Wonderful Life

Black | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B000002GHN
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #331,401 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Wonderful Life

2. Everything's Coming Up Roses

3. Somethings for the Asking

4. Finder

5. Paradise

6. I'm Not Afraid

7. I Just Grew Tired

8. Blue

9. Just Making Memories

10. Sweetest Smile

Editorial Reviews

This CD is an out of print collectible! It is the original A&M Records release. Catalog CD 5165.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Two Cents Because I Just Grew Tired., September 9, 2005

By 

Jason Stein (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wonderful Life (Audio CD)

Looking over the other reviews here, I don't feel anyone does this album justice, nor the artist, Colin Vearncombe. Released back in 1987, "Wonderful Life" is one of those lost gems, forgotten by most. In America, the album barely made a dent, and the title track hardly received any play on MTV or VH1, but that's where I saw the video.

There was something unique about Black, sounding like Depeche Mode, OMD, Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music and Rick Astley. At the time I was 14, and this type of music really appealed to me. There's not one bad song on this disc, and it could very well be Mr. Vearncombe's best work. Years later, I still enjoy listening to this disc, and it also brings some nostalgia with it. If you liked the new romanticism of bands like ABC, Spandau Ballet and Culture Club, plus the above mentioned artists, you might like Black. This is his debut, and a great place to get started.

For the record, his other releases that you might find equally as enjoyable are: AS BLACK: "Comedy" (1989), "Black" (1991), "Are We Having Fun Yet?" (1993) AS COLIN VEARNCOMBE: "The Accused" (1999), "Water On Snow" (2000) and "Smoke Up Close" (2002). Colin has recently returned to the Black moniker and is supposed to release a new cd called "Between Two Churches" soon (2005). Most of his catalogue is out of print. But you know what that means? Ebay! You can also find more information about Colin at his website [...]. I have most of his cds, and he's definitely worth checking out.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Black Comes Up Roses, May 6, 2001

By 

George A. Gesner "gag_orders" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wonderful Life (Audio CD)

You always remember certain moments in your life when you hear a particular song for the very first time and it hits you in a certain way. That moment came in the 80s when Wonderful Life by Black (Colin Vearncombe) first aired on MTV. Having already been a huge Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music fan, I was happy to see the doors opening once again to sophisticated, romantic rock. And there stood Black, a James Bond figure, who like his music, was glam, romantic, cool, and suave, drenched in melody and melancholy. My favorite tracks include the title track, "Everything's Coming Up Roses," "Blue," "Just Making Memories" and "Sweetest Smile." Although this album may not have touched a lot of people's lives, it certainly made my life more wonderful.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smoky, sensual, sophisticated... like red wine by the fire., July 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Wonderful Life (Audio CD)

The Mozart of modern pop music, for US audiences Black is perhaps the greatest undiscovered male vocalist ever. While his breakthrough CD "Wonderful Life" climbed to #3 in the UK charts in 1987, bungled promotion by A&M Records here in America denied it the radio play it needed to gain a following. This was truly a shame, because the sophisticated songs on the album could have easily exposed Black as the equivalent talent of Sade to millions of jazz-pop fans here in the US. As it was, this never happened and consequently Black has remained one of Europe's best kept secrets. Black is essentially songwriter and vocalist Colin Vearncombe from Liverpool, England. His musical style is difficult to categorize as it contains pop, jazz, blues, and classical elements all at the same time. The common denominators between all of these complex compositions, however, are beautiful melodies and deep lyrics that transcend the simplicity of ordinary pop music. Throughout Colin's voice is as rich as coffee, as smooth as silk. In songs like "Sweetest Smile" Black re-defines the possibilities of what music can be... what it should be... pure art and not just background filler. Though everyone seems to enjoy his music at a basic level, the deeper, reflective souls among us will get the most of the incredibly beautiful songs on "Wonderful Life." Who says we have no Mozarts among us today?