Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Never been a fan, not my style.
The hit is a hit but this was shockingly unenjoyable to listen to…
Not my cup of tea, sounded quite dated to me.
No es para nada mi rollo
Not fully my vibe but pretty interesting.
8/10
So fun
Simply Red must be a band huge in England but as an American born a decade after the formation of Simply Red, I have literally never heard of them until this popped up in the 1001+ album generator. I'm going in as blind into an album as any other band thus far, the closest before was Faces--a band I already knew about. Quite an interesting album: the first sound sounds very disco inspired as the second one sounds like a big band live(?) performance with a crooner. Then they finally go in on the 80s synths on "Look At You Now"(holy DX7 batman). There's a Talking Heads cover of Heaven on here, and it's not good. Jericho closes side one to make this record definitely feel like it's stuck in the 80s. Side two opens with the two biggest hits on the album that launched Simply Red into the UK pop landscape. Money's Too Tight is a cover from an R&B band from Cincinnati that translates well to a UK audience. I'll Keep Holding On is the big hit Simply Red had in America, which is one of those songs you hear extensively in grocery stores and no where else. I used to work at one of those places, which makes me biased against the song when it's played on those crappy speakers. Now at home with a more hi-fi set up, hearing the little extra session music instrumentation adds much needed spice to the song, but it's still not something I would seek or search for, but it makes the DX7 sound a lot more grand. The rest of Side 2: Red Box feels like filler: nothing special happening in this song. No Direction is a nice shake-up of tempo, though at this point in the album I'm getting a bit tired of Hucknall's vocals. Picture Book, the self-titled song, concludes the album in a big (reverb) sounding fashion, with cryptic lyrics that finish an album filled of a variety of different sounds, blurring together as a 1980s cocktail of experimental, pop-infused innovation on a variety of blues/rhythm and blues inspired music. This is probably the most "okay" record I've heard thus far. I see its influence, not as much its importance beyond its presentation. I am so whelmed that it does not change my adamant nature on this album: probably really engaging when it came out, but sounds stuck in the 80s. Not a lot of re-engagement for me on this one, my favorite tracks being Sad Old Red and Look At You Now. I don't really want to write more about this. Is it worthy of being in the 1000+ music to hear before you die? very strong "eh" there, the big hits on this album are still played on 80s stations, but Simply Red did not realyl breakout overseas, they seemed like they were content being a UK/European band or sound of the time, America preferred pop music that was much more into vanity, something like this would not last too long. I would've replaced this album with something like Seal II. Perhaps I discount some good number of artists that loved Simply Red and were very inspired by this record to do their own famous records, but I don't hear any of that discussion.
Mick Hucknall has a beautiful voice, but this album is more background music in an 80s wine bar. I preferred his dreadlock space hippy phase.
Emballé au début par cette pop / synthé a la george Michael et finalement ca s'essouffle
a little disco at first but then all chill. good rainy day album
1980’s pop with a soul twist this is the first album by “Simply Red” and contains his hits “Holding Back the Years” and “Money’s too Tight to Mention”. Great album the 80’s synth keyboard sounds but with real bass and drums … the only thing that has not aged well are some of the “shout choruses” … they may have been a cool throw back thing in the 80s… but they sound really cheesy now. 4 stars
Something Good: Liked the really heavy percussion hits. Very 80s. Something Bad: Eh nothing stands out in a bad way, but nothing really in a good way. Best song: Come to My Aid
I appreciate Mick Hucknall's voice; dude can belt and he knows it. The songs unfortunately just run together and are mostly unremarkable 80s pop. Credit for "Holding Back the Years" which carried over from his previous band, but overall don't need to listen again.
Heaven is half decent. Elsewhere there really isn’t much to enjoy
Damn good!
Ok, but kinda boring
Several song, two good ones.
Soft rock from the 80s. Not bad for background music.
“Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)” and “Holding Back the Years” are each essential, and the cover of Talking Heads’ “Heaven” isn’t far behind. Hucknall’s voice is rich and evocative. I had Picture Book on vinyl back in the day, and I played the dickens out of it, particularly Side Two. So good.
Unexpectedly groovy. Love that '80s sound.
***** Simply....great! Always loved that album, what a cool sound, what phantastic songs!
Saw that Simply Red was tagged as a Pop act so I figured I’d listen on my run today, thinking it would at the very least bring some good energy. Well, that was a miss assessment, this was dull, listless, uninteresting drivel. Synth Pop can be awesome when it’s done right, I don’t think this was done right. Also, Mick Hucknall looks like a bit of a douche. Apparently he was a punk rocker prior to this… poser. 2 stars
Not for me
Brilliant debut album from Simply Red. I'm not sure they ever surpassed it. Many great original tracks: Holding back the years Picture book Look at you now Plus outstanding covers: Heaven Money's too tight to mention
1. aid -0 2. zad - 0 3. nouu - 0 4. Heaven - 1 5. Jericho -0 6. Money - 0 7. Year's - 1.5 8. Box - 0 9. Direction -1 10. Picture - 1
Gosh. Len Houmous and Mick Hicknall had some wild nights out! Apparently the song fairground was written about a night out at the fairground they shared together! 3.3 6/9 Holding Back The Years
Simply Dreadful
Good voice, but overall sounds dated
Wasn’t bad per se, just definitely not my style. Not a record I would ever play myself. I just watched The Burdcage and it reminds me of the music that was in the skundtrack
98/1001 :: Simply Red - Picture Book Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Rating: 1 Listen before you die: No If I owned an easy listening 80s radio station this whole thing would be on repeat. Thank God I don’t. This album was Simply Bad.
This is a miss for me, sounded like an 80s album for sure, but it didn't stand out.
This is not my genre. I don't hate it (yet), I like some of the funk influence, but impression during track 1 is its going to have to fight for every star above 1. But Track 2 and I'm leaning 3. Great cover of Heaven, Track 4. OK, so it started with cheesy 80s synth funk. But it opened up into a decently groovy jazz vocal R&B kind of thing that dialed back those 80s synths to a tolerable level and won me over as I round the middle with Open Up The Red Box. I'm not rating the extended tracks, but I'll say they did not help the average.
Amazing stretch of songs on this album with tons of surprises. I thought it’d all be groovy like the first song, only for them to get jazzier and even includes a fantastic Talking Heads cover of Heaven, and they killed it. Very rare for this book to give me a new album this amazing. Really wish it happened more.
This was a good album. Another album that wasn’t too dated
Meh, I get it's supposed to be great but, meh
The only song I liked was Sad Old Red - sounded a little jazzy. I couldn't figure out why this album was on the list until I got go Holding Back the Years, a muzak staple in certain stores.
Very boring and bland. Even the “hits” on this baffled me; I can almost always tell why a song is a hit, even if I don’t care for the song personally. No clue what anyone saw in this album.
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.
I find a certain level of comfort in 80's synth heavy pop.
Well that's the first time I've ever heard "Reaganomics" in a song lyric. I haven't heard a Simply Red song since the last time I sat through one on the radio with my finger poised over the record button in hopes that the song after it wouldn't suck. I had a good run, I guess.
Ugh. I expect these albums to be really good and/or culturally significant. Where does this even fall? It’s FINE.
Too 80's and disco type pop for my taste. Hucknall's voice is unique which can be both good and bad. I liked "Holding Back The Years". Even with that song I'd only want to hear it sparingly.
Something makes me think they recorded this just because they wanted some money
Way too long but quite enjoyable
I bought this album when it came out, and I quite enjoyed it. That enjoyment faded pretty quickly. I guess I got bored with the synthetic quality of the music (a widespread sin of many groups during the 1980s). I like Hucknall’s voice, and (at its best) the band can be quite soulful. But the music often sounds synthetic and soulless.
Followed a couple bangers so this one fell a little flat. It wasn’t terrible but there was a lot of 80s/90s dated flair that didn’t quite hit with me. Not a cohesive album statement with live and studio mix. Not bad, but not for me.
Better than I expected but not blowing me away either. Has some nice moments but it is definitely corny at times. Very 80s sounding and chill music, my fondness for the era and its sounds helps. Can’t really give this more than a 3.
K mart music
I know a couple of Simply Red songs, and one of them, "Holding Back the Years," happens to be on this album. What good luck! Based on that song, and "If You Don't Know Me By Now," I expect this album to be pretty chill pop music. I tend to enjoy eighties music though, so maybe this will be a pleasant surprise. Picture Book didn’t blow me away, but it was better than I expected. This album had a unique sophistipop sound, rounded out with good vocals, smooth keyboards, and good songwriting on some of the songs. I expected this album to have really smooth and laid-back sound, but there were some songs that leaned more into pop music that really caught me off guard. “Come to My Aid” really grabbed my attention right off the bat. I loved the keyboards and the horns, and the vocals and congas were excellent too. The lyrics were good, and I thought the overall sound was deep and rich. The next track, "Sad Old Red" was more in line with my expectations of what this album would be. The vocals on this song were nice, but the decrease in energy from the previous song really was really jarring. It did get punched up a bit about halfway through, but I wasn't as into this as I was “Come to My Aid.” However, "Look at You Now" picked right up where "Come To My Aid" left off. I enjoyed the punchy guitar, groovy bass, and bright keyboard tones. The repetitive lyrics and vocals wore on me a bit, but I enjoyed the instrumentation. “Money’s Too Tight” had some keyboard melodies that I really loved, a solid beat, and some great lyrics too. I thought that “Holding Back the Years” was the best song on the album though. The emotional weight of the lyrics was great, the main keyboard melody was smooth and memorable, and the trumpet added a perfectly gentle touch. Mick Hucknall’s vocals were at their peak here as well, and for a song with a pretty simple melody, this song is impressively beautiful. Even though there were some songs on this album that I enjoyed, some of them were a touch too long for my liking, and some of them had some boring or repetitive musical elements. Picture Book was fine to listen to, but it just left me wanting more.
This sounds like bad 80’s Aretha Franklin. But at least she used to make good music.
glaub min paper gern simply red? come to my aid meega disco. de sänger? tönt sehr noch chaka khan oder so. sehr cool. sad old red mega jazz und live i guess. ussert s isch fake live. er singt super, walking bass isch geil. aso aber checks nöd eso ganz. look at you now hani nöd so geil gfunde chli nervöse 80er pop. heaven wieder de blue eyed soul stuff. cool, tönt alles chli dünn. jericho wieder chli meh id disco richtig mit de single note giti und so. aber finds etz nöd soo spannend. money's too tight to mention findi wieder recht geil, sehr warms klavier. ich find aber sie hend nöd so melodie irgendwie. er macht afoch öpis irgendwie. so sehr soul mässigi vocals afoch mit chli wenig richtig. de refrain do isch etz no cool. aaah s isch es coveeer. holding back the tears isch premium 80er cheese mit em e-piano und allem. red box bis etz de best, lieb s yamaha e grand ding und s hockt uf de achtel, d stimm im refrain isch chli weird aber de track isch reeecht funky. okay es guets aber chli zielloses album findi. nöd würklich ein sound, de letst track etz isch bitz reggae bass und rieeeesige hall ufem schlagzüg. komischhh. aber find d gitarreparts vom masseur vo liverpool no cool. DRAEI.
NEIMERT WETT DINI EXPANDED EDITION come to my aid macht sehr spass ok chli lang aber cool! sad old red denn ganz en andere vibe hahahah und gad wieder en 180er heaven cheggi scho wiso es git aber chli langwilig :( same für jericho und money's too tight jaa villes ischmer eifach chli z langsam no direction isch na funky gsi ja böö es isch nöd schlecht oder so aber für mich villes chli z langsam
Ehrlich gutes Jazzy Funky album
I didn't realize Holding Back The Years was Simply Red. Ok album. Nothing to write home about.
This was pretty cool. A bit of genre bending. An interesting listen.
Итс окэй. Лучшая песня - Sad Old Red.
extra point for Holding Back the Years
lovely album
This is just not for me. Wishy washy, cheesy, and largely boring. Surely even he got bored of some of these lyrics? Redeeming features????? He’s got a decent voice, some of the music was fun. 1/5 Best Song: ugh idk, No Direction, maybe? Who cares?
Dull, crap soul sung by a bloke with a stupid little voice. Really tough listen, its the music of the aunt your family doesn't really see that much anymore. 1/5
The interesting songs are worse covers. The shit songs are theirs. Not a fan of Mick Hucknall's voice or style.
Good collection of RnB/pop songs with a couple of big single hits. Probably not bettered by them since.
It was pretty average. It wasn't bad at the beginning, but it got annoying toward the middle
This is near-peak white dude soul. Unmemorable, and eye-roll worthy.
I like it. On the edge of being too long but overall it’s still pretty good. Good vocal as well, they sound very casual but the notes are already very high. And they do a lot of runs. It was a really good surprise for me. I could be wrong but I think except for heaven, every other tracks are 4/4. And many songs have almost the same bpm. So not quite a five.
Fun little 80’s journey. Not a lot stood out as hella unique and without knowing the history I’ll assume they contributed to the distinct sound of the 80’s and didn’t just copy it.
back into a funk groove, and i really enjoyed it. i think we had a bit of disservice by getting the extended version, which has extended cuts of the songs and quite a few repeats. however, the original songs are a blast to listen to. its got a lot of groove behind it, and i could definitely see myself going back to this album.
Really thought I was in for a treat after the first song, I was digging the mid-80s soft rock vibe. I lost some interest in the middle of the album, especially in the random chanting sections included in multiple songs, but I felt like the ending was strong. I hadn't ever heard of Simply Red before and I'm glad he came up on this list so I can check out more of his discography. Could give this album a four, but a three for an artist's debut album is still a good rating.
I don't know why this album's getting such hated reviews. It's about as middle of the road as you can get. Nothing really offensive here apart from maybe a little boring. I wouldn't say it needs to be on a list though.
The more I am learning about ‘80s British pop the more I realize it was all over the place genre wise. Jericho sounds so ‘80s, especially with the muted clean-tone guitar disco scrub and Casio synth. But it immediately follows a very blues-based Heaven. Come to My Aid and Money’s Too Tight vocally could have been off Live’s first album Mental Jewelry. And then was Holding Back the Years, a classic from junior high that came with a flood of memories but good and bland (e.g. radio rotation while driving to work with my mom). Red Box was my favorite track with its poppy callbacks and almost reggae vibe. I don’t know if it was necessary as a 1001-lister but it was a fun album both musically and personally.
Random thoughts: * This was way more upbeat music than I was expecting based on the one-hit I'm already aware of. * I actually dug the extended jams. They kinda got stuck in my head. "Come to My Aid and Money's Too Tight * Holding Back the Years is still great and I still dig it a lot. * I did enjoy the other songs more in that vein too. * Overall good but definitely one you can live without.
Good
Couldn’t listen to it all at once - it took me at least 5-6 tries to get through the album. It’s not necessarily terrible but man was I not in the mood for this today.
actually enjoyed listening
"Picture Book" is the debut album by British pop and soul group Simply Red. Sophisti-pop and blue-eyed soul are the Wiki-listed genres...fair enough. Lead singer and pianist Mick Hucknall had a punk background and formed Simply Red with three ex-members of the post-punk band Durutti Column to showcase his vocals. The band's name was taken from Hucknall's hair color and his allegiance to Manchester United. Besides Hucknall, the bandmembers included Fritz McIntyre (keyboards, backing vicals), Tim Kellett (keyboards, trumpet, backing vocals), Tony Bowers (bass) and Chris Joyce (drums, percussion). The album was a commercial success reaching #2 in the UK and #16 on the US Billboard 200 Chart. The album had decent reviews highlighted by its soul influences, jazz and rock sounds and Hucknall's passionate singing. "Come to My Aid" opens the album. It's bouncy and synth driven, has Chic-like guitars and a disco best. Hucknall has a high-octave, soulful voice. Blue-eyed soul indeed. There's also a trumpet break and a pretty good song overall. I didn't expect them to reach the " when all else fails, break glass with hammer and do a waltz cover of a popular song" by the fourth song. But, they did, and covered Talking Heads' "Heaven." Piano-led in a soulful, R&B version. Hucknall goes to a lower octave in "Jericho." Very 80's-sounding keyboards and a funky bass. More Chic-like guitar. The second side leads off with a cover of the Valentine Brothers' 1982 "Money's Too Tight (to Mention)." Ticking drums and layered synths. A song about economic problems and aiming their blame right at Mr. Ronald Reagan. On their big hit "Holding Back the Years," Hucknall was inspired to right the song using a stream of consciousness style described by his fine arts teacher. You can't hold back when it's your time to leave home and make your mark. A slow song with keyboards, bass, guitar slashes and another quick trumpet fill. Hucknell's vocals shine in a high-octave mode. I admit to knowing only "Holding Back the Years" going into this listen. The album shows a range of styles: jazz, soul, 80's synth-pop, pop and funk. Hucknall has a great voice and shows off his range. The band is solid. There were times, especially with the synths, the music sounded very 1980's. But, overall, this is a decent album and one recommend for its soul, R&B and Hucknall's vocals.
No está mal y conocía casi todas las canciones, pero por alguna razón en los discos de estudio me dan cierta flojera y en los en vivo me gustan mucho más. Creo que con Simply Red me quedaré escuchando los álbumes en concierto y con eso seré feliz.
In the words of Alex Horne, in the song "Money's Too Tight to Mention" he mentions money 57 times. The album itself is fine, albeit dated and a bit uninspiring. It's not bad, but there's nothing to hold it in the esteem of a lot of the other albums on this list.
The whole albums got a nice groove to it. Catchy lyrics and choruses.
4 estrelas
Such an incredible album. All great songs.
This is TERRIBLE. Veering spastically between attrocious, poorly recorded 80s pop and attrocious easy listening soul / jazz that should never have escaped that airport hotel bar ca. 1985. There is some musical talent here, but it's put to crimes-against-humanity-level use. And what's with the drastic variation in production level?? Every other song sounds like it was recorded on a VHS recorder. Album #444 and it has a legit claim to the worst album on the list.
Tremendo descubrimiento, gran sonido, se nota que dejaron influencia en otras bandas posteriores y mayormente en el tracklist se hacen las canciones memorables. Gran álbum!
Really enjoyed this. A talking heads cover never hurts and holding back the years slaps
Hucknall can clearly sing, but I don't care for his voice. The production doesn't help; it all comes across as a bit soulless. Also the Talking Heads version of Heaven is vastly superior.
Unlistenable
Inoffensive to the point of forgettableness for me - Money's too Tight to Mention a groovy little hook, but otherwise the aimless keyboards and a suffusion of meandering vocals means I won't be back.
It was ok, but nothing special.
This feels like a melding of the last dying gasp of disco and some fairly generic British new wave. It's pretty well produced for what it is, but it's not very engaging or interesting.
No es para mi
A mnie się całkiem podobało. Na pewno nie takie, żeby się chciało wyłączyć. Red Box najlepsze, bo najbardziej funkowe/soulowe. Mocne 3/5
Quite a good listen, enjoyed the groove!
There's so much saxophone on this album. I enjoyed the start of the first song. Then the second track kind of ruined it for me and I never recovered. Did not like.
I don't think this could sound more '80s—it all sounds so synthesized. I wonder if I'd like it more if that weren't the case, but probably not. I always found Simply Red schmaltzy, and the more upbeat, funky or even aggressive moments (like "No Direction") don't land, either. I also can't think of Simply Red without thinking of 24 Hour Party People, when God (as Tony Wilson) speaks to Tony Wilson: "It's a pity you didn't sign the Smiths, but you were right about Mick Hucknell. His music's rubbish, and he's a ginger."
Mágico de inicio a fin.
Incredible blue-eyed soul
Oh well. Does this stem from the period when Simply Red was actaually a band rather than Mick Hucknall and sidekicks? Hucknall has a terrific voice here, and I think the success of this album indicated the appetite for classic souls, with a 1980s production twinkle. I am not convinced this is a truly great album - it's a bit backward looking for that.
Excelente disco. Una cosa muy sutil y disfrutable. Música muy fina para oidos muy suculentos. Un deleite.
Holding Back the Years is a classic. Come to My Aid and Money’s Too Tight (to Mention) are pretty good. Look at You Now is also decent (why does it kind of remind me of Talking Heads? Then again, they did cover "Heaven" on here - not too successfully, though). The rest is a bit too cheesy for my liking, with production that sounds too pristine and dated (though I can’t really fault an ’80s record for this, it’s just that I don’t like this kind of sound). Open Up the Red Box made me very uncomfortable. No Direction would be decent if not for those "spooky" voices Mick is making - I found those pretty hilarious. The playing is pretty good throughout.
Fuck it, I love this. Hucknall's vocal style could have had him fronting a hard rock band, but instead he chose to use his powers for an incredibly smooth pop and soul mashup. It succeeds. It's also got a really neat poetic sensibility to it which helps distance it from some of the cheesier pop music of the time.
Not even a cover of one my favourite Talking Heads songs could save this from being a bit of a slog. Everything in Picture Book is just a bit too “of the time” for me to connect. ⭐️⭐️
****a great album, easy listening! Good vocals
Generally sounds like a filler entry in '80s music history instead of an album that's meant to be a standout in the crowd, I think Stars is a cool song (1991) so I'm leaving myself room to believe they could've figured out how to be a little more consistently interesting by then
I bought this album in my mid 20s in a troubling attempt to move with the times. But the trouble with Mick Hucknall, laid bare here, is great voice, terrible songs. So while Holding Back The Years is fabulous, the rest is, well, very ordinary 😐 Trouble all round.
Errr. OK in parts but nondescript. Like AI generic rock.
Not bad at all but nothing major for me
Eh, not for me. Seemed weak.
A competent but ultimately forgettable collection of songs that rely heavily on vocal charisma to carry otherwise dull material. Won't actively seek it out to listen again.
A pretty good listen with a sneaky Talking Heads cover that is the highlight Bobby Caldwell meets Tears For Fears. Unfortunately not as good at either side as the original but still worth the listen
wasn’t expecting this. wish i could hate it because he’s redhead but this is good stuff.
8/19/25. Sleeper hit for me! First time listening to this and can tell I'll have some long-term love for a couple tracks, especially Jericho. Somewhat of a Talking Heads vibe, which I found that David Byrne wrote a song on this.
It was alright. Enjoyed the soul parts more than the synth pop parts
Simply Red’s Picture Book is immaculate—sleek, airbrushed soul dressed immaculately in an Armani suit. Hucknall’s voice is desperate but controlled, like someone begging for mercy while you adjust your tie in the mirror. The horns on “Money’s Too Tight (to Mention)” cut clean, surgical, almost erotic in their sharpness. It’s not revolutionary, but it doesn’t have to be; it radiates style, a perfect veneer. Listening to it, I imagine blood on polished marble, perfectly symmetrical, drying quietly while the chorus plays. It’s beautiful, really.
Irgendwie ist es kitschig, aber irgendwie auch gut. Mag es.
Much derided but I really enjoyed it. A couple of very famous songs that I remember hearing growing up and a lot of good songs on the rest of the album.
Just kinda boring tbh
Good Manc Music!
Very nice.
I didn’t hate this, oddly enough. Seems like something I would hate. Must be in a good mood today. That being said, I almost certainly won’t listen to it again, except for the genius hit, that is.
me gustó, no entendí porque tiene tanto hate, me gusta esa mezcla de pop medio soul funk
2.5
1/5. Disco jazz. Hard pass.
I have no idea what it is because it tries to be too many things at once.
I think this album is a bit overhated here, I don't understand the complaints. It feels a bit soulless or artificial, but only a tiny bit, and it could just be overly clean production. But I can see the appeal. The biggest problem is the lack of flow. I much prefer albums that hold the same style, and perfectly are concept albums. This one ain't.
Nice and smooth pop. I’d go back to this for sure!
I thought I wouldn't like this album. This is good pop. 8/10
Fine, not bad but wasnt sad it ended
Very enjoyable, "Money's too tight" and "Heaven" are good but the last two songs are really boring. Much better than I was expecting.
As I mentioned when I reviewed The Buzzcocks album a week or so ago, Mick Hucknall was in the audience of that legendary Sex Pistols, Lesser Free Trade Hall gig that inarguably shaped the Manchester music scene of the late 70s and well into the 80s. And listening to this you can hear the influence that Johnny Rotten and Co had on a then 16 year old ginger boy. 👀 To be fair, he was in a punk band that followed this and they did record a version of _Holding Back the Years_, although that leans more into garage rock then punk. What you can't deny, is that he has a great voice and I'm not gonna go in too hard on them. They're pretty solid blue-eyed soul, sophisti-pop, if that's your thing and they did release some great tracks. He's also a United fan!
Enjoyable listen but nothing special.
How is this an "essential" album to listen to? It sounds like a producer just needed a placeholder, generic soft rock album for a middling 80s movie.
Solid! Talking Heads cover of Heaven
Never heard before but easy listening
Below average 80s soft rock. Why exactly is this on the list? Holding Back the Years isn't bad, and that's about the best thing I can say about this album.
2.5
Nothing spectacular, but didn't mind this at all! Good vocals and catchy 80s vibes
simply simple... dunno
Dis moi que l'auteur de cette liste est né dans les années 60 sans me dire qu'il est né dans les années 60. Du 80s slop qui mérite probablement même pas d'être sur la liste des meilleurs albums de 1985.
Better than Coldplay
Whoa. Super 80s. Like soft yacht-rock with more pop-80s in it. This album is everything I have needed. I wish the snare was even tighter. Money's Too Tight has so much 80s in it. From the bass line, tight drum beat, to the wiggly synth... it's awesome.
fine
Started off interesting and dropped off quite a lot. 2/5
These all sound like the soundtrack to an 80s movie I would not have watched
A good album for people who can’t make up their mind if they’re in the mood for pop-jazz or disco.
Started well, but lost its drive as it went along. Would have been better if it was determined to be a disco album.
Meh.
This one just didn't grab me like "Life" did.
not as annoyingly stylised as I remembered it
Have you ever thought you knew exactly what you were getting into, only to be totally surprised by what you got into? That’s me with Simply Red. I thought I knew what the band’s album Picture Book was going to be: heavy synths, electronic drums with a new wave sound. Nope. Simply Red’s Picture Book is jazzy and soulful, with powerhouse vocals by lead singer/songwriter Mick Hucknall. The album has an 80’s production style, you know it when you hear it. Otherwise, this album could have been made in Memphis at Stax in 1966. As for standouts, for me, there’s really not a bad song on here. However, I loved Money’s Too Tight, Sad Old Red, and Holding Back the Years, which was the big single off this album. My favorite song on the album is probably Jericho, a Boz Scaggs-type jam. If you’re not a fan of a jazzy/soul sound, you might proceed with caution. I enjoyed this album & while it may not be something I listen to over and over, I will break it out on occasion.
Holding Back the Years didn't really do it for me back in 1985, when I was a twelve year old metal head. But that song has aged well, and I loved the rest of the album. Great Talking Heads cover. 4
Wonderful voice. Some really great tracks but a good chunk of this album just felt kind of monotonous.
I liked a couple of songs from here, but I would have preferred them in an EP.
Sounded like a shitty band that would play at an 80's social. Some catchy ish songs, but nothing special. Don't really understand how it made the list.
Not bad. Some 80s cheese in here
Some cool stuff here
I guess this could probably be called green-eyed soul. While the boy can definitely sing, it's not my bag at all. Icky schmaltzcore for old-fashioned grown-ups 🫥
I was checking out reviews of this, and boy do people hate on Simply Red. For those not around back then, I found the band to be a very fresh sound in the dross of most of what was popular at the time. Mick Hucknall’s voice is sublime. Yes, the 80’s production is dated, but his voice is timeless. And it is a sad reminder of the beginning of the end of America as we know it thanks to the Reaganomics mentioned in “Money’s Too Tight (To Mention).
pretty fun but repetitive. all of the songs sounded pretty good but nothing fully jumped out to me
Good album, sounds very good
Did not listen. Hate simply red!
The reviews for this are mostly terrible. I don’t get that. While I didn’t love it, I thought it was okay for the time it represents, 80s pop.
I think this album has aged as badly as supporting new Labour and the Iraq invasion. I didn't mind "Jericho", and "money's too tight to mention" reminded me of the Rathergood.com flash video where they swap the word "money" with "bunny", which made me chuckle. Competent music but couldn't wait to put something else on.
Some good songs like Moneys Too Tight To Mention and Holding Back The Years, production is very "80s", I prefer the later albums.
While the performances and grooves are strong, over the course of an album this fades into a pleasant but ultimately unmemorable set of easy listening jazzy R&B tunes. That background music feel makes it a rather dull active listening experience.
3/5. He feels similar to Van Morrison, a little more poppy and a little less jazzy, but still soulful. It's good for the most part and catchy, but also inoffensive, so a little less risk taking than there could be. The Heaven cover is unique and different, which is how covers should be usually to make them worthwhile. The original songs follow similar formulas, with repeated lyrics for the chorus from background singers. The album was pretty solid, and of the singles, I liked them for the most part, so it was a good listen. Best Song: Money's Too Tight (to Mention), Heaven, Come To My Aid
I knew the song Holding Back the Years, but didn't know anything else. I had no idea Simply Red had that level of success or staying power (they still get 7M monthly listens. I didn't really get into this album. The one other song I kind of liked is Jerico.
Not bad, but the third star in this rating lies squarely on the back of "Holding Back The Years" and the fact they did a Talking Heads cover.
My mom really liked this album. Didn't precisely hold up, but not an unpleasant listen.
2 nsterne
I was really into these when they came out and they were excellent Iive, Terence Trent D’arby supporting! Of course this was well before we all found out what a cunt Mick Hucknall was, “a Rasta mystic gave me this stick”FFS! Still sounds pretty good listening back now to be fair. And surely no body can argue the ginger bellend had a great singing voice. Love the story about Martine McCuteon throwing up in his dreads😆
A band I have always heard of, but never (?) heard. The refrain "I'll keep holding on" from Holding Back the Years was the only part I recognised, and I have never liked it. I don't think I've been missing anything much else based on this album. Soft synthy love songs, trite and VERY uninteresting, my least favourite.
Likening this to an actual picture book, there’s not much beneath the surface.
Jazz ok
Simply Red being simply meh and simply redundant.
Schmaltzy and dripping with mid-80s mass appeal, Simply Red's blue-eyed soul is easy to dismiss, but perhaps not so easy to deny.
I was shocked to find the reviews so low - I thought this was so fun! Super funky and jazzy. I had a great time with it. Nuts 2 da h8rs
i got this the day after ABC's far better The Lexicon of Love, so that was always going to be hard to top. sadly, this album doesn't really do it for me. it starts off with a few fun, energetic tracks (look at you now's funky strumming patterns and guitar solo really hit for me), but by the time jericho rolls around, it's just drab, wannabe-sade and mediocre ballads for days. idk, this just isn't it. favorites: come to my aid, sad old red, look at you now, money's too tight to mention
Quite fun
5/10 - It was kind of strange
Not good
Generally, I was surprised by how much I liked this.
There are some real speed bumps in this as an album but a lot of it was really good stuff
this is riiiiiight on the other side of goofy 80s production i enjoy. another album in the "vocals drive me fucking bonkers" bin. 2.5
At times kind of reminiscent of Phil Collins? Not bad but also not compelling, 2.5
No es mi género. Sonido y voz impecables pero se me ha hecho muy pesado
so 80's, but did not stand the test of time very well
Just very safe middle of the road album doesn't really capture me but is pleasant enough.
Sometimes the production sounds a bit more artificial than I'd like to hear from soul, but I guess that's because it's a new wave soul combination? I guess the songs don't really stick with me too much, but it's a totally pleasant listen (though that's the case with like 95% of sophisti-pop for me).
I actually enjoyed this one. I wouldn't really call it pop music though. It's got more of a soulful, jazzy vibe with a little bit of funk sprinkled in. Definitely not what I usually go looking for, but I can't say I minded it. It is one of those albums that if it came on in the background, I'd just let it play. Nothing made me want to add it to my playlist though. It was smooth, easy to listen to and honestly pretty pleasant.
I really enjoyed a lot of this. Specifically, the first half. It wore on me slowly throughout, but it's a very creative sound that I can appreciate. Fun and dancy. Very Phil Collins. I'd never heard of these guys before so I'm glad I listened.
Mmm I really disliked this, and the cover of Heaven is a crime, but my 1-star albums have a real "gross guy you avoid at the bar" vibe and Ol' Red here seems mostly harmless.
This was an easily dismiss-able group in the 80s, so I was anxious to see if they might have been better than I remember. Not really, though I did gain a slightly higher level of respect for the variety of music on this album and the musicianship itself.
Some of the backing stuff was ok, but I found the vocals annoying and a lot of the lyrics were dogshit
A couple of decent songs on here, but the rest were average. My favourite was probably Money's Too Tight.
I don't know why but Mick Hucknall has such a damn punchable face for me. I struggled to get past that listening to this album. I kinda liked Sad Old Red. Did not expect a song on Reganomics but sure, why not! (Turns out its a cover and doesn't do much different from the original which is a cardinal sin IMO) Holding Back the Years ain't all that good.
2,4/5
My mum always listened to Simply Red, I remember when "Stars" was released she had it on repeat. I'm certain I could still sing all the words to each song back-to-back. Anyway, I digress... This is a great album. "Holding Back The Years" and "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" are top tracks, but there are some other greats in there too. Some with funky beats, others jazzy and down tempo. There may be a few that aren't amazing, but overall It's enjoyable.
I mean it was an album, an album not for me, he can sing fine, then we got some weird voices on the last few tracks
The best part of this album is the two covers. Past those, it's pretty decent, just missing something I can't quite put my finger on.
Never been a fan and still not convinced, musically solid, vocals are good, bar 2-3 songs found the album a bit boring
Again very calm
Enjoyed "Moneys too tight to mention"
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.
Bland
The lead singer is a particular flavor and it is sadly not mine.
Hold nu op
Det var fed nok egentlig, men ved ikke liiiiige om jeg ville kalde det essentielt
Not entirely horrible.. It does feel like a bit of a weird choice to have so many covers in an album..
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.
Great band and album
Mick Hucknall has an extraordinary voice and there are a couple of great jazz fusion and funk songs on here! Great album, it would be five stars however there were a couple of songs which not amazing on there as they haven’t aged as well as some of the others
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.
This album was surprisingly fantastic. Very 80s but really killer tunes with great vocals. Come To My Aid and Holding Back Tears are my faves.
Perfectly adequate and decade appropriate
Awful schlock. Did not need to hear this.
7/10
I knew more songs than I realised (Sad Old Red and Jericho). I went in thinking I like Simply Red, but prefer their later stuff. Maybe that's still true, but there's a lot of good funky stuff going on here. They sure started with a banger. It was a fun touch to go from repeatedly mentioning money on Jericho to Money's Too Tight (to Mention). Mick Hucknall is a great singer with an awesome voice.
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.
Outdated ptehr than the single that hit. Nothing really outstanding just an ok album. Overall cool sets a tone and keeps songs in good timing and smooth running.
A few duds on here (usually the cheesiest most generic 80s sounding stuff possible), but when Simply Red get into it, it's really good. The middle of the album is its peak, just banger after banger after banger
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
couldn’t get thru it i’m sorry
Cheesy and generic
Not too bad, nothing special
I thought it was pretty cool actually
2.5
Cheesy as hell but Hucknall is undeniably a great songer
Meanwhile whilst waiting to be processed in the lobby of Hell, the following lift music comes on.
My memory serves me well. Fucking awful. And whoever thought releasing an extended version was a good idea needs to have a serious word with themselves.
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.
Not my thing
Didn’t really catch on in the states and that’s to our detriment. Excellent album. Beautiful songs, beautiful singing.
Not terrible but not terribly interesting either
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.
Holding Back the Years is one of the best songs of the 80’s. It sits in that urban sweet spot vibe along with George Michael’s album Faith, and Stings first two solo albums. They have a sense of jazz but don’t quite go all the way there. This album grooves overall. There’s just something really special about it…the emotion, the vibe, the earnestness. This album is a real gem!
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.
a bit boren.
Meh
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
This looks odd. That's the only thing I can think of for a first impression. No idea who this is, though looking at song titles alone I'm feeling a bit worried. Hoping its content isn't as insufferable as it looks. Come to My Aid Sounds a bit hollow. Don't love the vocalist's voice. The synths are a bit annoying. Decent bassline. Catchy chorus. Energetic and dancable. Lacks some personality. Not great, not terrible. Average. 2.5/5 Sad Old Red Terrible sounding bass, lacks any sort of style or feeling. Boring piano. Decent vocal performance. Unspectacular horn section, but does the job. There's too much cheesy instrumentation for the vocals to have any impact. It's simply overpowering. Very busy and overdone. Dislike. 2/5 Look at You Now 80s cop show sounding song. Annoying drums. Extremely busy. Nothing here goes together at all, just feels like a random algamation of the most 80s sounding sounds they could find. Atrocious chorus. Headache inducing. 1/5 Heaven Insufferable instrumental. Generic vocals. An absolute diservice to the original. Makes the song boring as hell. Removes the charming simplicity of the original song and makes it a bombastic overproduced mess. David Byrnes lyrics sound terrible when presented in this manner. Disgraceful. 1/5 Jericho Absolute tripe. Souless and inoffensive. Sounds like it was produced by Satan for the fires of Hell. Apparently there's six writers on this song? Horrible synth. Endlessly annoying chorus. The crowd vocals makes it sound like there's a flock of lunatics chasing me inside the worlds saddest mall. Criminal. 1/5 Money's Too Tight (To Mention) Gentrified and whitewashed version of a pretty fun and funky track. Much prefer the bass on the original. Neither version is spectacular, but the original at least has some character and uniqueness to it. This version is just kinda overdone and generic. A bit shit. 1/5 Holding Back The Years Inoffensive easy listening that would feel right at home playing quietly inside a hotel lobby. Uninspired and bland, but not entirely unpleasant. Bores me to tears. Dislike. 2/5 Open 1Up The Red Box The return of the terrible bass. So incredibly uncool in every aspect. Annoying piano. Intimidating chorus, feels like a threat. No thank you. 1/5 No Direction Interesting tempo on the bass. Laughable lyrics. Feels a bit directionless (pun intended). What is that goblin voice? Strongly dislike. 1.5/5 Picture Book Finally at the last song, a real relief to be almost done with this album. I've got no gas left in the tank. Repetitive and boring. Annoying vocals. Goes on too long. Terrible production. Bad. 1/5 What the hell was that? A terrible waste of time in any case. Finding such a generic, uninspired, gentrified atrocity on this list was not something I expected when I started it. Deserves 1 star for that criminal Talking Heads cover alone. This album has zero upsides, nothing worth even discussing. It's needlessly bland, every instrument has been handpicked to be as annoying as humanly possible. His voice lacks any sort of defining characteristic, sounding manufactured and souless throughout. Nothing will prepare your ears for those terrible synths, or that overbearing bass, or the unecessary saxophone tooting away aimlessly inside your ear canals. There's no groove, there's no soul, there's not a single infectious or relatable moment on this entire album. You can find more character in a bathroom tile. Listening to this makes watching the grass grow seem like an entertaining activity. Absolutely shocking, would not listen again unless I was paid to. 1/5
United maður hann Mick.
Alltílæ eitís. Sá þá í höllinni 1986.
I've never actually liked Simply Red. I always thought Mick Hucknall was a bit pretentious and a bit of an airhead. But the girls in my clique thought he was great, for whatever reason. So I didn't expect much from the album. But in the end it was fun to listen to the album, even if I won't become a fan of the band. 4/5
Jaren '80, witte mannen met funky baslijntjes, de kopstem wordt niet geschuwd, foute jaren '80 synthjes, paar balads, wat gehijg. Met vlagen wat Michael Jacksonesque maar dan met meer percussie. Blijkbaar is het (deels) opgenomen in een studio in Blaricum, daar moeten wij het als Nederlanders qua inbreng in deze lijst zo'n beetje mee doen ook. Dit is niet helemaal mijn ding. Ik kan het uitzitten maar daar is het grotendeels wel mee gezegd. Ik kom niet hoger dan 2 sterren.
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.
Just didn’t do anything for me - English soul just doesn’t seem like a good idea. Meh.
Jazzy synthy pop. Big fan
Sounds like the ‘80s. And not in a good way. No thank you. Even the Talking Heads cover is meh.
That was a pretty grody Talking Heads cover. I will never get how this was one of the guys at that Sex Pistols concert, what an odd influence. Anyway, not really my thing. Guy can sing, but the songs are lower case b boring. Dull.
I like a couple songs, but this was overall not good or fun to listen to.
How this album generated a number one track is beyond me. I disliked most every second of this forgettable offering. I know it is all a matter of taste, but sometimes I feel like this list is a product of CERN turning on particle collider and sending us into an alternate timeline. This one will not to be played again.....WTF
Didn't love it!
This was pleasant enough for a Sunday morning in the poppier moments, whilst straying a bit too far into cheese at times.
How the f*ck did Mick Hucknall smuggle his ginger dreds onto this list? Rumour has it, he was at the sex pistols debut gig along with Ian Curtis, Morrissey and Tony Wilson…. And yet despite that cultural warhead and how it affected all who attended… despite all of that he STILL turned out this turgid white soul within 5 years staggers me. The amount of willpower it must have taken to remain so dogsh!t when others formed the smiths, joy division and factory records when exposed to the same stimuli is fcuking sensational. This is the sound of a million call centres on hold, a million dentists waiting rooms, and a million elevators. With Adele or Robbie Williams I can forgive some elements of recency bias, but simply red have festered at the opening of satans anus for 40 years. How did this happen? HOW?! 1/5 for the music minus 1 point for Hucknall’s hair.
Didn’t listen
The singles are fine. The production is really dated. And the Talking Heads song is giving American Idol week 13 stunt cover vibes. Why is this on the list? It’s stunningly unremarkable…
Ye, this was very okay, I liked it.
I could not get through it 😞
Not my favourite thing
## In-Depth Review of Simply Red's *Picture Book* Simply Red’s *Picture Book*, released in October 1985, stands as a landmark debut that both encapsulates and transcends the 1980s “blue-eyed soul” and sophisti-pop sound[8][6]. Fronted by Mick Hucknall’s unmistakable vocals, the album blends soul, pop, jazz, and R&B influences, delivering both commercial success and polarizing critical reception. This review will examine the album through its lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, concluding with a balanced assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. --- ## **Lyrics** *Picture Book*’s lyrics oscillate between personal introspection and sharp social commentary. Hucknall’s songwriting is at its most potent on “Holding Back the Years,” a deeply personal ballad reflecting on loss and emotional restraint. The song’s plaintive refrain and evocative imagery have resonated with listeners for decades, earning it status as a classic[8][6]. Conversely, tracks like “Money’s Too Tight (to Mention)”—a cover of The Valentine Brothers’ anti-Reaganomics anthem—showcase Hucknall’s willingness to smuggle leftist, anti-capitalist themes into mainstream pop, a rarity for the era[6][7]. The lyrics here are direct, critical, and pointed, tackling economic hardship and political hypocrisy with a soulful sneer. Other songs, such as “Come to My Aid” and “Open Up the Red Box,” continue this blend of the personal and political, though sometimes the messaging can feel heavy-handed or lost amid the album’s glossy production[7]. The title track, “Picture Book,” closes the album with a colder, more introspective tone, contrasting the warmth of earlier tracks[4]. **Pros:** - Genuine emotional depth in “Holding Back the Years.” - Socially conscious lyrics in “Money’s Too Tight (to Mention)” and “Open Up the Red Box.” - Balances personal vulnerability with broader societal critique[7][6]. **Cons:** - Some tracks veer into cliché or lack lyrical subtlety[7]. - Not all songs maintain the same level of lyrical sophistication or impact. --- ## **Music** Musically, *Picture Book* is a masterclass in 80s production, for better and worse. The album is built on a foundation of soul, reggae, and 60s pop influences, filtered through the era’s penchant for synthesizers, drum machines, and polished studio techniques[1][2][8]. The arrangements are lush, with prominent use of keyboards, saxophones, and tight rhythm sections. “Come to My Aid” opens the album with a groove-laden bassline and punchy horns, setting a vibrant tone. “Jericho” and “Look at You Now” follow suit, blending funk-inspired guitar with slick, danceable beats[5]. “Holding Back the Years” strips things back, allowing Hucknall’s voice to take center stage, supported by subtle strings and understated instrumentation. The cover of Talking Heads’ “Heaven” attempts a dreamy, atmospheric approach, though it has been criticized for lacking the original’s nuance[5]. **Pros:** - Infectious grooves and memorable hooks, particularly on singles. - Strong musicianship, especially in rhythm and horn sections[5]. - Hucknall’s vocal performances are consistently powerful and emotive[5][7]. **Cons:** - Over-reliance on 80s production tropes: synthetic textures, drum machines, and occasionally cheesy saxophones[5]. - Some tracks feel dated or overly slick, sacrificing warmth and swing for studio polish[5]. - The “blue-eyed soul” approach can come off as derivative or inauthentic to some listeners[5]. --- ## **Production** Produced by Stewart Levine, *Picture Book* is a product of its time: clean, crisp, and meticulously layered. The album’s sound is defined by its clarity and balance, with each instrument occupying a distinct space in the mix. The production highlights Hucknall’s vocals, ensuring they remain the focal point throughout[8][1]. The downside of this approach is a certain sterility—some critics argue that the album’s sheen drains the music of the raw emotion and grit that characterized classic soul records[5]. The use of drum machines and synthesizers, while modern in 1985, now marks the album as unmistakably of its era, for better or worse[5]. **Pros:** - Impeccable studio craftsmanship; every instrument is clear and well-placed[8]. - Polished sound that suits radio and mainstream appeal[5]. - Vocals are front and center, allowing Hucknall’s strengths to shine[5]. **Cons:** - Production can feel cold or overly sanitized, lacking the organic feel of earlier soul music[5]. - Some arrangements are weighed down by dated 80s effects and instrumentation[5]. --- ## **Themes** *Picture Book* is thematically rich, weaving together personal reflection, romantic longing, and sharp political critique. The album’s central themes include: - **Nostalgia and Loss:** Most evident in “Holding Back the Years,” which explores memory, regret, and the passage of time[8][6]. - **Economic Hardship and Social Critique:** “Money’s Too Tight (to Mention)” and “Open Up the Red Box” tackle issues of poverty, inequality, and political disillusionment, rare for mainstream pop at the time[6][7]. - **Love and Redemption:** Several tracks, including “Come to My Aid,” address the search for support and emotional healing. The album’s ability to combine heartfelt sentiment with biting social commentary sets it apart from many contemporaries, even if not every track lands with equal force[7]. --- ## **Influence** *Picture Book* helped define the “blue-eyed soul” and sophisti-pop genres, paving the way for acts like Simply Red to bring soul music into the mainstream pop charts[6][8]. The album’s success—bolstered by the global hit “Holding Back the Years”—earned Simply Red a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and cemented Hucknall’s reputation as a formidable vocalist[8]. While some critics have dismissed the album as derivative or lacking depth, others recognize its role in reintroducing social consciousness to soul music during a period dominated by more superficial pop trends[7][6]. The album’s blend of soul, pop, and jazz influences would echo in the work of later British acts, though its overtly 80s production has limited its timelessness for some listeners[5]. --- ## **Pros and Cons Summary** | Pros | Cons | |------|------| | Strong, emotive vocals from Mick Hucknall[5][7] | Over-reliance on 80s production clichés[5] | | Memorable singles (“Holding Back the Years,” “Money’s Too Tight (to Mention)”) | Some tracks feel dated or lack warmth[5] | | Balances personal and political themes[6][7] | Inconsistent songwriting; not all tracks stand out[7] | | Polished production and musicianship[8] | “Blue-eyed soul” approach can seem inauthentic or derivative[5] | | Helped revive social commentary in mainstream soul[6][7] | Covers (e.g., “Heaven”) pale compared to originals[5] | --- ## **Conclusion** *Picture Book* is a quintessential 80s album: slick, soulful, and sometimes polarizing. Its strengths lie in Hucknall’s impassioned vocals, the album’s infectious grooves, and its willingness to tackle both personal and societal issues. The production, while immaculate, is also its Achilles’ heel—rooting the album firmly in its decade and, for some, draining it of soul’s essential grit. The album’s influence is undeniable, helping to bring soul back into the pop mainstream and inspiring a wave of British acts to follow suit. For fans of the “sophisti-pop” and blue-eyed soul genres, *Picture Book* remains a touchstone. For others, its dated production and occasional lyrical missteps may limit its appeal. Ultimately, *Picture Book* stands as a testament to Simply Red’s ambition and Hucknall’s vocal prowess—a debut that, despite its flaws, set a high bar for the band and for 80s soul-pop as a whole.
Definitely cheesy at times, but not irredeemably
Simply average
“Sad Old Red” sticks out like a sore thumb because it doesn’t suck or sound awfully dated, which isn’t true for any other song here. Also, it baffles me that “Holding Back the Years” was a hit, as it’s the worst song on the album. The 80’s really must have been a low point in human history. A lame imitation of Prince, but without the talent.
Very soulful and has aged well for an 80s album.
Voix particulière, chaude, mais les synthétiseurs et le côté un peu mièvre ne m’ont pas interpellée
Up tempo jams, down tempo slogs
The inclusion of this is an insult to music.
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.
This was fun! It was another that surprised me! I liked it a lot!
Hopefully I go to heaven, but if not this is the album the devil will use to torture me.
Ah, 80's cheese. It's a bit moldy, and not in a good way.
Good, but was not my favorite, 2.5 stars
love.
5/10 Ikkje min greie dette.
Boooooriiiiiing.
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.
Not list worthy
Simply Red are actually just underappreciated quality. This album is smooth and makes you want to dance and be in love and croon away. Full of excellent songs.
5/10
Really nice discovery! 9/10
Mick has a voice that would betray him in any police line-up, an ear for schmaltz that drills a wine bar into the brain, and majestic pink pancakes.
If you were alive in the UK in 1986 (bear with me, Todd) the video for "Holding Back The Years" was inescapable - a sickly mashup of a Hovis ad and Last of the Summer Wine (again, bear with me) that caused immense irritation as I longed for a glimpse of "Sledgehammer" or "Happy Hour" instead of the meandering pillock in the flat cap. Nevertheless, I still borrowed this album from the local library, but returned it unpirated - the most damning indictment of quality 11yo me could offer. It's still pretty dull today, especially the schmaltzy Talking Heads cover, even though I do have a secret nostalgic fondness for his voice and the characteristic yuppie wine bar sound (I won't complain too much if "Stars" shows up here later). Good socialist lad, too (continuing yesterday's theme of bad '80s pop made by decent people).
Listen... I know it's not that outstanding or whatever, but I just absolutely love 80's music with this vibe.
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.
Some bangers on this album! Reminds me of road trips with my family.
Phenomenal album, beautiful combination of styles and sounds. From the jazzy sax/piano comping to the groovy, funky beats. Love it. Plus moving lyrics? Sheesh. Part of me wants to drop a 5 star, but I’m a chicken. 4.5 stars if I could. 4 stars otherwise.
A delicious 80s pop soul debut from Sexyy Red’s very own father, Simply Red. Impressively good and quite enjoyable.
Not usually my kind of music, but this album is a pretty good. That synth pop 80's vibe is very present here. I definitely recognized "Holding back the Years", but I also kind of liked the titular song as well. Probably more a 3.5 for me, but I'll bump it up since it surprised me a bit.