Big Love (Simply Red album)
| Big Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Simply Red | ||||
| Released | 29 May 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2014–2015 | |||
| Genre | Soul, pop | |||
| Length | 43:15 | |||
| Label | East West | |||
| Producer | Andy Wright, Mick Hucknall | |||
| Simply Red chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Big Love | ||||
Big Love is the eleventh studio album by British pop group Simply Red. The album was released on 29 May 2015 by East West Records.[4] It is their first studio album since Stay (2007), and the first album to only feature original material since Life (1995).[5] Big Love is also the first album to be released under a new recording contract with East West Records, a label Simply Red previously were signed to until April 2000.[6]
Background
On 3 November 2014, Simply Red announced they would be reforming in Autumn 2015 for a 30th anniversary European tour, the "Big Love Tour 2015".[7]
On 19 April 2015, on their official Facebook page, the band announced that they would be releasing a new studio album containing 12 new tracks.[8]
Lead singer Mick Hucknall said of the album: "Once I began wondering how Simply Red were going to sound, I started writing songs. With ‘Stay' I was running away from Simply Red. But now I'm comfortable with the notion of us as a blue-eyed soul group. I had to stop myself fighting that idea. Our sound is original too. I honestly don't know of another band that has pulled so many musical strands together".[5] Hucknall has said he wanted to make an album like Stars with a consistent theme: "And the theme here is life from a family viewpoint. It’s an album that deals with birth, love, death, and all the stuff in between".[9]
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 56/100[10] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
At Metacritic, which assigns a "weighted average" rating out of 100 from selected independent ratings and reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a Metascore of 58, based on 7 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[10] Harriet Gibsone of The Guardian gave Big Love three out of five stars and wrote that, "a wizened nostalgia hangs above this blue-eyed soul – the songs are smooth and sentimental, like easy-listening epitaphs. Wistful laments are nothing new for the group, and their unbridled sincerity remains consistent."[11] The Telegraph's Helen Brown also gave the album three out of five stars, and commented that "Hucknall appears to have got some of his mojo back, with added sincerity."[12]
Track listing
All tracks written by Mick Hucknall.
| Big Love – Standard version | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Shine On" | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Daydreaming" | 3:38 |
| 3. | "Big Love" | 4:09 |
| 4. | "The Ghost of Love" | 3:16 |
| 5. | "Dad" | 3:54 |
| 6. | "Love Wonders" | 3:56 |
| 7. | "Love Gave Me More" | 3:17 |
| 8. | "Tight Tones" | 3:35 |
| 9. | "WORU" | 4:13 |
| 10. | "Coming Home" | 2:53 |
| 11. | "The Old Man and the Beer" | 2:54 |
| 12. | "Each Day" | 4:19 |
| Big Love – Japanese version (bonus track) | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 13. | "Heart of Gold" | 3:03 |
| Big Love – iTunes version (bonus track)[13] | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 13. | "Shine On" (Max Bidda radio mix) | 3:03 |
- The album was re-released on 27 November 2015 in a two-disc version entitled Big Love – Greatest Hits Edition (30th Anniversary), featuring a second CD with 18 previously released tracks.[14]
Personnel
- Mick Hucknall – vocals, guitar
- Kenji Suzuki – guitar
- Dave Clayton – keyboards
- Ian Kirkham – saxophone on 1, 2, 10, 11
- Kevin Robinson – trumpet on 10, 11; flugelhorn on 3, 6
- Jack Stevens – bass (except on 5, 8, 12)
- Roman Roth – drums (except on 5, 12)
with:
- Mark Jaimes – additional guitar on 1, 2
- Danny Saxon – additional keyboards on 1, 2
- Pete Lewinson – drums on 5, 12
- Steve Lewinson – bass on 5, 12
- Andy Wright – bass on 8
Production team
- Andy Wright – producer, programming
- Mick Hucknall – producer, mixing
- Gavin Goldberg – programming, recording engineer
- Lewis Chapman – recording engineer
- Adrian Hall – recording and mixing engineer
- Jim McWilliam – orchestrations, conducting
- Peter-John Vettese – string arrangements on 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9
- David Sinclair Whitaker – string arrangement on 12
Charts
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[15] | 22 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[16] | 11 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] | 36 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[18] | 36 |
| Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[19] | 2 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[20] | 6 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[21] | 9 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[22] | 34 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[23] | 21 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] | 10 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[25] | 4 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[26] | Silver | 60,000^ |
|
*sales figures based on certification alone | ||
References
- ↑ http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/shine-on-simply-red/0825646102617
- ↑ http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/the-ghost-of-love-simply-red/0825646048755
- ↑ http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/love-gave-me-more-simply-red/0825646856114
- ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/nl/album/big-love/id985707306
- 1 2 "Are You Simply Red-dy for the Comeback? 'Big Love' To Arrive This Summer". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ↑ "Simply Red Singer Attacks Music Industry | Contactmusic.com". hub.contactmusic.com. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ↑ "Simply Red announce 30th anniversary tour". Digital Spy. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ↑ "Simply Red to release new album Big Love". Entertainment Focus. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ↑ "Simply Red release teaser for new album Big Love | Entertainment". Daily Express. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- 1 2 "Reviews for Big Love by Simply Red". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/may/28/simply-red-big-love-review-mick-hucknall
- ↑ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/11634359/Simply-Red-Big-Love-review-you-can-forgive-the-soppiness.html
- ↑ "iTunes Music – Big Love by Simply Red". iTunes Store. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ↑ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Greatest-Hits-Edition-Anniversary/dp/B01678R0AQ
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Simply Red – Big Love" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Big Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Big Love" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Simply Red – Big Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ "Top 40 album DVD és válogatáslemez-lista – 2015. 23. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 23, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- ↑ "Simply Red | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Simply Red – Big love". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Enter Big love in the search field and then press Enter.