In 1984, Paul Young scored a couple of medium-sized U.S. hits with "Come Back and Stay" and "Love of the Common People" from his album No Parlez. In 1985, however, with his stellar album The Secret of Association, the British singer gained his highest level of commercial success with several hit singles, most notably his chart-topping cover of Daryl Hall's "Every Time You Go Away," which was miles better than the original. Featuring lush orchestration and Young's signature, soulful vocals, this album remains the singer's best, and one of the better albums of the 1980s. Other notable tracks include his wicked take on "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down," the gorgeous "Everything Must Change" (which almost sounds like a country song), and the popular album tracks "Soldier's Things" and "Tomb of Memories." Note, however, that the radio versions of all three singles released from this album are not the versions included here.
No matter how Young may be perceived (mainly as a producer's puppet that couldn't write his own songs and ergo had to rely on a substantial amount of cover versions to keep his career afloat), he's always had a fantastic set of pipes and seems to be singing from the heart, and in the case of the slightly sappy yet self-penned "Everything Must Change", managed to come up with a bona-fide classic. Augmented by Pino Palladino's flashy yet imaginative basslines and Laurie Latham's kitchen sink production, this is a record that was fully deserving of its no. 1 status.
Though the second half is less exciting than the first and Young isn't much of a songwriter (much of side two was co-written by him), this is still a very enjoyable, emotional rollercoaster ride of an album. Variety abounds, every song is different, meticulously arranged, overproduced to the extreme, but certainly never boring. "Secrets" updates "No Parlez"'s winning formula with some grit and menace, which pays off particularly well on the opening track and "Playhouse".
Though the second half is less exciting than the first and Young isn't much of a songwriter (much of side two was co-written by him), this is still a very enjoyable, emotional rollercoaster ride of an album. Variety abounds, every song is different, meticulously arranged, overproduced to the extreme, but certainly never boring. "Secrets" updates "No Parlez"'s winning formula with some grit and menace, which pays off particularly well on the opening track and "Playhouse".
Side A
A1. Bite The Hand That Feeds - 4:31
A2. Every Time You Go Away - 5:23
A3. I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down - 5:05
A4. Standing On The Edge - 4:38
A5. Soldier's Things - 6:21
Side B
B1. Everything Must Change - 5:35
B2. Tomb Of Memories - 3:53
B3. One Step Forward - 3:42
B4. Hot Fun - 4:26
B5. This Means Anything - 3:13
B6. I Was In Chains - 5:42
Personnel
- Paul Young – vocals, arrangements
- Mark Pinder - drums, electronic drums, percussion
- Marc Chantereau – percussion
- Pino Palladino – bass guitar
- Steve Bolton, John Turnbull – guitar
- B. J. Cole – pedal steel guitar
- Ian Kewley – keyboards, programming, Hammond organ, piano, arrangements
- Matt Irving – bass guitar
- Laurie Latham – effects, arrangements
- Paul Nieman – trombone
- Nick Payn – saxophone
- "Big" Jim Paterson – trombone
- Graham Preskett – violin
- Mark Feltham – harmonica
- Jimmy Chambers, George Chandler, Chris Difford, Ged Doherty, Tony Jackson, Kim Lesley, Maz Roberts, Glenn Tilbrook – backing vocals
Production
- Producer: Laurie Latham
- Engineers: Stewart Barry, James Illes and Laurie Latham.
- Mastered by Tim Young
- Art Direction and Design: Rob O'Conner
- Sleeve Photography: Simon Fowler
- Inner Sleeve Photos: "Everyone
Notes
Release: 1985
Format: LP
Genre: Blue-Eyed Pop
Label: CBS Records
Catalog# CBS 26234
Prijs: €10,00
Vinyl: VG
Cover: VG
0 comments:
Een reactie posten