Reviews (page 5 of 8)
The 25 year old British white dude from the 80s fronting this band sings with the soul of a 55 year old black woman from the 60's. If you get yourself in a Yacht Rock frame of mind, this album is pretty good. It's not Yacht Rock, but I'd place it nearby. A bit too soulful for that category, but it's not far off of stuff like ATR and Hall and Oats. I enjoyed it.
Ok so thoughts upon opening track - I like it, bit of MJ. I don’t really listen to Soul Pop but I haven’t tried it much either so maybe it’s a new thing for me. I really liked Holding Back the Years and Picture Book. Woo will listen again.
michael jackson you have 24 hours to respond.
great performance
not for me
Not much that stood out outside of the first song.
A nice surprise. I was familiar with them and the hits. Hearing the entire album was a new event. I like it a lot! Before listening I was inclined to give 2 stars. But listening raised it to 4.
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.
Genuinely love this so much. This scratches an itch for me that ABC also does, overly polished '80s pop perfection. It's really comforting. I really love corny white boy soul like The Style Council so this just does it for me.
Not a fan of the genre, but liked the songs.
This was quite a middle of the road album, with not too much that stood out and would be quite easy to forget. The song "Heaven" was a nicer change but not strong enough to carry the album further than a two.
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.
Awesome. Only one song I recognized, but love it all.
Nah
I don’t know who this music is for but I certainly wasn’t me. This was the was the closest I came to not finishing the whole album.
01) Come to My Aid - 9,5 02) Sad Old Red - 8,0 03) Look at You Now - 8,0 04) Heaven - 7,5 05) Jericho - 7,5 06) Money's Too Tight (to Mention) - 10,0 07) Holding Back the Years - 10,0 08) (Open Up the) Red Box - 8,0 09) No Direction - 7,5 10) Picture Book - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,40 (84/100) Current ranking: 113/529
Loved it
Much prefer the slower and mellow tracks on this album. Standouts; Sad old red Jericho Holding back the years
Simply boring. Nice voice, damn shame the music isn’t more interesting
An okay album, but generic and forgettable. I really don't understand how this made the list in the first place. The biggest hit on the album is a cover. This is just another example of the UK-centric bias on this list.
I have a hard time judging some of the albums on this list because I've encountered a few truly bad albums. Then there are ones like this—they maybe aren't "bad," but they're uninteresting and not particularly unique. Some of the instrumental parts were groovy, like on the title track, "Picture book," and on the "Money's too tight" cutback mix (though I found the rest of Money quite annoying).
Junk
The singer has an amazing voice but the music is terrible! The horns tried to add a jazz vibe but the cheesy synth ruined it. The slow songs were soulful but BORING!
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.
This is another bang average album that I really didn’t need to hear before I died. My life is unchanged from hearing this album, I’m not sure why it’s here tbh.
This did nothing for me.
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.
This Picture Book of an album was like Heaven.
Did not love. I remember the hits, and they were okay, but the other songs… they are talented people, but goes didn’t do it for me.
80s torch songs... should be part of any K-Tel love songs compilation.
Definitely one of the good examples out the 80s. First I was deeply scared after seeing some reviews but to me this album just seems crazy overhated. I mean yeah in a Best albums of the 80s alone this one wouldnt stand out but its either not worse. Its smooth and has a good disco happy energy to it. (4.0/5.0)
The album cover made me worried this was going to be some Dexys Midnight Runners shit. It does have the 80s sophistipop thing going on; this thing touches a lot of genres and runs them through the sonic filter of the time. I'm really not sure what to make of this one. It didn't bother me, but I was a little baffled by it. I don't know anything about Simply Red as a band after listening to this, except maybe what they grew up listening to. I'm not trying to say that artists can't explore a variety of sounds, but this sounded like throwing a lot of stuff at the wall and not bothering to see what stuck. There were moments I enjoyed, but as a whole I'm unmoved and a little cold about it.
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
A fine album. Decent jams on here, and the cover of "Heaven" was pretty good. Don't know if I'll ever need to revisit this but wasn't bad.
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.
4.5
bueni
Drastic change from track 1 to track 2. Holding Back the Years is the standout for me, but I'm not sure I'd revisit the whole album.
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.
I loved this back in the day!
Started off fine enough, then I thought I was listening to a completely different album by track #2. Just wasn't expecting the jump to a faux "live" jazz track. The album sort of became cheesy and unbearable from there, unfortunately.
Woof. This was a tough one. It just seemed like a very 80s, synth pop R&B. Not a lot to recommend it.
Well I feel I gave this a fair chance, but it's just awful, cheesy and nasty from start to finish. The only good thing was that there were five "bonus" tracks on Spotify so my initial horror of having over an hour of this pap was unfounded. I honestly would put Mick Hucknall on a list of people who should have had their vocal cords surgically removed when they were born, along with Chris Rhea and James Blunt.
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
Quite awful album cover considering what was actually in there. I expected something along the lines of Dexys Midnight Runners, but instead got some mix of jazz, funk, disco, synth, and soul? I really liked this record though. Probably because I was taken off guard by the album cover, but also it was just very groovy and kept my interest up throughout the whole record. The singer has a powerful voice that really contributes to the songs. At times it made me think of Tom Collins actually, like 'Holding Back the Years', which sounded like it could've been a song made by him. While almost all songs were good, a downside with the album is that I had a bit of a hard time finding smash hits. 'Money's Too Tight (To Mention)' is probably my favourite song of the record, but turns out is a cover... bummer. Overall, the high quality across the board warrants a 4 star! Probably because I am a bit of a sucker for this type of music.
Look, soul is not really my thing and much less soul pop. This felt like it lacked identity. It is the offend-none, lowest-common-denominator type of pop with some smooth soul added to it. Makes me just want to listen to some abrasive punk instead.
no
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.
There's a lot of actual soul and R&B music out there. A lot of good singers in that genre. I get the urge to play stuff you love, but Simply Red doesn't feel very real, just "chops" before real soulfulness, style over substance. Shallow. Mick Hucknall is a good technician, for what it's worth.
Could've been worse.
3.5* 83%
well i had fun
Great album with many personal favourites on it. I grew up with this music, so it felt familiar, soulful, easy to listen to.
A couple of good songs but some of it very middle of the road as well.
Ick
Sorry I just can't....
Simply good
Weird Talking Heads cover on this one. I really liked the first song and the rest was just o.k..
honestly idk what the hell this one was but i liked it
I gave this a chance but it didn't change my opinion of Simply Red. To be fair, it is competently played, in fact very well-played by excellent musicians, but the songs are bland soul-pop which approximate '60s and '70s Motown/Stax/Philly recordings without any of the emotional investment. And I really do not like Mick Hucknall or his grating voice. Another dinner party album...
Great sound, fun covers, great listen.
I like it. You've all got it in for the 80s for some reason.
Somewhere between 3 and 4 maybe 3.5
2 - I don’t particularly like anything about it, It’s certainly well done and the vocalist is very talented, but the songs don’t appeal to me
My initial reaction was, “wow this sounds dated” and “really? this is considered soul?” But after a few listens, I realized that these songs are pretty damn catchy and well written, and “Red” does have some pipes. Come to My Aid, Jericho, and Money’s Too Tight are all very good. That Heaven cover is also pretty nice. Holding Back the Years is obviously a standout. Not an album I’d necessarily seek out on the regular, but I do respect it. I’d say a borderline 3/4, but will err to the higher side because this did get me moving.
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
First listen. Meh.
Great voice, one great track
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.
Pleasantly surprised
Disco mixed with some jazzy bluesy tunes and some R&B all under the canopy of pop. No thank you. We're it just the jazzy bluesy stuff, I'd have dug it more.
New heights of banality achieved! I literally felt nothing except vague boredom with a dash of preferring to be listening to something else. Music for sex scenes in bad 80s movies.
Back when I was a kid in the 80s and early 90s and I was first becoming aware of music, this was type of this is just what I thought all adults listened to and that some day I would probably also listen to it and like, wear a shirt with blocks of different colors on it. Well, thankfully that never happened because this blows.
80s hook-up pop, sorry but no.
Amazing synths, i have no idea what the "blue-eyed soul" or a "sophisti-pop" is, but if it's this, i'm interested.
From the artwork, I was expecting some acoustic and personal album. I did not expect bland soul. This album did nothing to me.
Simply lovely.
I enjoyed myself! This did often feel quite dated, though.
I didn't hate it. 2.5
Outstanding Pop and soul album. Some really sound standing vocals that surprised me. Most of the album feels at home with 80s pop/synth but then there are soul tracks that almost sound like another artist. Really enjoyed this album overall.
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 dope
Glossy, synthetic 80s sound. With all the excellent (and far superior) music in circulation at this point in our collective musical journey, I can't really fathom why anyone would pick this up and throw it on the record player.
Decent
This is fire
Not my kind of thing.
Not quite my type of energy, but good album overall. Interesting Talking Heads cover. 3.5/5
This was pretty good. Not exactly my cup of tea but generally enjoyable.
As if it wasn't enough to make the musical equivalent of boiled chicken, they had to ruin a Talking Heads song, too.
Largely forgettable outside of the one song that charted in the US. Kind of boring though. 1.5/5
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
lembrou minha avó ouvindo rádio pra dormir quando eu era criança e só por isso ganhou duas estrelas
boring mas sou grato pela música sobre ser um pobre fudido (nem li a letra)
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
It’s fine, it’s just fine. Why the cover look like Frodo though? 4/10
I was not expecting this. Of course I was aware of some of the band's singles in period, who couldn't be. They weren't my sort of thing then. They're better, and seem more at home, doing the slower, jazz/soul oriented numbers on the album. Good variety. The sound on this 2008 remastered edition I'm listening to is excellent. Yeah. Very good album. It gets a solid 4/5 from me.
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
Too easy listening for me. Why was the second song inexplicably recorded as if live but no other song on the album was? There there wasn't anything terrible here, but it bored me.
This album shows that Simply Red is actually a very good example of blue eyed soul. The arrangements are powerful yet tender. To get this balance right is no easy task. In the end I don't give this four stars because the competition is heavy.
We zitten weer fist-deep in de new wave, of hoe je dit ook wil bestempelen. De twee uitersten op dit album, 'Holding Back the Years' aan de blue-eyed soul zijde, en de groovy cover van 'Money's Too Tight' aan de funk zijde, zijn best behapbaar, maar alles wat er tussen in valt weet niet te ontroeren noch te bewegen. Z'n stem is na een paar nummers wel een tranentrekker, maar niet in de positieve zin van het woord. Mijn vraag is dan ook wie er destijds luisterde naar deze witte, ongeïnspireerde vorm van R&B, met zoveel zwart talent in de omloop? Ja, de witte middenklasse natuurlijk, met een plaat voor hun hoofd. 4,5/10 Highlights: Holding Back the Years Money's Too Tight
Simply Red is echt zo'n artiest die door iedereen te pruimen is en dus ook in de plaatselijke supermarkt gedraaid zal worden. Vaak is dat geen goed teken... 5/10 Highlights Money's too tight
Great songs. From songs suitable at a bowling alley, to big hits.
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
Before listening to this album (I was only familiar with Holding Back the Years) I would tell you that there wasn't much difference between Simply Red, Tears for Fears and Simple Minds. Now, I feel there is a big difference - one of them has at least one album that is not worth listening to.
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
Only knew holding back the years before listening. Much of the same really, very banal and forgettable
It's ight, it started good with the first track then afterwards I lost most if not all my interest in listening. I don't hate but I sure as shit didn't love it. Top 1 Favorite: Come To My Aid 2.50/5
Mid
There's something about his voice though obviously impressive in range and delivery that I find irritates me. The music aside which I find often in need of a focus (aside from the covers), his voice irks me. Despite never liking Simply Red I tried to objectively listen to the whole record but ended at the same conclusion. Holding Back The Years is a beautiful song paradoxically however serving as a useful halfway balm saving myself from total despair
This soul is far too blue eyed for my taste.
A good singer in search of an identity. Not surprised the singer is the only consistent member of this group because there’s nothing here other than his (admittedly good) voice. Every song sounds like it comes from a different group - pop, new wave, blues, R&B, with no consistency from track to track. It becomes, in that way, a vanity project. Just a way for the singer to show off, and we’re not really invited into that club. It feels self-indulgent.
Jesus. I’d love to see the justification for this in the book. Like. Is it just so they can be like DAMN THIS GINGER HAS PIPES. This sucks lol
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.
Not knowing the band and seeing the cover, I initially assumed that this album would be folk or country (neither of which I am too interested in). However, seeing that this came out in the '80s, I should've known better. I liked the first song, "Come to My Aid" because, with my previous assumptions, it worked as a great shocker. Honestly, I questioned listening to the remastered songs, but did it anyway since I felt like the album would've been incomplete otherwise. Maybe I had been too distracted during these moments, but I of course didn't focus on the major differences other than the fact that the remasters were noticeably longer. The point is, I truly couldn't notice an important addition that deemed additional minutes necessary. Although, I could contradict that given that I truthfully enjoyed the additional four minutes on the remasted version of "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)". I felt like the instrumentals were very nice. 3 stars
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 like Holding Back the Years, but for some reason the rest of the album was sad and I didn't finish it.
I'm forcing myself through this one. Not something I would willfully choose to listen to without the help of a project like this. 2/5
I tried to keep an open mind but the over cooked blue eyed soul vocals and the selection of the worst 80s keyboard sounds closed it again. A shame because I have always like the comparatively understated Holding Back The Years. Also the one before their version of Heaven sounds like a better Talking Heads cover.
Music my mum liked, I can close my eye and hear this playing in my mum's old VW Golf, it would be followed by Level 42, guaranteed. "Holding Back The Years" holds up but, honestly, Simply Red are an abomination and it still befuddles me how they made a comeback in the mid 90s for one hot minute..
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!
Ugh, this is wretched. My first one star review for something that isn't nu metal! I had Terence Trent D'Arby this week and really enjoyed that, so I know I've overcome my kneejerk antipathy to 80s production. Thinking about it, it's probably the repeated exposure to Simply Red and their ilk in the 80s and 90s that generated that antipathy in the first place! This project has done a great job of opening me up to some 80s stuff I've been resistant to before - new wave especially - but this bland schmaltz is the devil! The very devil! Fave track - well, that's the question, isn't it? I set myself the goal of picking at least one fave track from each album - "Picture Book" was cruising for a 2 after the first listen, but as I tried to pick out a fave on the second listen I got more and more irritated. "Heaven" is probably the track I like the most of this album, but it's such an egregiously bad cover when compared to the original. "Jericho" was shaping up to be a pick, but then it gets annoying as hell in the middle section. I guess I'll go with "Picture Book" as the slowed down cod dub is less grating than the rest of it.... 😒
好无聊
Anos 80 na veia...soul e meio que dance music...até q gostei...achei um pouco parado
Can't escape the Rather Good "holding back the ears" image. I'm not a fan of Hucknall's voice.
A pretty average album, but it was better than I was expecting it would be. The lyrics are shocking in places: "everybody is trying to get to the bar; the name of the bar? the bar is called.... HEAVEN"
Lyrics are kinda cringy, but the actual music is okay background music
This is...bad. Nothing good or innovative. Generally like something a SNL sketch would write, it combines all the iconic 1980s sounds but make no effort to be progressive in any means. Just some hollow repetition of what already exists. A album I have to endure? Simply no.
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
Kovin geneeriseksi jäävä kasaripoppislevy. 2/5
I like most of the songs on this album. Notable exception: the title track. Why would you name the album after that song? Good voice. Tight production, but not too tight. Decent songs for the most part. Favorite song: holding back the years.
Solid album. I remember when this came out. First time I've listened to it all the way through. Not really my thing back then. Holding Back the Years is an all time classic. I enjoyed just about everything from this pick. Extra stars for the nostalgia.
Beautiful soul record very jazzy compositions
Pretty much as dull and bland as I was expecting. Mick Hucknall has a great voice, but what he does with it just isn't for me. "Money's Too Tight to Mention" is pretty good though.
Kuunneltu riittävä epäselvässä tilassa en ymmärrä kriiitikkoja.. Kelpo musiikkia josta en muista heh mitään... Iso respct artisteille aina jos 3 star..
Not sure what this is? Is it New Wave? Is it Funk Pop? Is it 1920s lounge music? Why does it sound like Wham sometimes. It's a little too all over the place for me, though I did like a few of the songs.
A couple of ok songs. Overall not very good but not the worst I've heard.
Like Elton John but without big dick energy
Overall: 2/10 Ooey gooey vanilla music. Big pass from me. Fav Song: Sad Old Red Least Fav Song: Jericho
I was so hoping this would not be a one hit album. In the end its a one hit album.
2 out of 5. Interesting cover of Heaven but nothing really here for me.
The singer has a silky smooth voice, but man I just can't really get on board with the '80s soft pop-rock thing. It's got a bit of a jazzy thing going, but I just can't get the synth out of my head. I'm just not super into the sound of this overall. His voice is good, but something's missing, it's boring. Plus two of the three best songs are covers, which is not a positive for me ("Heaven" is a Talking Heads cover, but it's the best song on here, better than "Holding Back the Years" which is one of their most popular songs). I also find the term "blue-eyed soul" pretty hilarious (which is what this seems to get classified as frequently). Like, yeah I guess white people can sing R&B and soul music too sometimes. I can see why someone would be into this, but it's not for me. Favorite song: Heaven Other: Come to My Aid, Money's Too Tight (to Mention), Holding Back the Years 11/27/24
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
#417. Hard to get through the whole thing, if we're being honest. Never heard any of this before, and luckily I'm not likely to ever hear it again. 2/5: bad. Song added to playlist: Holding Back the Years I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
It's okay for background music. Never listened to them in the 80s, even then it felt like something you'd hear in a doctor's waiting room.
I just didn't dig it. It wasn't bad but it wasn't me. Still I'm a little older after having listened
I can’t even be bothered.
On very rare occasions you listen to an album you think you are going to hate based on your previous listening experience and preconceptions, and it turns out that album is actually really good. This is not one of these occasions, this one is a stinker!
Ok, so the music sucks, but we already all knew that. However, I’ll add a bonus point for Hucknall having a decent voice and for his ability to punch well above his weight in the 90s.
No doubting micks got soul and holding back the years is a winner but more of a housewives choice
- Ich liebe die einfach - Finde deren "Blue-Eyed-Soul" unfassbar geil. - Mick Hucknall hat einfach eine besondere und mega gute Stimme, die zwischen super gefühlvoll und sehr kräftig variiert, aber dabei jeden Ton nailt! - Dazu klasse Songwriting, geile Big Band Arrangements, mega groovy und geiler vibe. (Auf die Texte habe ich nicht so geachtet, aber denke das passt). Was will ich mehr von einem Funk/Soul Album?! - Man darf nicht vergessen: Wir reden hier von einem fucking Debütalbum! WTF?!! Das muss erstmal so souverän sitzen. - So viele gute Tracks drauf, von denen ich auch einige kannte, aber nicht die ganze Platte. - "Holding Back The Years" ist natürlich ein Welthit - Ich finde Hucknall mit seiner sozialistischen Ader und seinem sozialen/politischen Engagement auch einfach ziemlich cool. Mag den. - Mir gefallen ohnehin einige Alben von Simply Red: Finde auch A New Flame toll (was sich mit seiner Pinken Farbe wunderbar in meiner Plattensammlung macht) oder auch das später erschiene Home, was ich persönlich das beste Album finde. Bin aber auch bias, weil ich definitiv damit auch groß geworden bin. - Macht einfach Laune und hat mir hier einen guten Vormittag beschert. Bin vollends begeistert. Innerhalb des Genres wäre es vielleicht sogar eine 5/5. Allgemein still strong. Rating: 4,25-4,5/5
..
No, just no. Never have, never will like this wishy washy soul pop gash.
Sometimes is ok. But don't like 80s pop much Will I listen to again: 0%
Definitely shouldn’t be on this list. Holding Back The Years is great I’ll round up cuz there’s nothing wrong with this album
Sounds more modern than I would have thought... weirdly not 80s?
nah
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
I don't care much for the jazz-sounding songs but the ballad songs are really good. Overall it is 4 stars or B for me.
A big time “this was ok”. It had an ok cover of a great song (Heaven). I can’t imagine ever thinking to listen to it again.
Didn't really get this one
Jesus wept.
Dear god. This is truly awful. I remember this single. It was bad in the 80's. It's bad now.
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
Goed album. Heerlijke muziek.
omg i thought you guys were just being mean…. this shit is ass 😭
Love it... And don't know what all the hate is about. My criteria for rating albums in this project is very simple... 1) Did I enjoy listening to it? If no, one star, if yes, two stars. Would I mind if I had to listen to it again? If no, another star. Would I actively seek to listen to it again? If yes, another star. Do I want it in my library/collection? If yes, another star. This album got them all, so, five stars. Thank you!
Amazing British Pop. It's quickly becoming another criteria I've been sleeping in
He’s got a nice voice but this is boring
strong 3.5, groovy af
Surely one of the 1001 Albums You Must Die Before You Hear? A thin gruel of over-polished soul pop.
I tired to listen to this with unbiased ears. But I can't get beyond the ginger.
Fine, but this really is JCPenny's music.
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
Bangers
Simply Red have always bored me to tears, not actively objectionable so should probably have rated this 3, but I wanted to reflect the lifelong response.
Pretty cool, and completely unfamiliar to me. It's not super well aligned with my tastes, but I have a lot of respect the quality of the work.
just okay, didn't really hit with me, typical 80's sound.
Didn't leave a mark.
Don't like
honestly a decent listen just pretty boring to my taste
not a great record in my opinion. I think this Mick guy is a great vocalist actually, but the songs are 80's-trendy synth-suck sonic vortex that makes it hard to pick that out. I bet this guy is really talented but this record was just not my thing.
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.
Found this quite grating tbh! Sort of zoned out after a while. Not my thing
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.
Boring music as then
Not for me.
No
Didn't really do anything for me
I had forgotten about this band. Enjoyed the album.
A few tracks in, I was already looking forward to the end. Not the type of 2* where the music was annoying - I can’t even say it was bad, exactly - but so bland and unremarkable that I seriously question its inclusion on this list.
You can’t deny Mick Hucknall has a great voice. There’s some really good songs on this album, and it’s definitely not a chore to listen to. It’s unmistakably Simply Red and I actually really enjoyed it.
Damn that shit's funky...
Perky 80s funk rock or something like that. It's good. And fun to listen to.
Generic 80s pop. Standout song: Money's Too Tight to Mention
2.4 1x on delta flight to SFO catchup on 10/1
Well that was dull
2/3
Pretty fantastic.
As someone who grew up on 1980s MTV, who has many times defended the 1980s as “not so bad” when it comes to music discussions, I have to admit, this project and especially this album, make me think that maybe the 1980s was “so bad.”
Upbeat, soulful, uplifting, sultry. This was just the record I needed to start my day today. It has a great mood and feel all throughout. I didn't realize this was the artist that did "Holding Back the Years" - classic. This was a really nice one.
Me gusta mucho más Stars.
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.
Music to be played at the dentist’s office. Technically inoffensive, but so bland. All the instruments sound so artificial. The Talking Heads cover is so bleh. The singer’s voice is good enough I guess. Favorite song was Holding Back The Years.
"Lookin' atchyo head! Head! Head!" 3/5
Annouing
Holding Back the Years is here, aside from that there is nothing worth noting.
Solid album
This is the most stereotypical soft rock record I've ever heard. Blech.
It’s okay
Not sure what I was expecting from these but I like it. Getting jazzy and bluesy vibes. Unexpected.
Meh….I just didn’t like this all that much.
Enjoyed the vocals and the music was pretty good. Surprised by this group since I have never heard of them before today.
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.
Meh
dosadan
First songs I really liked. Then slowly it lost me and by the end I wasn't having a good time anymore. His voice begins to get very annoying, and that cover of Heaven sucks. This album really drudges on too long. 2.5/3
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
Cassette from the past
Neuroscientists, musicologists, and other top academic researchers should study this album to analyse how they managed to suck all of the soul out of soul music. Mick Hucknall has a good voice but this is a truly dismal slice of 80s waiting room Muzak. It also features one of the worst Talking Heads covers ever recorded. kd lang does a great cover of Heaven because she understands the need for a little restraint. This version is amped up into the terrible-stratosphere. I am charitably giving it a 2 because, while it is awful, it is a dull & inoffensive background awful, and I know things would get even worse with 'Fairground'.
I have always been a fan of Mick Hucknall. This is superb pop music with a jazzy feel, and he has only gotten better over the decades.
Decent album.
Favorite Tracks: Come to My Aid Heaven Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)
4.0
Was alright, made me want to listen to the more popular fairground album.
I knew as soon as I saw it that the US contingent would go nuts that this was on the list. A well known band in the UK and indeed one year had the biggest selling album in the world (Stars). Sadly, the US contingent are correct. This is an awful album in retrospect. A couple of songs, a lot of filler and the worst ever cover of a Talking Heads song ever committed to vinyl. It was painful listening to him kill Heaven. This "does not" stand up in retrospect.
Seriously?
Catchy 80’s pop/rock. Fun to listen as it’s not too serious. 2.8
I really didn’t like Simply Red back in the day, I think largely I was picking up on the fact that the lead singer used to annoy my mum. This was actually pretty good for its genre; not the kind of thing I’d listen to but I need to give credit where it’s due. Rating: 4
Yeah uh… why is this here?
I very strongly disagree with the idea that you must hear Mick Hucknall butcher Heaven by Talking Heads before you die
I loved this album, but it's definitely right up my musical alley so not a surprise. I didn't have the album back in the day but I knew and loved the hits. 80's jazzy synth pop is a nice palate cleanser along the 1001 albums journey.
It’s was complete cock when it came out and it has not aged well.
Honestly, I think this is kinda wanky, I guess it's not bad and it's probably just not my thing but it's too cheesy and feels like it should just be playing in the background of tesco.
Listening to Mick Hucknall could be used as a form of torture (No Direction is painful). 2 stars based on opening track being decent
Truly one of the albums of 1985.
Good but not for me
Classic 80s white boy soul
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
Imagine having a bad day, and then hearing this at the end of it. I'd rather just not make it home.
Note my jam. sort of slow and easy listing style
My only tenuous link I have with any rock star is with Mick Hucknell. I used to work with a woman who went to Manchester Poly with him and never let us forget that. That fact doesn’t change my opinion of this album or Simply Red in general in that it doesn’t appeal to my tastes. However, this album does have one redeeming track - Holding Back The Years which is their most famous and one which I do like. Always takes me back to those clubbing nights when that track accompanied the ten to two desperation dash for those wanting a last minute snog. It is also a song which works for me when in a reflective mood. That track aside I do know that there are other songs which are well liked to those loving this type of music but an album which I do not need to hear again. I’ll stick with the best known single. 2/5 6/8/24.
Good, consistent product. If you know any Simply Red and you're inclined to listen to more, you'll love this record. I, for one, cannot forgive them for the abuse they unleashed on Talking Heads' "Heaven". For that and Mick Hucknall's MTV-primed pouting and posing, they get my lifelong derision.
This is a fabulous album! Simply Red simply smashed it with this debut album. This album would for sure be in my all time favorites top 10 albums.
This is abysmal quality. Whoever thought this should be on the list is an absolute ignoramus. This album is just so far below anything that should even touch this list, it’s sad. It’s only saving grace is that it wasn’t a complete chore to get through. This album isn’t even quite sure what good music sounds like and to put it up here with all of these greats is almost cruel. What the actual fuck were you thinking. 2/5
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
Listened Before? N In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau wrote that there were essentially "only two songs on this album", "Money’s Too Tight (to Mention)" and "Heaven", but that Hucknall and the band carry off the album "on mood and groove alone". I've never agreed with a professional music review more. This album is straight up boring outside of those two songs, and the hit here "Holding Back the Years" is no exception. Mediocre at best. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Money's Too Tight (To Mention)
It's not that bad I guess but pretty boring and not really deserving to be here.
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.
I disagree
Mediocre
3.33 rym ma stiamo scherzando 1/5
Soul genre 3/5
This album could have been an email. Instrumentals are little varied, vocals are fine but forgettable, and oh my god the repetitive lyrical phrases - please stop. Listened to: on a bus to Montreal. Favorite track: Heaven
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.
I was fully prepared to trudge through another average pop album. And then Sad Old Red started. A pop track that's fully, inarguably based on jazz?! Alright, you have my attention. Well, it turns out my gut instinct was mostly correct. Not that much interesting here beyond Sad Old Red--even the cover of Heaven was fine but not notable.
Fine 80s rock, superb lead singer.
I like it
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.
i would say strictly a good album, not a great album. the lead singer's voice is very good and i think the songs here are solid enough, but the production is quite dated in a not-so-charming way and nothing here jumps out as an amazing song or performance. it's better than average, but nothing super special either.
Picture Book is the debut album by Simply Red, originally released in 1985. I would've guessed this was made in 1985 from the first 5 seconds. Seriously, this thing is dated. I wasn't alive in the 80s but I could imagine this style of sophistipop was corny even back then. The music itself isn't all that bad. It just isn't good. Typical 80s instrumentals with some white boy soul vocals. Blue eyed soul had been done a million times before this and it certainly didn't need to be done again in the 80s. Pretty much every 80s instrumental cliche is present on here. I saw another user compare the backing tracks to the MGs.... really? The one saving grace for me was the last track which channels some dub vibes (I mean listen to that juicy bass line!). I also wanted to take a second to reiterate that this is a list of 1001 albums that the author thinks we must hear before you die. Not 1001 best albums, not 1001 most iconic albums. I see a lot of users complain that this isn't one of the "1001 best albums" or "it's barely known so why is it on here". We gotta play by the author's rules on this one.
Excellent vocals. Phenomenal saxophone work. Great compositions and a great recording make this a very listenable album. Standouts are the title track and Holding back the Years.
Typical 80s. Good voice but hard to sit through all at once. Fat should have been trimmed from some songs. Excess choruses and filler at the end needs to go
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.
Crooner crap
No thanks.
I’m British so I know Simply Red. I may have even bought their Stars album as a youngster. But this is just awful. Nobody should have to listen to this, unless they are already dead.
80s AOR that exceeded my expectations
I have heard of Simply Red and def heard a few of his songs - but hadn’t put the two together. I was thinking he was more like a Howard Jones. I was quite wrong. I didn’t enjoy every song but in whole I thought this was an excellent album. The dude can sing.
kinda generic, didn't sound like it aged well. I even forget what thei hit song was.