Home (Limited Edition/+DVD) - Simply Red > Reviews > Simply Red went to Russia but are now HOME.

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Average
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Satisfactory

Advantages:	The old Simply Red are back
Disadvantages:	Bonus DVD is only for the fans

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I must admit right from the very start that although I quite like SImply Red's songs there is something I just do not like about Mick Hucknall. Maybe it is his arrogance when ever he is on TV. However putting this to one side I have bought a few Simply Red albums over the years but the Love and the Russian Winter album was too much. The blandness of it made me swear never to buy one of their albums ever again.
However the other week we were going on a family week-end to Whitby and my wife appeared with this CD and before I could protest it was in the car's player and we were off. At first I was ready to stick my fingers in my ears and hum a motorhead song but as the trip progressed I started to warm to the whole album and enjoyed it.

There are 10 songs (11 if you include the title track's reprise at the end):
1. Home
2. Fake
3. Sunrise
4. You Make Me Feel Brand New
5. Horne Loan Blues
6. Positively 4th Street
7. Lost Weekend
8. Money In My Pocket (Plan B mix)
9. Something For You
10. It's You
11. Home (reprise)

And on the whole they are a collection of first rate songs.
Home on a par with any track off of their "Picture Book" album.
Fake, Lost Weekend and Something for you are probably the 3 weakest tracks, but they are still pleasant.
However the 3 real stars of the album are "Sunrise" which heavily samples the Hall and Oates song "I cna't go for that (no can do)" and it is a work of genius. "You make me feel brand new" which is a cover version of the old Stylistics song and finally the best song of the entire album is "Positively 4th Street" a cover of Bob Dylan's swipe at all his ex-folk friends. Stunning.

The bonus DVD features footage of a couple of live tracks filmed in concert in Italy and alternative audio versions of Fake and Sunrise. The DVD version is probably only of interest to true fans but the CD can be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys beautiful songs.