Track Listing

1. Perfect Love
2. Something Got Me Started
3. Holding Back The Years
4. More
5. Song For You
6. Your Mirror
7. Fairground
8. My Perfect Love
9. Smile
10. Sad Old Red
11. For Your Babies
12. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50514 in Music
• Released on: 2005-10-17
• Number of discs: 1

From the Label
Following the huge international success of Home, Simply Red are back with a unique new album, a proven and unique record label and a re-awakened fan base. Simplified is an Unplugged "Best Of" album with three new tracks. Twelve songs in all, stripped back to mainly acoustic arrangements – we call it "Simplified" – to allow the song and the unique voice of Mick Hucknall to shine. To add some spice, there is a decidedly Latin flavour to the record.

The singles from the album will all be new songs, the first is "Perfect Love", a soon to be Simply Red classic – up-tempo and unashamedly catchy. The second is the latest in a long line of classy Simply Red covers, "Song For You" originally penned by Leon Russell, but with lyrics that sound like Mick could have written them last week.

CD Description
Follow-up to 2003's 'Home' from multi-platinum recording band Simply Red. With a career spanning more than two decades,this album offers stripped-down versions of many of their biggest hits to date. Featured are the classic songs 'Something Got Me Started' and 'Holding Back The Years'. The single 'Perfect Love' is also included.

Customer Reviews

Much Much Better Than Expected
I have liked Simply Red since their first album, but recent albums I have been disappointed. Having read a negative review here i was not too hopeful. I also thought it would be just Mick Hucknell singing solo (Sinatra style).

I was wrong - this is an EXCELLENT album. Old and new. Slow and fast tracks, improved versions of old songs, a latin twist.

If you like Simply Red - this is an excellent album. BUY IT.

Simplified
Doing an unplugged album was always going to be risky and Simply Red took a gamble with this one. One of the aims of the project was to show how Mick's voice has matured and how he feels it is at its best yet. It achieved success in this area as there is no doubt he has a wonderful voice but the fact that there is little new material on this album is dissapointing and shows almost a self-centredness. That said however, the album is done very well and the band sound great. Although some of the songs perhaps didn't need re-doing (i.e. 'Holding Back the Years', 'More') the songs do stand out in their new form and the songs are by no means ruined although hopefully the old versions won't be lost.

The album's start point - the latino feel - suits Mick very well and 'Perfect Love' and 'Something Got Me Started' are both classic feel-good songs. New versions of 'Fairground' and 'Sad Old Red' particularly stand out and we are reminded what classic songs 'For Your Babies' and 'Your Mirror' are although 'Your Mirror' could do with a bit more of a beat to it. Hints of Frank Sinatra are included in the album - in particular with 'Smile' and there is a really good cover of 'A Song For You' showing Mick unashamedly crooning away with a love song.

The album reminds us that there have been many Simply Red classics and may attract some new listeners although its likely that fans will be most attracted to it (if they don't feel slightly cheated) and this album is great to put on in the background but its perhaps not the best follow-up to 'Home' which many said marked a return to form. Fans will be pleased that the follow-up to this album - 'Amplified' - due out next year - will contain more new material and will have a more upbeat tone. For the mean time though if you're a new listener to Simply Red this album is a great starting point and if you're a true fan you'll probably enjoy Mick's voice.

Wow!
Die hard fans will have bought this anyway to add to their collection. I was given it as a gift, and must be honest - on first hearing, I thought it a bit washed out, other than the Perfect Love single which gets into your head and stays there.

Then I saw them at the Albert Hall last week - the album roared in my ears and was simply (excuse the pun) brought to life. So much so that I am off to see them again tomorrow in Brighton, and again on Wednesday in Bournemouth. Give this a listen at least twice and you won't want to play anything else. And if your kids are like mine - and thoroughly fed up with hearing it on an endless loop - tell them that they have NO MUSICAL TASTE WHATSOEVER!