I have quite a few albums by Simply Red. I know they are regarded as the epitome of naffness nowadays, but when I were a lass they were cool. To be honest - as you may have noticed - I don't really care about the 'image' of the band. what matters is what they do to my ears.
First up, because of the alphabet, is Blue. I have to admit that I haven't exactly been listening with full concentration. However, nothing about it has grabbed me. I think it is the most recent one of theirs that I own, and it is probably the reason why I haven't subsequently bought any more. There is not one track on this album that leaps out and grabs me. I can only conclude that it is way too mellow, too bland, and artistically weak. I am not sure whether to classify it as 'dinner party music' or 'coffee table music'. Either way, it is designed to be used as aural wallpaper. Indeed, the only track that is slightly memorable is The Air That I Breathe, and I only noticed that for its brave attempt at reinterpreting a classic that has been covered far better by the very great kd lang.
So Simply Red's Blue is consigned to the dustbin of oblivion...
However, their Greatest Hits is vastly more enjoyable. A really good combination of self-penned and covers. I am not, on the whole, a big fan of covers, but, in general, Simply Red had a gift for uncovering and covering obscure but good songs, and doing it with a touch of class.
Whenever I hear 'The Right Thing' I am always shocked at how explicit the lyrics are. Not because I'm a fey prude but because I do not recall any kerfuffle when this was out as a single. I do not recall it being banned from Radio One, or any outrage from the moral guardians of TOTP-watchers.
Your Mirror epitomises the very best of Simply Red. On first few hearings it really doesn't seem very memorable or that appealing, but the more one listens the more it creeps under your skin and wraps itself around you. In place of a tune it has some sophisticated harmonies that complement intelligent lyrics. Indeed it surprises me how popular they are (or were) with the unwashed masses, I would have thought they would have gone above their heads. Or maybe it wasn't the Great Unwashed but just loads and loads of reasonably intelligent people.
Holding Back the Years was the song that first turned me onto Simply Red. In Lower Sixth they had a blitzkreig advertising campaign for an appearance - at the Boardwalk? - and extracts from this song just kept playing and playing. So - perhaps by popular demand - the DJs presenters started playing the actual single. And just about twenty years later it still sounds as fresh as it did then.
The same can be said for "Money's Too Tight To Mention"
Fairground is another insidious into-the-bloodstream song. There is something about the way the incessant drum beat drives the song forward unrelentingly, contrasted with Mick's diva-ish twiddles "And I love the thought of coming home to you.." The strss should be on the 'thought', by putting it on the 'love' it transforms what might have been an everyday melody into something special.
The liner booklet is a pleasant 12-page glossy, featuring song lyrics and plenty of pictures of Mick Hucknall. During one of my 'Single Desperately Seeking Someone' phases I opined that Mick Hucknall ought to be my ideal man - rich, left-wing Manchester United fan. But my friend John suggested that if those were my criteria I ought to go for Alex Ferguson. I conceded he had a point; I've never fancied Mick Hucknall.
You know, I had quite forgotten, or maybe never knew, just how good Simply Red were at their very best. Not just in, nice singalong song, but in their sophisticated mix of rhythm, melody, harmony, and lyrics. That Mick Hucknall is technically very very good. I am making a great big mental note to play this album an awful lot more than I normally do.
There will be more Simply Red when I reach them alphabetically in cassettes...
I would be interested to know the views of commenters and lurkers on Simply Red.
