingly good soul version of a Talking Heads song on there!
Dudes voice is dope and deff had some bangers
A good listen but nothing groundbreaking. 3.5
It was fine. I didn't hate it but I definitely wasn't deep bopping. Was pretty excited when that jazzy intro hit, but it didn't do much more for me past that.
Mediocre
Soul genre 3/5
Another one of those albums I've enjoyed but will probably never touch again. Favourite track: Jericho.
It’s easy to forget the disgust with which this album was viewed by the alternative crowd at the time. It’s not unjustified. The album is overly produced, overly polished, “smoov”, full of jazzy tropes and soul cliches. It’s a shame because Hucknall does have a decent voice and we can only imagine what he might have turned in had he channelled the spirit of 60s r&b instead of this pop fluff. Aside - didn’t realise there’s a cover of Talking Heads’ ‘Heaven’ on this album. Great song, sadly here ironed free of any idiosyncrasies or quirks that made the original a masterpiece. Nevertheless a star gained for demonstrating taste.
A decir verdad pense que iba a ser una experiencia medio pesada, pero la verdad que es un album que se deja escuchar y te traslada un poco a los 80. No es nada de otro mundo pero cumplio.
I really liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It has a very cool, soulful jazz vibe. It's a surprisingly high 3 for me.
The hit song from this album SLAYS. For that it’s getting a 3
Holding Back the Years was a nice throw back. Overall quality music.
80s AOR that exceeded my expectations
A little disco-soul flavor mixed in, so I'm ok with that.
Hucknall prejudice aside , this is surprisingly good . Shame everything that followed was MOR background music. best tracks - Holding back the years & money
Fun weird vibes
It was nice. Very pleasant.
This album came out the same year as the Kate Bush album -- so wildly different. It's sort of smooth jazzy, disco-y in parts, some pop, a few funky guitar riffs. Sort of diverse but under a broad soul umbrella. It's okay, but not something I'd clamor to put on. 3.3
Mick Hucknall sings well and writes some slightly bland songs. Nice to hear 'Heaven' again though.
Surprisingly good. There are some boring songs along the way but most of the album is really rather good. Not excellent, but entertaining nonetheless.
Fun listen and nice last song. bit repetitive
Descent 80’s dance, with a bit of slow jam. Don’t know why people hate this one a lot — it was just so-so. The first song was probably my favorite.
This album would be far better were it to have released either earlier in the 80s, or into the 90s. However, I also think this album could've never been made in any other time, as it is so perfectly 80s, so of course it released smack-dab in the middle of the decade! It actually is funkier than expected, and judging from the appearance of a Talking Heads cover (the worst song on the album, by the way: it isn't a good cover) I'd say they were going for something relatively danceable while still being solid sophisti-pop, allowing the album to slow down and become more introspective when needed. It all succeeds in doing what it is trying to, but it's hard to not still roll your eyes at the very thought of this album. It is just too cheesy, too cream-filled (a-yo?), too passé, and too predictable. But, I can't help but get into it a little bit. Not via the major hit, Holding Back the Years, no, no, no, no 80s ballads for me, thank you. Rather, I think it does its upbeat tracks rather well, and while it is no Talking Heads in the groove department, it can still be relatively solid for what's there, and I could say I enjoyed it with relative ease. It really isn't special, or frankly, good, but I had my fun with it, and luckily the CD wasn't too prominent yet, otherwise I could see this being one of those needlessly long LPs, but we have been saved on this glorious day. Rejoice! 80s mainstream pop is still just okay!
Not an awful album, I’d even listen to a song or two again maybe. But there is nothing here that warrants a place on this list.
Helt okej album, lätt att lyssna på, bra låtar och ändå ett ganska blandat sound. Även om jag sparade många av låtarna så var det kanske inte det bästa jag någonsin hört. Inte det snyggaste albumcover heller.
This album did have a handful of great moments, but on the whole it just drags on a bit too much for my liking.
Some good tunes on here and the vocalist is very good. Personally, I dislike the instrumentation - just not what appeals to me. Jazz, some blues.
Come To My Aid // Heaven // Holding Back The Years //
Simply Red. No tiene Stars.
One of the most 80s sounding records. Meh Rating: 2.7
I like how genre expansive this is. Was not expecting to like it so much but it has some good moments. Not really memorable songs
It was okay, nothing astounding.
Come To My Aid is pretty cool opener. Picture Book is a pretty cool closer. The middle varies. The cover of "Heaven" in the style of an androgynous '80s Joe Cocker viscerally upset me on the first listen but was good on round 2 once I got over the shock.
Not bad
Actually liked this a lot :)
Yet another 80’s/90s British pop band. Sheesh. Overall, this is better than a lot of these bands that dominate the 1001 albums project. The fact that I’m overloaded with these bands, and frankly bored with the genre doesn’t help my ability to enjoy this album. But it’s well done, and not every song is stereotypical Britpop. There real piano and real horns, even. At least sometimes. Solid soul feel. at least sometimes. Then it would swerve back into generic mid 80s pop. I have to admit that I liked this a lot more than I expected. At least sometimes. Of course, my expectations were pretty low. But for me it’s a solid 3, as there’s a good bit of solid music along with the ‘meh”. But too much meh to go higher. The big hit “Holdin Back The Years” (#1 in US, #2 in UK) is a probably the blandest, most soul-less, boring east song on the album. 3/5
Ok, I actually have his greatest hits album, which I have listened to once. To me, he is the quintessential one hit wonder. None of his other songs ever reach the level of smooth as “Holding back the Years.” Check that. Add “If you don’t know me by now” which is a cover, so maybe my point still holds. I really, really wanted to like his stuff, too.
gotta be in the right mood for that level of 80s. but "holding back the years" is a bop
2.5/3.0 Not my bag but has it's moments. Super competent and if you like a light Jazz, early to mid 80s style, this might click for you. I liked the more downbeat tracks best. The dub vibe on the title track at the end was a pleasant diversion
Simply boring. Not horrible, though.
Not bad.
There are a lot of interesting musical choices from unique instruments to genre mixing to lyrics that don't quite go where you expect. But at its core this album just isn't deep or exciting or that fun. I can see it's appear as a pop act of its time but there's no real itch that it scratches today.
Mellow album, was ok.
Inoffensive but also not good
Very good
Nan would be having a field day. Yesterday Rod Stewart and today Simply Red. I have heard a lot of Simply Red but never an album, in fact I did not know he released music so early as most songs I like are early 90's. I was already quite excited because I love this genre. I get it is basically pop but I just love the enthuses on the bass and how each part is played it is so nice and groovy. There is a huge amount of classics from it, however I think artists started to fall back on it and sort of burn it out. I kind of had that with this album, the 3 good songs were really great but the rest felt a little like it blended into one. From the classics I know (including Holding Back the Years) I was constantly hoping for more from each song. Overall it was a great sound but kinda fell off as an album but a great debut nonetheless. 3/5 Stand Out Songs: Come to My Aid, Money's Too Tight Holding Back the Years
I enjoy this album in a lot of spots, but, honestly, I feel like I'd enjoy this band more as a subject on One Hit Wonderland, y'know?
Well, it was better than yesterday. Actually, it was basically fine. Upbeat Simply Red is definitely preferable to crooning Simply Red, which there is too much of here. Money's Too Tight... is an absolute stonker though, and lifts it up the rankings. Also, the first song is very good indeed. Some killer, mucho filler.
Aiight. Very 80s
A great album but having owned it from its first release it has become repetitive and not easy to settle into, every opening few bars awakes a memory but very quickly I am looking for the next track.
Everyone told me it’s not good but I enjoyed it. Not the best record in the world but still decent.
Red Headed Soul? One would think it was an American soul album. It is all very pleasant, some disco-ish songs. Going back to the British-centric list, where's Rufus/Chaka Kahn? Blue eyed soul but not real soul, that's an issue for me. 3*
Soulful and 80s. I actually liked it, especially “Heaven”.
Sounded like every 80’s album ever
Simply Red. No tiene Stars.
Couldn’t get into it
Ta bonito
Eh. Felt too long.
Not a fan of this ass whiggly kind of muzak but I can cut this some slack. Hucknall‘s voice really is soulfully perfect, the band shows its talent especially when let off the leash.
First couple songs were great. But the rest was more or less generic 80s. Some social commentary on money issues but otherwise didn’t seem too special to me
New wave, blue eyed soul that sounds a lot like George Michael. Not bad but no reason to include this one on the list.
I’m guessing this guy was bigger in the UK than the US? Never heard of him before. The sax solo in “sad old red” was fire. VERY 80s production. I do prefer George Michael’s version of this overall vibe.
Simply Red. No tiene Stars.
Wow. That album is way more of a party than little orphan Funkhouser on the cover implies. I'm glad he's not sucking record executive dick for fame anymore. Sounds like he went through some dark times for a while there. But he persevered, made it through, just a boy with his jazz hands and hope. Good for him.
I think I've heard of Simply Red before, and certainly have heard their big hits, "Holding Back the Years" and the cover of "Money's Too Tight (to Mention)", but I doubt I knew those were by Simply Red, and I also seriously doubt I've ever heard the rest of the album. I also really enjoyed the experience of listening to and watching the album through the CD+G Museum's decoding of the enhanced CD, in all its 4-bit glory (and lots of trivia and factoids alongside great pixellated photos and not-so-great pixellated graphics). I'm sort of surprised to find out this won the Grammy for best new artist, as it wasn't a particularly compelling album to me. But certainly enjoyable, and I would never have guessed they were British, which speaks to their tight sound and a well-produced soul-inspired album.
Come to My Aid - Incredibly fun, poppy and catchy Sad Old Red - Great jazzy vibe and stellar sax solos Look at You Now - Fun instrumentation but some annoying vocal repetitions Heaven - Nice soft rock song, not too standout, a bit repetitive instrumentation Jericho - Catchy beat, great vocal work in the first half, a bit repetitive after breakdown Money's Too Tight - MJ song with (presumably) less controversy Holding Back the Years - Great ballad Red Box - Did not really like this one No Direction - Liked it more than I expected but still nothing standout, keyboards were a bit grating at times Picture Book - Amazing vocal work, great final track, maybe the best song on the album
come to my aid best song
Pretty nice music, soulful while being its own thing. Not so sure about that Talking Heads cover, but oh well. C
A few excellent tracks, sadly the rest are not worth mentioning. Just shy of 4 stars.
Uninspired
Nice music, great voice, some hits. But didnt amazed me.
Contains a classic, you wait for the classic, the classic passes, you wonder why.
Fun 80s pop. I can totally get why someone would nerd out about this, it's just not my thing. I was dancing a little listening to this though, there's something to be said about that.
3 stars
Pure 80s smooth listening here
nice 80er vibe :)
I didn't think that the album with a forlorn red-haired child would fit the description of pop-soul, but boy was I wrong. There was a lot of good variance to the album, while still having a lot of consciousness about who was performing the songs and what they wanted to say
Didn't hate it, didn't loooove it. Was just a little bored.
Pretty okay. If it were a bit more cohesive maybe it'd be a 4
I was looking forward to this one the second I saw it. I've never deep dove into Simply Red's catalogue, but "If You Don't Know Me by Now" and "Holding Back the Years" are two of my all-time favorites. Two things kinda surprised me about this one... First: How much I DIDN'T love the songs that weren't HBTY. Second: So much saxophone, and that's not a complaint. Beautiful beautiful saxophone, but all in all, I don't see myself revisiting this one a lot.
Pretty chill one. I think I knew a few of these songs already, vaguely.
nice surprise
I was a little distracted while listening to this. But from what I heard, decent. 3
C'est de la bonne musique, je peux comprendre l'attrait et l'impact sur la scène. C'est vraiment très typique de son époque. Mais ça ne me rejoint pas particulièrement. Je crois par contre que ça a sa place ici. 6/10
couple groovy ones, some got kinda stale especially with the remixes though
It's interesting how some albums sound like they are fresh and this one sounds like it is very 1985 due to the heavy brass.
Oh this was such a fresh sound when it came out, that fusion of soul and pop. I didn’t own it myself but it’s so familiar, I think one of my uni mates must have had it. It was so good to hear pop music that was overtly political. “Did the earth move for you, Nancy?” Hucknall’s voice is so distinctive that I suppose it’s inevitable it sounds a bit samey now. Entertained to learn from Wikipedia that “Hucknall was among the people present at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester in June 1976 where the Sex Pistols were playing” Favourite track - Holding Back the Years
"Holding back the years" is the standout and previously known single. This was gentle soft rock. Well done, but I prefer encountering it as I did previously as an unknown-to-me some hits wonder. Also the lead singer seems to be a bit of a narcissist about being a ginger. The band's name and several tracks are "simply" references to him being a redhead. Perhaps he is just a guy and not a narcissist, but the constant references to him and his ginger hair are overdone.
SR was almost a symbol of abuse way back. Safe 80s funk with a couple of hits. The pint sized ginger guy has a voice but its all so nice. Not a fan of the Heaven cover.
Enjoyed it more than I expected - good white boy soul, without his ego getting in the way. The famous tracks are the most annoying, a preview of what was to come. Soundtrack to many a boomers shagathons
I like holding back the years but otherwise this reeks of talented musicians put to the back to satiate the need to make a "star".
Sounds like running away with drugs and cash on an airboat in Savannah swamps
He really can sing, but it’s a little too white and soft for me
If I'm gonna listen to yacht rock, this will do.
Not bad for something from the 80s. But it should stay in the 80s. I did not think this was anything special.
Pas si mal de souvenir. Aucun intérêt de souvenir aussi.
C'était pas mal, on s'approche gentillement des 1000 albums, et on a toujorus autant hâte d'en terminer.
Cheesy but I can see why the 80s mums liked them, he does have a good voice and they have good tunes
Got some good tracks, i bet this band plays at Yoshi's in Oakland. Chill Vaporwave vibes.
3+
Does one big single (Holding Back the Years) make for a great album? Between Mick Hucknail's sultry voice (and piano work) and the rest of the band's jazzy sound, this does feel like a throwback to 60's soul and Motown. But not quite the same thing. I'll admit the album got better on multiple listens, but there's a cap on my admiration for it. Besides the big single, Heaven was really, really good. Come to My Aid, Money's Too Tight to Mention (a remake), and No Direction were also good. Songs like Jericho and Open Up the Red Box kinda stunk in my opinion.
Smooth white jazz, 80s style.
Started out as like WHAM but less upbeat, fizzled out by the end. I'm kinda disappointed really
Kinda weird, like the Carrot Top of electronic music. It was okay, but can’t say it was amazing in any way. Groovy.
Watched the CD+G version for the full 80s experience. See The CD+G Museum on youtube for all the videos. Even the graphics they chose was fairly bland and inoffensive.
Simply Red. No tiene Stars.
Mixed bag
Simply Red reminds me of a neighbor that lived next door to mom and dad around 1990. The Nolans? The lady was a big SR fan. "Holding back the years" is a dope song. But a lot of the tracks are cheese.
Hele rare combi van super poppy en prima soul. Echt om en om ook, in ieder geval aan het begin. De soul is goed, de pop: not so much. Dus we pakken de middenweg met 3 sterren.
6/10
interesting sound - surprised I've never heard of him before.
Unique voice. Good singer. Some songs were ok to dance to, but I never got into Simply Red. Couldn't recall a single title.
Was expecting my memory of this band being bad to ruin the listen. But a few songs were unexpectedly pleasing and I hummed along to the two radio hits.
I enjoyed this more than expected for reading the reviews. Upbeat vibes were a nice break.
My dislike for this album is completely unjustified but it's still there. Every song just feels a little bit off. Can't really explain it though. Talent is obvious though so 3.5 stars
simply...
I created a playlist on Spotify called "Cheese" that includes songs I really enjoy but that I'm ashamed to admit I like. That list includes, as it's title track, "Holding Back the Years", so admittedly, I was a little surprised to see this record on the grand 1001. Reminiscent of Hall & Oates but missing some of their pop appeal and catchy hooks. Even so, I found this mostly enjoyable in a fluorescent lights, smell of popcorn, Woolworth's nostalgia sort of way. Notable tracks: "Holding Back the Years", "Money Too Tight to Mention" (unsurprisingly).
Kommen wir je wieder heraus aus dem meh Loch?
Best Song: Holding Back The Years. A nice, laidback, gentle soul track. Well-measured. Worst Song: Heaven. There are limits to where blue-eyed soul will take you, and this cheeseball mess is mashed up against that limit. Overall: More soulful than I expected, less than it could (should?) have been.
No
An interesting album but one that I was not crazy about. It’s definitely serviceable, but nothing special in my opinion.
Not the peak of sophistipop, but listenable. The cover of Money’s Too Tight (to Mention) is the highlight.
80s blues & soul. Great voice & I enjoy Holding Back the Years, but it's not my speed.
Molto Simply Red, la prima, 'Come to my aid' è quella che preferisco
Didn't hate it, compared to some albums where I have had an immediate visceral revulsion to this was fine, just a bit meh though.
HL: title track, “Holding Back the Years”, “Heaven”, “Money’s Too Tight” Kind of an amalgam of synthy sophistipop and more organic, R&B sounding tracks. Definitely wasn't expecting the Talking Heads cover. You could say the duller patches made the standouts.... stand out more. August 24, 2023
Ok. A couple of good songs. I do like the tone of his voice
There's a tension on this album between the Simply Red who wants to play smooth, 60s-style soul and the Simply Red who wants to fit in with the big synthy sound of pop music in 1985. I don't have to tell you which of the two sounds better and which has held up better over time. The band really shines when they remember to lean into the soul. The downbeat numbers ("Holding Back the Years," "Picture Book," "Heaven") are really lovely, and the best showcase for Mick Hucknall's wonderful vocal. Of the upbeat numbers, "Money's Too Tight (to Mention)" and "Come to My Aid" really swing. Fave Songs: Holding Back the Years, Money's Too Tight (to Mention), Come to My Aid, Jericho, Sad Old Red, Picture Book
Not as shit as I expected
Irish R&B. One of a kind, but requires a certain taste in music.
Pop rock. Alguna conocida. Ni fu ni fa.
Simply Red. No tiene Stars.
Pop ochentero inglés un tanto falto de chispa. Buena voz, pero con tonos un tanto monótonos. Para escuchar en un ambiente muy relajado
An interesting spin on 80's pop with soul vocals. Quite pleasant and a nice listen during work. But ultimately, rather forgettable.
kinda cool vibe!
Two great songs, one of which is Talking Heads cover. I still haven't decided whether the lead singer is a dude or a woman. I guess it doesn't matter.
Too pop for my taste, but nevertheless includes Monkeys too tight to mention. A classic 80s party song.
There are some very catchy singles but I didn't feel that way about everything on the album. Some songs are pretty dull compared to the hits which weakens the album's structure as a whole. Highlights: Money's Too Tight To Mention, Holding Back The Years
Giving this an extra star because 'Holding back the years' makes me think about 'Only Fools and Horses'.
I really thought I'd hate this, but it's a decent listen though gets a bit naff near the end
Solid performances, liked the jazzy bits. Overall a decent album, but nothing special.
Trim out some of that cheese and make this LP a 10".
Pop rock. Alguna conocida. Ni fu ni fa.
Forgotten '80s. Did this guy guest star on The Love Boat...? I'm pretty sure that this album lives there. Funny enough, this wasn't as irritating as I thought it may be. I genuinely didn't mind it.
There is some cheesy sounding 80s stuff in here, sure. But there are also quite a few higher energy tracks too. I heard some disco influence and a track or two that reminded me of Steely Dan. Overall I’m surprised I enjoyed it a little bit.
Eh the music was simply just ok. I didn’t hate it but nothing really stood out to me.
I don't really know why this has so many negative reviews? I mean yeah it's a pop-soul album with 80s production wich makes it at some points meh... but it's really not that terrible. definitely not a 10/10 masterpiece but for me it's a nice6/10 (3/10)
Singles: -------------------------------------------- Money's Too Tight (to Mention) (#13 UK, #28 USA) Come to My Aid (#66 UK) Holding Back the Years (#2 UK, #1 USA) Jericho (#53 UK) Open Up the Red Box (#61 UK) Standouts: Holding Back the Years, Money's Too Tight to Mention, Others: Sad Old Red, Heaven, Jericho, Red Box, Picture Book 3.5/5
Some of the songs kind of morph together. Heaven and holding back the years for example.
Positiivinen yllätys. Menevä ja tasainen.
Album is ok. Too many bad songs to be higher. But some parts of some songs are pretty good.
I was baited into thinking this was British pop by my friends. This is a lot more Jazzy/soul-like/alternative than rock. It's pretty good and enjoyable to listen to. The lead singer doesn't have a silly accent so it's even more enjoyable. The slower songs are still good, but not really my speed. Their use of sax and horns really compliment the music in a way that doesn't make it sound like it's trying too hard to be ska or any other type of genre. They do a really good job of mixing genre's track to track. The song Jericho has some serious Michael Jackson vibes to it. I was going to give this a 4, but the middle section of the album slows down a lot. While they are still good tracks they don't really "wow" me a whole lot. It picks up more toward the end of the album and really closes it out well. It's a pretty short album consisting of about 10 songs (not including the extra remixes and extended tracks). It got close to being a low 4 but the mid-section really dragged the album down. It's a high 3/5
i was led to believe this would be bad. it was just fine.
It's not a bad album, I just can't figure out what separates this album from other synth-pop/R&B albums in the 1980's. It's fine and there are good songs, yet it does not belong here.
VERY 80's. Not my favorite. Lots of synth and keyboard. Music is tight.
Generic 80’s stuff…blah blah blah…..holy shit I know that song!
Honestly not bad but not too satisfying either. I don’t personally mind it but it does sound empty to my ears at parts and I only wish there was more, and kind of cliche with a very 80’s defining sound. It’s not bad by any means but does feel barebones, which makes sense knowing it’s their debut. I’m not sure if anyone else feels the same but that’s what I got from this experience
Well-crafted songs, well-played musicianship, and well sung. But I think it's too formal & too formulaic (in their own way, in what they are able to write & play) to be really original and really emotional (also inspirational).
Good singing, but not really my thing.
too dad music for me
Erg van genoten. Nog verassend gevarieerd ook. Prima album.
Classic met een paar heerlijke nummers. Vind het wel een beetje musical muziek achtig en kan er niet té lang naar luisteren. Drie sterren voor holding back the years, jericho, heaven
Prima jaren 80 album om op de achtergrond te hebben staan!
Es un disco repleto de energía ochentera. La voz es muy buena, las letras en cambios no tienen muchos contenido. La realidad es que las vibras levantan el proyecto a montones y hacen que sea super escuchable 6,5/10
This was a classic 80's album. Listening to Picture Book is like taking a bubble bath with a glass of wine in hand - it's the ultimate stress reliever. You can just sit back, close your eyes, and let Mick Hucknall's soulful voice transport you to a place of pure zen. Picture Book is packed with some seriously groovy tunes. "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" is a certified bop, and "Come To My Aid" will have you swaying your hips like Mick Jagger on stage. Overall, I highly recommend Picture Book to anyone in need of a little R&R. So, grab a glass of something chilled, kick back, and let Simply Red work their magic.
Solid Standouts: Holding Back the Years, Money's Too Tight to Mention Others: Sad Old Red, Heaven, Jericho, Picture Book Rating: 3.5
Pretty diverse pop album. It does start to drag towards the end.
I thought I liked most 1980s pop but this album proved that even I have limits sometimes.
Besides the hit singles from this album by Simply Red, I hadn't heard the rest of the songs and was somewhat surprised how jazz-influenced it is. Mick has a strong voice and carries the songs, but the music has a slick faux-jazz, R & B sound that is okay, but wears thin quickly. I was never a fan of Simply Red, simply because of the songs I heard on the radio never interested me. As a whole, a strong debut, but definitely not my idea of essential.
This is so yacht-core and silly. I just don’t like the album altogether. The single here is an all-time great to most extents. But otherwise I find the whole affair very…taxing. I will probably never put this through a relisten.
Simply has an extraordinary voice. Let down by some of the material, but so absolute crackers in there too, including of course the singles.
It’s pretty good. I know a few of the songs and the rest are sung by that same unique voice. Question is, will that voice get tired after hearing too much of it? For now, I like it. 3/5
This album is like every genre of music...
Good background music
I enjoyed this more than I thought. I put my prejudice against Mick Hucknell aside and tried to listen to it with fresh ears. He does have a great Blue Eyed Soul voice and the songs on the first album are really good. Never was a fan of the singles - I can't put my finger on why exactly
Okej album, lagan. Neće ići u rotaciju.
Pretty complete as an album, flows well with some catchy songs - but totally 80's 3.5/5
Before I listened to this, I knew I always liked "Money's Too Tight to Mention" and that I never liked "Holding Back the Years." So I was curious to know how I'd like the whole album. Turns out, it was kind of the same hot and cold feeling. I liked the song I always thought was "Come to My Head" so it was a good start, but at the end I really disliked "No Direction" and "Picture Book." I had to go back to the beginning to remember that I did really like some of it. It's kind of all over the place, so I'm going to place it in the middle.
I have never loved Simply Red. Something just feels like it is missing for me whenever I hear one of his tunes. I thought that perhaps an album might open my eyes to the allure, but there were no hidden gems in here for me to bring me around. When I thought that maybe I should give it a second listen just in case it would grow on me, I just couldn't bring myself to do it today.