Big Love (Simply Red album)

Big Love
Studio album by Simply Red
Released 29 May 2015 (2015-05-29)
Recorded 2014 - 2015
Genre Soul, pop
Length 43:15
Label East West
Producer Andy Wright, Mick Hucknall
Simply Red chronology
Song Book 1985-2010
(2013)Song Book 1985-20102013		 Big Love
(2015)
Singles from Big Love
  1. "Shine On"
    Released: 21 April 2015[1]
  2. "The Ghost of Love"
    Released: 10 July 2015[2]
  3. "Love Gave Me More"
    Released: 26 October 2015[3]

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
SourceRating
Metacritic56/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating

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.TitleLength
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

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

References

  1. ↑ http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/shine-on-simply-red/0825646102617
  2. ↑ http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/the-ghost-of-love-simply-red/0825646048755
  3. ↑ http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/love-gave-me-more-simply-red/0825646856114
  4. ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/nl/album/big-love/id985707306
  5. 1 2 "Are You Simply Red-dy For The Comeback? 'Big Love' To Arrive This Summer | Contactmusic.com". contactmusic.com. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
  6. ↑ "Simply Red Singer Attacks Music Industry | Contactmusic.com". hub.contactmusic.com. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
  7. ↑ "Simply Red announce 30th anniversary tour". Digital Spy. 2014-11-03. Retrieved 2014-11-03.
  8. ↑ "Simply Red to release new album Big Love". Entertainment Focus. 2015-04-20. Retrieved 2015-04-20.
  9. ↑ "Simply Red release teaser for new album Big Love | Music | Entertainment | Daily Express". express.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
  10. 1 2 "Reviews for Big Love by Simply Red". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  11. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/may/28/simply-red-big-love-review-mick-hucknall
  12. ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/11634359/Simply-Red-Big-Love-review-you-can-forgive-the-soppiness.html
  13. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Big Love by Simply Red". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
  14. ↑ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Greatest-Hits-Edition-Anniversary/dp/B01678R0AQ
  15. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  16. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Simply Red – Big Love" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  17. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Big Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Big Love" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Simply Red – Big Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  20. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  21. ↑ "Top 40 album DVD és válogatáslemez-lista – 2015. 23. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  22. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 23, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  23. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  24. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  25. ↑ "Simply Red | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved 8 June 2015.
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