People Move on

Bernard Butler | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 21, 1998)
• Original Release Date: April 21, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000062IT
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #201,082 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a grower; but Bernard's best is still to come, September 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: People Move on (Audio CD)

Fans of Suede Mark I will have a tough time wrestling with this one. There are enough snatches of his trademark "big" sound to keep us happy, but too often it sounds as if he's deliberately working against his strengths, stripping down his sound to let his (rather callow and undeveloped) voice shine through. After listening to "Not Alone" and realizing anew just how exhilarating his music can be, you can't help thinking he's holding back during much of the rest of the album. Still, there's a half dozen pretty great songs here, and even some of the acoustic numbers, most notably "You Light the Fire", are quite beautiful. This one definitely takes time to get into, and by and large it's worth it, but I think the next album will be even better.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too little tempo variation...too much excess..., May 4, 2005

By 

Greg Brady "columbusboy" (Capital City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: People Move on (Audio CD)

Ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler here makes his solo debut. His taste here runs toward ornate string-encased ballads (think Oasis playing songs written by Burt Bacharach). Indeed, the tempo never bobs up above a midtempo lope. His singing isn't flashy or especially expressive so the songs have to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, the songwriting's only occasionally up to the task.

Another big drawback is Butler's tendency to lengthy tunes that overstay their welcome...all but 2 of these tracks run longer than 4:30 and it's really not necessary. A great pop song leaves you wanting MORE rather than wondering if it's almost over ("Woman I Know" [7:51] and "Autograph" [8:45] are just beyond the pale...)

HIGHLIGHTS:
"You Just Know" is Butler's kiss-off to an unsupportive mate and SHOULD have been the album opener. There's some edge to his guitar here rather than the snoozy weeping parts to "Woman I Know". "You Light the Fire" is a nicely understated acoustic number with some tasteful accordion. "Not Alone" demonstrates what Butler is capable of when he injects a little fire into his guitar playing and reigns in the excess. At 3:51, it's a great blast of pop that soars. In the case of "Stay" all the bombast works in Butler's favour. The tune climbs to ever higher heights before drifting away on a final keyboard swell. It's fully realized. "I'm Tired" perfectly evokes the pervasive feeling of the disc but stays away from the bloat that sabotages many of the other songs here.

LOWS:
"Woman I Know" drones on for nearly 8 minutes and is absolutely the WORST way to open the album. Wake me when it's over. "Autograph" has a decent lyric, but it's too long by half at nearly 9 minutes. "When You Grow" is a good tune that could have been great. At 4:40 the song is essentially over but Butler lets it run on for nearly another minute of guitar feedback that's nothing more than indulgence. It just doesn't add to the song. "In Vain" is what "Wichita Lineman" might have become if Jimmy Webb had been clinically depressed.

BOTTOM LINE:
Bernard Butler obviously has some talent...there are germs of a great album here...but he lacks the discipline personally to drop weaker songs from the lineup when needed and to trim unneeded fat out of his material. Since it's only a dime, you could pick it up, drop the worst tracks, use editing software and a CD burner to create your own tightened up version and have a passable debut. He needs an outside producer for his next outing.

2 1/2 stars

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars He'll have more success producing for The Libertines., December 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: People Move on (Audio CD)

When I heard this album, I had high hopes since he was so brilliant with Suede and I believe that he was as vital to the band as Brett Anderson. So obviously I expected some of the same brilliance on his first solo album. There are some moments where he shines, "Not Alone", "Stay" and "You Just Know" but the rest don't seem inspired. There's something lacking when I hear this album, that same chill I got when hearing the songs from the Butler-era Suede was missing on People Move On. His solo career as NME put it "was dead upon arrival". It's very sad that he left Suede because of the possibilities that were ahead for him and the band but he chose this. In retrospect it's a bad move. I don't understand why these people who establish themselves in a band and then at the height of their powers they leave and think that they can do just as well alone? It's very rare for singers to pull it off but guitarists have never had success, et al; Jimmy Page, Johnny Marr, John Squire, etc... If you want to hear Butler at his best, look elsewhere. (Suede)