From Time To Time - The Singles Collection

Paul Young | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 16, 2009)
• Original Release Date: November 26, 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: SME UK Limited
• ASIN: B00000286F
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,283 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good retrospective of soul songs interpreter, December 18, 2003

By 

Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From Time To Time - The Singles Collection (Audio CD)

Apart from his cover of "Everytime You Go Away," and songs like "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" and "Some People," I didn't know much of Paul Young. However, upon further research and examining this album, noticed that his mainstay was as an interpreter (read: doing cover versions) of other songs. It's a wonder he made as much as he did given his vocal problems over the years.

The single that broke Young in the US was his cover of Hall and Oates' "Everytime You Go Away." There doesn't seem to be much variation between his version and the original, but given the fact that both are different variants of white soul, not surprising. One of his best, coming as it did from his UK #1 album The Secret Of Association.

"Come Back And Stay" is an upbeat original song from No Parlez, having a more pop sound that would make George Michael popular during his solo years, given the synths.

The Isely Brothers-type soul of "I'm Only Foolin' Myself" is one of the three new songs here. Paul Carrack of Squeeze and Mike+the Mechanics does Hammond organ here. The horn section adds to the 70's-type soul.

Young gets the funk up with "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" which features slashing synth sounds. In contrast, there's the strings and keyboards of the sad "Broken Man", where Young's soaring vocals tells of a broken man who almost died of a broken heart.

"Everything Must Change" is another ballad from Secret Of Association, with heavily produced synths.

"Senza Una Donna," Italian for "Without A Woman" is a ballad duet with Italian rocker Zucchero, who has a gritty Joe Cocker/Michael Bolton type voice, which contrasts Young's smooth soulful vocals. The benefits of the title? "No more pain and no sorrow/Senza Una Donna/I'll make it through tomorrow."

I was most surprised when he did Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over", which he originally recorded at the Free Nelson Mandela concert, and the lines "there is freedom within, there is freedom without" and "hey, you know, they won't win" take on a new meaning. He is joined by Paul Carrack on vocals.

"Love Of The Common People" is an early cover of a Nicky Thomas tune that has a slight reggaeish influence. Also from his hit No Parlez album.

His rendition of Marvin Gaye's "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)," was his first big hit in the UK following two flops after his departure from Q-Tips. As a result, his first album No Parlez was a UK #1 and stayed in the charts for two years.
From the Switch soundtrack comes a heartfelt and tear-inducing cover of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now", a duet with Clannad's Maire (pron. Moya) Brennan.

The Hugh Padgam-produced "Some People" sports a horn section and pop beat comparable to Glass Tiger, and it's a bit of a departure from his early soul sound. It's clear why this tanked on the Billboard singles chart.

He also does decent covers of the Chi-Lites' "Oh Girl" and Congretation's "Softly Saying I Love You", taken from his Other Voices album.

A great collection, but it would've been nice to have his cover of the Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Then again, this collection is already skewed in favour of No Parlez, so... What's clear is that Young's heyday was in the early 80's, comprising the hits from No Parlez and The Secret Of Association.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soulful, March 14, 2001

By 

Listening "listener" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Time To Time - The Singles Collection (Audio CD)

Paul Young has a soulful, haunting voice and this is a beautiful collection of his work. The CD includes a combination of songs from his "Secret of Association" and "No Parlez" albums which most people are familiar with from the mid-80's ("Everytime You Go Away," "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down"), and some previously unrecorded songs such as Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" featuring vocals from Paul Carrack (from Mike and the Mechanics, Squeeze and various solo albums). The duo collabarated on the song at the Free Nelson Mandela concert and it is truly inspiring. Additionally, "Everything Must Change," "Broken Man" and Marvin Gaye's "Wherever I Lay My Hat" are soulful, heart-felt songs that shouldn't be forgotten. The only thing that could be changed to make this album better would be dubbing out the original 80's-sounding female background singers that appear on a few of the songs---then every song would be timeless. On the other hand, they give the songs a retro feel and are a reminder of younger days! This album gets an A+ without question!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a bargain !, January 1, 2003

By 

Geoff Hall "Geoff Hall" (Borehamwood, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Time To Time - The Singles Collection (Audio CD)

Before I had become acquainted with Amazon.com, I found this album in a London music stores for £2:99, instead of the usual inflated price of about .... If I didn't like all of the tracks, it's would not have been too much of a risk.

However, there is not a single duff track on this album - so an hour of good soulful singing from a guy who really should be having hit records still! The songs are all well known and very easy to sing along to, but perhaps we should let the master do the singing.

He has always chosen songs well and this album is just one of the best collection of songs you could possibly find. The musicianship is excellent and the reditions of others' material are truly superb.

Another plus point is that he lives about a mile away and we have had bumped into each other in the shops (well, he's a regular guy), so I am biased.

If anyone wants to know what he's doing when he's not shopping, I guess he does the 80's tours amongst which are popular these days. He still sounds and looks good.