Home [20th Anniversary]

by Simply Red

Overview

Most people expected Simply Red to have popped up on VH1's Where Are They Now? at any moment, but Home is their eighth proper album. Finding a niche as Jamiroquai for the smooth jazz set, they've failed to deliver on the promise exhibited on Picture Book, instead releasing frustrating album after album and living off the worldwide success of Stars. Home looks like a return to form with Mick Hucknall taking over a good amount of the production and releasing the album on his own label, Simplyred.com. Perhaps an outside producer should give them a kick in their velour pants because there are quite a few drab moments on Home, and quite a few embarrassing ones. The worst of it has to be "Sunrise," where Hall & Oates get sampled and credited, but the vocal hook from Ace's "How Long" gets lifted without acknowledgment. It sounds as shoddy as one of the song-combining "mash-up" bootlegs that swept through the U.K., and could be a cover-up for Hucknall's lack of songwriting ideas. A bland American Idol-worthy version of the Stylistics' "You Make Me Feel Brand New" and a string arrangement of Bob Dylan's "Positively 4th Street" with Hucknall's blank delivery are awkward and unnecessary. On the other hand there's the genuine sweetness of "Home," the lavish funkiness of "Fake," and the profound and moving "Home Loan Blues." When the band masterfully slinks its way through Dennis Brown's "Money in My Pocket," all sorts of Picture Book flashbacks appear. Home gives half an album's worth of reasons to cheer for Simply Red, still stumbling down the road to recovery. ~ David Jeffries

Product Details

Release Date:	08/09/2024
Label:	Demon Records
UPC:	5014797910416

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Simply Red   Primary Artist
Mick Hucknall   Vocals

Technical Credits

John Arthur Lee   Mixing Assistant,Assistant
Agm   Producer
Sarah Allen   Composer
Andy Earl   Photography
Peacock   Design,Art Direction
John "Woog" Johnson   Musician
Chris DeMargary   Composer,Musician
Kevin Robinson   Composer,Musician
Peter Lewinson   Musician,Producer,Composer
Gusto   Photography
Arthur Adams   Musician
Thom Bell   Composer
Matt Rowe   Producer
Steve Fitzmaurice   Mixing
Paul Harris   Musician
Steve Lewinson   Composer,Musician,Producer
Andy Wright   Mixing,Musician,Producer
Bernie Worrell   Musician
Bob Dylan   Composer
Larry Williams   Musician,Musician
James Gadson   Musician
"Ready" Freddie Washington   Musician
Gota Yashiki   Composer,Musician,Producer
Rik Pekkonen   Engineer
M. Jaimes   Composer
Dean Parks   Musician
Mad Kap   Mixing,Producer
Lenny Castro   Musician
Dennis Brown   Composer
Sarah Brown   Musician
Andy Scade   Assistant
Sara Allen   Composer
Anthea Clarke   Musician
Danny Saxon   Musician
Miles Bould   Musician
Ian Kirkham   Composer,Musician
Joe Gibbs   Composer
Joe Sample   Composer,Musician
John Oates   Composer
Mark Jaimes   Composer,Musician
Linda Creed   Composer
Karl Van Den Bossche   Musician
Mick Hucknall   Composer,Musician,Producer
London Session Orchestra   Musician
Stewart Levine   Producer
Daryl Hall   Composer
David Clayton   Musician
Michael Zimmerling   Engineer
Johnny Wow   Mixing
Sara Brown   Composer
Dee Johnson   Composer,Musician
Paul "Harry" Harris   Musician
Arthur Adam   Musician
Rick Guest   Photography
Kenji Suzuki   Composer,Musician
Hugh Turvey   Photography
Mark Jolley   Mixing,Producer