Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Download not available
Given his long history of smooth, classy blue-eyed soul, it's easy to forget that Mick Hucknall was inspired to make music by the Sex Pistols. While it's true that Hucknall's Simply Red has never, ever sounded like the Pistols -- or any punk for that matter -- there is an obstinate independent streak that runs throughout his music that's led him to such strange detours as Love and the Russian Winter, as well as his position as an independent artist in the new millennium, releasing Simply Red albums via his own label, Simplyred.com. That independent spirit also surfaces on some of the songs on 2007's Stay, his third release on Simplyred.com, but it's subtle and buried toward the end of the album. For the first half of Stay, Hucknall remains in his trademark upscale blue-eyed soul territory, sounding smooth and stylish whether he's singing ballads or snappier songs like the effervescent "Oh! What a Girl!" Although this sounds familiar, it sounds fresher than it has in a few years: Hucknall isn't trying to compete with such modern U.K. retro-soul phenoms as Amy Winehouse or Joss Stone, but he's looser and lighter than he was on 2003's Home, which is quite welcome. Just as the vibe feels just a bit too comfortable, Stay takes a couple of sly left turns. First, there's a quite wonderful and unexpected cover of Ronnie Lane's "Debris" that's understated and a bit rougher than the norm from Simply Red. After this, the album opens up a bit. There's one more standard soul song in "Lady," but it's a stronger, tighter, sexier single than much of the rest of the record, and then there comes a trio of angry, social comments that offer strong reminders of Hucknall's past as a punk. Not that they sound punk -- apart from the school children's choir that sings along on the closer, "Little Englander," they're recognizably Simply Red -- but with "Money TV" and "The Death of the Cool," he strikes out at the commercialization of culture. Now, some could argue that swaddling these sentiments in such smooth soul undercuts their power, but there's a palpable anger to Hucknall's message and a sly subversiveness in his method that makes this half of Stay interesting -- and when combined with the solid soul of the first half, it adds up to one of his strongest latter-day records.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From £10.83/month
Simply Red, MainArtist - HUCKNALL, Composer - Wright, Composer - EMI Songs Ltd., MusicPublisher - Windswept Music (London) Ltd., MusicPublisher
(C) 2014 Demon Music Group Ltd. (P) 2007 simplyred.com ltd
Simply Red, MainArtist - HUCKNALL, Composer - Grant, Composer - Thompson, Composer - Woodroffe, Composer - Hood, Composer - Osuji, Composer - Emi Music Publishing Ltd., MusicPublisher - EMI Songs Ltd., MusicPublisher
(C) 2014 Demon Music Group Ltd. (P) 2007 simplyred.com ltd
Simply Red, MainArtist - Clayton, Composer - EMI Songs Ltd., MusicPublisher - Windswept Music (London) Ltd., MusicPublisher - Schjolin, Composer - Hucknall Wright, Composer
(C) 2014 Demon Music Group Ltd. (P) 2007 simplyred.com ltd
Simply Red, MainArtist - HUCKNALL, Composer - Clayton, Composer - EMI Songs Ltd., MusicPublisher - Reverb Music Ltd., MusicPublisher
(C) 2014 Demon Music Group Ltd. (P) 2007 simplyred.com ltd
Simply Red, MainArtist - HUCKNALL, Composer - Wright, Composer - Go, Composer - Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., MusicPublisher - Windswept Music (London) Ltd., MusicPublisher - EMI Songs, MusicPublisher
(C) 2014 Demon Music Group Ltd. (P) 2007 simplyred.com ltd
Simply Red, MainArtist - HUCKNALL, Composer - Wright, Composer - EMI Songs Ltd., MusicPublisher - Windswept Music (London) Ltd., MusicPublisher
(C) 2014 Demon Music Group Ltd. (P) 2007 simplyred.com ltd
Simply Red, MainArtist - Lane, Composer - Perfectly Formed Songs Ltd., MusicPublisher
(C) 2014 Demon Music Group Ltd. (P) 2007 simplyred.com ltd
Simply Red, MainArtist - HUCKNALL, Composer - HOLLAND, Composer - EMI Songs Ltd., MusicPublisher - Bug Music Ltd. (GB), MusicPublisher
(C) 2014 Demon Music Group Ltd. (P) 2007 simplyred.com ltd
Simply Red, MainArtist - HUCKNALL, Composer - EMI Songs Ltd., MusicPublisher - Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., MusicPublisher
(C) 2014 Demon Music Group Ltd. (P) 2007 simplyred.com ltd
Simply Red, MainArtist - HUCKNALL, Composer - EMI Songs Ltd., MusicPublisher - Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., MusicPublisher
(C) 2014 Demon Music Group Ltd. (P) 2007 simplyred.com ltd
Simply Red, MainArtist - HUCKNALL, Composer - EMI Songs Ltd., MusicPublisher - Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., MusicPublisher
(C) 2014 Demon Music Group Ltd. (P) 2007 simplyred.com ltd
Album review
Given his long history of smooth, classy blue-eyed soul, it's easy to forget that Mick Hucknall was inspired to make music by the Sex Pistols. While it's true that Hucknall's Simply Red has never, ever sounded like the Pistols -- or any punk for that matter -- there is an obstinate independent streak that runs throughout his music that's led him to such strange detours as Love and the Russian Winter, as well as his position as an independent artist in the new millennium, releasing Simply Red albums via his own label, Simplyred.com. That independent spirit also surfaces on some of the songs on 2007's Stay, his third release on Simplyred.com, but it's subtle and buried toward the end of the album. For the first half of Stay, Hucknall remains in his trademark upscale blue-eyed soul territory, sounding smooth and stylish whether he's singing ballads or snappier songs like the effervescent "Oh! What a Girl!" Although this sounds familiar, it sounds fresher than it has in a few years: Hucknall isn't trying to compete with such modern U.K. retro-soul phenoms as Amy Winehouse or Joss Stone, but he's looser and lighter than he was on 2003's Home, which is quite welcome. Just as the vibe feels just a bit too comfortable, Stay takes a couple of sly left turns. First, there's a quite wonderful and unexpected cover of Ronnie Lane's "Debris" that's understated and a bit rougher than the norm from Simply Red. After this, the album opens up a bit. There's one more standard soul song in "Lady," but it's a stronger, tighter, sexier single than much of the rest of the record, and then there comes a trio of angry, social comments that offer strong reminders of Hucknall's past as a punk. Not that they sound punk -- apart from the school children's choir that sings along on the closer, "Little Englander," they're recognizably Simply Red -- but with "Money TV" and "The Death of the Cool," he strikes out at the commercialization of culture. Now, some could argue that swaddling these sentiments in such smooth soul undercuts their power, but there's a palpable anger to Hucknall's message and a sly subversiveness in his method that makes this half of Stay interesting -- and when combined with the solid soul of the first half, it adds up to one of his strongest latter-day records.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:44:14
- Main artists: Simply Red
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Edsel
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
(C) 2014 Demon Music Group Ltd. (P) 2007 simplyred.com ltd
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.