Picture Book [CD, Original recording]

Simply Red | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1985
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: CD, Original recording
• Label: East/West Records
• ASIN: B000002IFL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,798 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Come to My Aid

2. Sad Old Red

3. Look at You Now

4. Heaven

5. Jericho

6. Money's Too Tight (To Mention)

7. Holding Back the Years

8. Red Box

9. No Direction

10. Picture Book

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars QUALITY MUSIC AT ITS BEST, August 27, 2008

By 

barry (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Picture Book (W/Dvd) (Coll) (Audio CD)

This cd is one of the very best first recordings by any artist and it is issued here in this amazing Collector's Edition. Simply Red has always been underrated here in the US. They have had the random huge single but overall successs here has not happened. Such a loss. This is quality r@b, jazz and pop in its purest form. Mike Hucknall has very emotive vocals and a very intense range.

Sadly, Simply Red has said that they shall be recording no more new sets. A great loss but these excelent collector's editions of their best albums helps ease the pain. This, their first album, is presented here digitally remastered for superior sound quality. It also introduces us to the group with hits such as MONEY'S TOO TIGHT TO MENTION, HOLDING BACK THE YEARS and HEAVEN. There are also some other excellent cuts such as SAD OLD RED and LOOK AT YOU NOW. The cd also contains 5 bonus tracks which are remixes of the albums top cuts. Quality music and an excellent introduction to the group.

But this is not all. There is also a dvd of Simply Red performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1986. It's an amazing dvd with 19 cuts. The sound and picture are amazing and Simply red are even better live. This collector's edition is a must have for any Simply Red fan or fan of quality jazz/r@b.

Highly recommend.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Simply a great album., September 19, 2005

By 

H3@+h "Over 1500 reviews!" (thanks for the helpful review votes) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Picture Book (Audio CD)

This is what I think of as a great album from an underrated band. Maybe not their best, but well worth a listen. Included is the wonderful and moving "Holding Back The Years", one of their best songs ever, and probably most popular. "Money's Too Tight (to mention)" is another well known song, and rather upbeat. I also really enjoy the cover of "Heaven", as it's one of my favorite Talking Heads songs. The rest holds up well, and is still a good listen after all this time. If you're looking for more than the "Greatest Hits", give it a try.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent, August 17, 2011

By 

Bill Your 'Free Form FM Handi Cyber Print DJ ... (Mahwah, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Picture Book (Audio CD)

Since my dad died early this year, I've, without thinking, gravitated towards a lot of 1980s music. I hated a lot of this on release--was listening to 1960s music--and when I hear Loverboy or Poison, or Micheal Jackson, no, I was not missing much.

Simply Red is a band that DOES require reexamination, up tip top with Scriti Politi or Prefab Sprout. or, as I'm enthusiastically discovering, Prince.

Playing Picture Book, you almost immediately stop thinking of this as "80s music" and start hearing a great synergy of pop--that's melody and incredibly aligned chord progressions, not schoolgirl hairpuff fluff--and soul. Listen, for example, to the almost gospel backup on "Out Of My Head," a fantastic hook for soul of any era.

This is a 1980s album with unmistakably 80s production, and if that is the kick of it for listeners, that's great. I did not have a great time as a disabled person in high school, but if you had a blast and this music blasts you back, bonus points for you. The soul moves here are highlighted particularly well here with the periods bell clear, then new digital production.

Music, nostalgia, reexamination, we listen to all kinds of music for all kinds of reasons, and bring these reasons to the music before the music begins. But whatever you bring to Picture Book, this music will enhance those reasons to listen, and give you many more.