Open Road - Gary Barlow

...10. Never Know
11. Open Road
12. Always

I'll go through each song one at a time.

LOVE WON'T WAIT

This song was written by Madonna even though she isn't credited. Shep Pettibone is mentioned as producer and writer though.

It's a great catchy song - the sort of mid-tempo tunes Gary seems to find difficult to write - and it entered the charts at number one in 1997.

...yearning ballad.

OPEN ROAD

The title track is about Gary's journey. It's loosely based on the poem/phrase "No man is an island". This is a rather dramatic tune which reached the Top 10 in 1997.

Gary claims to be "drowning in" his "autocratic ways". I'm sure there's an Irish sounding flute in this song somewhere as well. It's a candid account of self-discovery. Good stuff.
more

When Take That split in 1996, Gary went on to make 2 solo albums and did a few tours, before deciding to become a full time writer (recent hits include "Guilty" by Blue). "Open Road" was the first of his 2 albums. It's probably only available second-hand or from an internet site.

Here is a full track listing.

1. Love Won't Wait
2. So Help Me Girl
3. My Commitment
4. Hang On In There Baby
5. Are You Ready Now
6. Everthing I Ever Wanted
7. I Fall So Deep
8. Lay Down for Love
9. Forever Love
10. Never Know
11. Open Road
12. Always

I'll go through each song one at a time.

LOVE WON'T WAIT

This song was written by Madonna even though she isn't credited. Shep Pettibone is mentioned as producer and writer though.

It's a great catchy song - the sort of mid-tempo tunes Gary seems to find difficult to write - and it entered the charts at number one in 1997.

SO HELP ME GIRL

A cover of a Country and Western song, this reached number 7 in 1997, if I remember rightly. It certainly went into the Top 10. It was a decent effort and the song is about how sometimes we fall in love when we don't want to.

MY COMMITMENT

A sloppy ballad and boring in places. This is no more than a filler in my opinion. Even the talents of Diane Warren can't save it. Gary's voice is the only good thing on this track. The song isn't very good at all.

HANG ON IN THERE BABY

A good cover of the Johnny Bristol track but it's not as brilliant as the Curiousity version. Gary re-recorded it as a B-side with Rosie Gaines and that was also good. I admit I always laugh when Gary sings "virgin" for some reason.

ARE YOU READY NOW?

An average slow-ish song. The same themes as usual.

EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED

Again, another typical Gary song. Not very inspiring. Bland, it doesn't even inspire any offence.

I FALL SO DEEP

This sounds like another country tune but this time it's not a cover version.

LAY DOWN FOR LOVE

This is probably the best track on the album. It's a funky, much faster song that you would expect. Gary is in command here. "Don't you think we've got some talking to do?...Don't tell me it's over, cos it's not ever yet".

FOREVER LOVE

That long, stirring ballad, which has no chorus! It was number one in 1996 and the beginning always reminds me of Whigfield's "Close To You". It's a bit of a tear-jerker. "In a minute I'm needing to hold her, in an hour I'm cold, cold as stone, when she leaves it gets harder and harder, to face life alone".

NEVER KNOW

This reminds me slightly of Take That's "Holding Back The Tears" on the "Nobody Else" album. Another yearning ballad.

OPEN ROAD

The title track is about Gary's journey. It's loosely based on the poem/phrase "No man is an island". This is a rather dramatic tune which reached the Top 10 in 1997.

Gary claims to be "drowning in" his "autocratic ways". I'm sure there's an Irish sounding flute in this song somewhere as well. It's a candid account of self-discovery. Good stuff.

ALWAYS

Another love song typical of this album. A disappointing ending.

The whole album could have been so much more exciting. Good singing but the material was sadly lacking in places. More "Lay Down For Love" type of tracks would have helped.

The album cover is black and white featuring a rather alarming close-up of Gary's face. I don't like the font on the album in-lay booklet but there's plenty of information in it.

This album was also released in 1998 in the USA and reviews seemed to suggest it was well received and actually had a better track-listing than the UK version. I haven' t heard it but I'd like to. A song called "Superstar" seems to have gotten the best reception. 

...less