The lonely masterpiece

When in the early 80's in addition to Wave Pop a second dominant style - let's call them for convenience jazz pop - became clear, were, in addition to Sade, The Style Council and Working Week, Simply Red one of its first members. The Mick Hucknalls was version of this music sometimes bluesy and often funky, promoted not only the frequency of Discoktheken inserts their singles, but also the chances of getting hit parade finishes, and over the decades remained the only successful Simply Red in this direction, even though over the years the Jazz element almost completely disappeared from their music and Simply Red 'right after the release of the debut was soon nurmehr synonymous Hucknall.

The debut but SR was a real band, the electronic content is very low and the proportion Jazz also clearly audible. Significantly, however, even here, that of all the disco radio hit, Money's Too Tight '(originally performed by the Valentine Brothers a year earlier in the synth disco sound recorded) and very similar knitted own composition, Come To My Aid' greatest hits, in addition to the Blues Ballad, Holding Back The Years' were. So completely trust Hucknall his own composition arts apparently not, because, Heaven 'by the Talking Heads was presented here in a much smoother than the original version, but not without charm. The electric piano, funky and bluesy guitar, the saxophone and the percussions and a very precise and accentuated playing Rhyhmusgruppe are on this album, the determining elements, and it stands out due to the high quality of the songs; In addition to the singles already mentioned, because there's still the '(it was something like that later on nobody SR plate more), pop songs, Look At You Now' really jazzy swinging, Sad Old Red, and, Open Up The Red Box ', before all, probably the best Hucknall original composition ever -, Jericho '. Great how dynamically this song increases until the end, and how great Hucknall phrasing here.

Unfortunately, this album was, on the one hand what this combination of elements of jazz and this sound, as well as with regard to the quality of the songs, unique in the Simply Red Discography. Quality default one was again - the third album, A New Flame '- close to it, only that was stylistically already completely dominated by the blue eyed soul.

The this edition included DVD evidenced by the appearance 86s Simply Red's at the Montreux Jazz Festival, however, quite impressive that they really were a very good band also of 3 years after the debut live, and some numbers are actually better in the live versions.

At the latest from the successful album, Stars' the last remnant of Jazz was gone from their songs and they went with the time - made by Dancefloor Pop, R'n'B times, sometimes Latin, which was just as popular grade. A return to the strengths of this Debuts but unfortunately did not take place more and so remains, Picture Book 'not only their best, but also ambitious work.