Customer Reviews

Man at Work

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just in case you might have assumed that Colin Hay's recording career ended back in the 80's with the demise of Men At Work, rest assured that you can check up on what he's been doing all these years, all in one handy little CD. "Man At Work" provides an excellent blend of re-recordings of his Men At Work classics, as well as his newest material, and everything in between.

The re-recordings of the classic Men At Work hits, such as "Be Good Johnny", "Overkill" (which was previously available only on the "Scrubs" TV soundtrack), and "It's A Mistake" are good, but they just don't have the magic of the original vintage recordings. Some of the highlights of his solo albums can also be found here, including "Waiting For My Real Life To Begin" and "Beautiful World" (one of my Colin Hay favorites). There are also three previously unreleased tracks for the Colin Hay completists, as well as an excellent, exotic new take on "Down Under", which must be heard to be appreciated.

Be warned, however: Buying this CD may fill you with the uncontrollable urge to buy all his previous CD's! But then again, if you like this album, then it'll be worth the investment!

Ok, first I would like to say I can't stop listening to this CD; it hasn't come out of my CD player since I put it in there.

This CD is great for all the fans of Men at Work out there. Colin Hay's voice sounds as crisp as his days with Men at Work or maybe even better.
There are some great new tracks on the album, "Looking for Jack" is a great new tune you'll want to sing along to and "Don't be Afraid" will keep your head swaying.
The album also showcases new versions of some of his hits from the 80's including acoustic versions of the classics "Down Under," "Overkill," and "Who can it Be Now."
Overall this is one of Colin's best solo CDs and may even top his Men at Work albums.

In case you can't tell, I defiantly recommend this album to everyone who enjoys Men at Work and Colin Hay or to any fan of great acoustic music.
I would give this album 10 stars if I could....

Late in 1983, I was lucky enough to see: "Men at Work" during the "Cargo" Tour at the Scope in Norfolk, Va. The second album "Cargo" was already a favorite of mine, and I was curious to see if the band could deliver the goods in concert. Of the hundreds of shows I have attended over the years I would put Men at Work right there on my top-ten list. Sound, lights & performance: all spot-on excellent. It would seem that this the biggest and most popular group on the planet would have a long life. Within two years "Men at Work" was a only a memory.

This is Colin's 2003 release. Thirteen tracks at 53 Minutes, with new songs, acoustic versions of old favorites & re-mixed gems. The opener: "Beautiful World" is a stunner, and it should have been a hit single. If you could describe music as being delicate and forceful, all at the same Time, that would begin to define the songs of Colin Hay. The new acoustic versions of: "Down Under","Overkill" & "Who Can It be Now", sound fresh and brand new. A current song: "Storm In My Heart" shows Colin has not lost his writing abilities. This new tune stands right along the old classics as a new classic. "Looking For Jack", is another new song, and this jazzer is real cool (hats off to the piano player). The studio production is top-notch throughout this CD. This disc features stellar sound that is warm and not machine-like...There is an organic quality to this work. "Don't Be Afraid" has a strong reggae flavor and works in well here. "Waiting For My Real Life To Begin", spotlights Colin's wonderful guitar work, and is another fantastic track. This one is my favorite track of this disc but, it's all good.

Colin Hay, never went away, but the rest of us DID drift away, and that's wrong. This artist is a force, not to be ignored. This is a great CD, and if you still remember those crazy videos from the early days of MTV with those chaps hopping around like kanganuts, this one is for you.
FOUR STARS !!!

Recently, I have heard Mr. Hay on "Scrubs" and the Steve Dahl radio show and it led me to this album. When I was 13 I discovered the pop melodies of Men At Work and now in my 30's I rediscover the real lyrics of those songs set to a new tempo and arrangement. Bittersweet...playful and thouroughly enjoyable. I have yet to find a track on the disc that I don't at some point play over and over again. He embraces his pasts songs and its led me to appreciate the new work. I would like to see Colin Hay more receive success and some recognition a album like this deserves.

...Most people just don't realize that Colin Hay is still writing great music!. If you're thinking about getting this cd, you should. It's great, but it's only a small sample of what you've been missing out on over the years. (Colin has released eight solo albums.) "Man At Work" features a few new songs and some great new recordings of older stuff. Colin has also recently recorded another new album, ("Company Of Strangers"),that hasn't seen an official release, but is available right here at Amazon. It is also fantastic!, and I would recommend it too. This album features brand new tunes and a few potential new "Hits". I'm convinced that if Colin Hay can get back on the radio, he'll sell a lot of albums again.
If you like this stuff, get the rest as well! Good luck Colin!

Review: Colin Hay's "Man at Work"

Release Date: July 22, 2003
Label: Compass Records
ASIN: B00009Y3OF
(...)

All right, I admit it. I am a child of the 80's and 20 years later I still have a soft spot for the music of the group "Men at Work". It should come as no surprise, then, that I seized the opportunity to listen to Men at Work's former front-man Colin Hay performing his album "Man at Work". I wasn't sure I was going to like it, though. All too often I've found that when a member of a popular band goes off on his or her own to record an album, you realize that what you liked about that band wasn't the lead singer, but the combination of the singer and the rest of the band.


It was with that mindset that I approached "Man at Work". I liked Hay's voice just fine, but I wondered if a different backing band would take away from my enjoyment of it. When the first track on the album ("Beautiful World") began to play, I thought to myself "I don't think I like this. It's nothing like 'Men at Work' at all, aside from Colin Hay's voice." But I kept listening. I also stopped thinking "Men at Work" and started thinking about the album on its own merits.

"Beautiful World" has very upbeat and simple lyrics, such as "...Still this emptiness persists. Perhaps this is as good as it gets... I watch the sun come up and watch it as it sets. Yes, this is as good as it gets." Amusing that the lyrics mention that people don't treat women properly in society today, while in his own song he says that he likes going out "Where a man can still be free (or a woman if you are one)". Overall, a pleasant and relaxing track.

The tracks "Down Under", "Overkill", "It's a Mistake", "Who Can It Be Now?", and "Be Good Johnny" are former Men at Work songs performed as acoustic pieces with some slight lyrical tweaks. It was a refreshing take on some old favorite songs. The songs made kind of a nice musical bridge for us "Men at Work" fans to appreciate the music of "just Colin Hay". The songs really helped put me in a frame of mind to appreciate the original songs on the album (discussed next). "It's a Mistake" and "Be Good Johnny" sounded to me the closest to the "original" Men at Work recordings. The slowed-down and yet emotionally emphasized "Who Can it Be Now?" might even be better than the original.

"Storm in My Heart" has a slight country music sound combined with sort of a mellow modern-rock sound to it. A sampling of the lyrics to this song include: "Through all the good and the bad times, you stir up my blood. I've got a storm in my heart, by you."

"Looking for Jack" is one of the new songs (at least new to me) on the album. I'm not quite sure who "Jack" refers to in this song. The song itself is a soft piano rock song about a guy named Jack that "everybody's always looking for" and "Even Jack is looking for Jack." It's not one of the stronger tracks on the album, but it's OK.

"Don't Be Afraid", another of the new tracks, is a very brassy song with some organ notes in the background. It kind of has a reggae sound to it. I like the track. It's a bit stronger than "Looking for Jack" but not the strongest on the album.

"Waiting for My Real Life to Begin" is clearly one of the more popular tracks on the album with other reviews I've read. I can understand why. It's probably the strongest track on the album, with words that resonate with anyone who has ever felt like there is, or should be, more to their life than there currently is:

Any minute now, my ship is coming in
I keep checking the horizon
And I'll stand on the bow
Feel the waves come crashin' in and crashin' down...
Down... down... down... on me.
And you say "Be still my love.
Open up your heart and let the light shine in."
Don't you understand, I already have a plan?
I'm waiting for my real life to begin.
When I woke to day, suddenly... nothing happened.
But in my dreams, I slew the dragon.
Down this beaten path, up this cobbled lane,
I'm walkin' in my own footsteps, once again.
And you say "Just be here now, forget about the past.
The mask is wearing thin."
Just let me throw one more dice, I know that I can win.
I'm waiting for my real life to begin.
Any minute now, my ship is coming in.
I keep checking the horizon,
And I'll check my machine.
It's sure to be that call.
It's gonna happen soon... soon... oh, so very soon.
It's just that time's a ????
And you say "Be still my love.
Open up your heart and let the light shine in."
Don't you understand, I already have a plan?
I'm waiting for my real life to begin.
On a clear day, I can see, see a very long way.
On a clear day, I can see... see a very long way.

"To Have and To Hold" is another reggae-like track with a slow, rhythmic beat to it. It tells the story of failed love and the promise, if only to one's self, to get it right in the future: "I may be searching my whole life through. I may be standing right next to you. Next time I'll know what to do, to have and to hold... And I can see, quite clearly now."

"Love Is Innocent" tells the story of someone trying to "pick up the pieces". It's probably the second-strongest track on the album. The acoustic guitar playing at the end is soothing and yet manages to convey a sense of sadness and loss at the same time.

The final track is another re-recording of "Down Under" featuring Cecilia Nokl and the Wild Clams. It features a kind of disco back-beat, a brass section, and backing vocals. I'm not a dancer, but I can see where this version of the song would be more conducive to dancing than the original. It doesn't seem to fit as well with the rest of the album, though, and might be my last favorite track on the album. Even at that, it not "bad", just different from the feel of the rest of the album.

I have to say that I came away from this album with a renewed appreciation for Colin Hay and a desire to check out his other recordings, now that I have a clearer picture of his music apart from his former Band, Men at Work.

The quality of the recording itself is crisp and clear. Even with a mediocre set of headphones it sounds like you're right in the studio with Colin Hay and his band.

If you like the voice and singing style of Colin Hay in his Men at Work days, and would like a slower-paced, more relaxing, and slightly more upbeat backdrop, this is the album for you. If you're not sure you'd like Colin Hay on his own, this is also the album for you, because the re-recording of old Men at Work tunes in Hay's own acoustical style will give you the best possible bridge to "today's Colin Hay" while giving you a "Men at Work" stepping stone.

On a 1-10 scale, with 1 being awful and 10 being perfect, this album easily rates an 8. That might even move to a 9 with a few more listens.

First, I have to say this is the only Colin Hay disc I've owned since Men at Work, and for that I'm kicking myself. I asked for any Colin Hay disk as a father's day present, so my wife and son dutifully found this one. We all listened to it on a drive today, then again when we got home. There aren't too many musical performers my 14-year-old son and I admire simultaneosly, but Colin Hay is one of them. This CD, with a few re-recordings and rearrangements of Men at Work classics, plus truly delicious tunes that were new to us (some that seemed perfect to bring film to life) , will only be the beginning of our post Men at Work Colin Hay collection. The man's a treasure.

I feel sorry for anyone who passes this CD up only because Hay was in what many wrongfully label an 80's novelty band. This cd clearly shows Hay's musical genius. There's so much to appreciate on this album, from the warm sounding guitars, to Hay's John Mayeresque voice (which should be called John Mayer's Colin Hayesque voice) to some of the cds witty/funny lines (Where a man can still be free/ or a woman if you are one). THere's no reason for you to not buy two, maybe three copies of 'Man at Work."

I am so late in the game in getting to Colin Hay. Men at Work were always a so-so pop band in my eyes and, at the time, I wasn't really into all of that anyway. For every one great pop song in the 80's we had to endure 10 tunes like "The Safety Dance."

This CD, however, is just absolutely amazing. Not only did it make me appreciate the Men At Work tunes included within, but Hay's other work is just awe inspiring. The songwriting is elegant and heartfelt and his guitar playing is above and beyond anything I imagined him capable of. Silly me.

I bought the disc primarily for the acoustic takes on nostalgic MAW songs like Overkill, Who Can It Be Now, and Land Down Under. They're all fantastic. However the real magic of Hay's work is in the lyrics and arrangments of songs like Beautiful World and Waiting For My Real Life To Begin. Those are two songs I could just listen to over and over again - and I have.

I've recommended this CD to friends with my own personal money-back guarantee. This is a no-brainer and has moved into my heavy rotation. Especially good for long drives.

Enjoy!

Listen to 4 tunes either here or on iTunes: "Down Under (acoustic)", "Overkill (acoustic)", "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin" and "Who Can It Be Now (acoustic)".

Now, here's the test: did you like them? If you did, get the album and get listening -- reading any more reviews (including the rest of this one), is wasting your time.

If you didn't like them, then, I can assure you -- you won't like the rest of the album.

From a personal standpoint, I thought the original Men At Work versions were a bit too pop (plus they were so overplayed on the radio in the 80's here in the States). Now, listening to these acoustic versions, I have to wonder, how in the world did the pop-radio versions even get so popular? The acoustic versions are the real essence of the music. Wow. In fact, I'm listening to "Overkill (acoustic)" as I write this. Happy listening to all who buy this. And thank you to Mr. Hay for taking the time to share with all of us.