release date: Oct. 23, 1986
format: cd (2007 Deluxe Edition)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,08]
producer: Hugh Padgham, Paul Young, Ian Kewley
label: Edsel Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Some People" - 2. "Wonderland" - 7. "Why Does a Man Have to Be Strong"
3rd studio album by Paul Young originally released on Columbia Records sees Young move from more complex songs and arrangements to have a go on more straightforward pop music. Together with keyboardist Ian Kewley, Young has co-written eight of the ten tracks, and that's perhaps the biggest change from his two first albums. The duo wrote a few good songs for the previous album, but the best tracks by Paul Young have all been cover versions, and it's no wonder that the strongest track on the album, "Wonderland" is not written by Young himself, but a song by Betsy Cook.
The album fared rather well, peaking at number #4 on the UK album charts list (paved its way by the predecessor). Three singles were released from the album: "Wonderland", the best-faring single reaching number #24, "Some People" reaching number #56, and "Why Does a Man Have to Be Strong" topping at position #63.
I think, the album perfectly illustrates Young's strengths and weaknesses: he's an extraordinary vocalist with that unique singing voice, but no more than a mediocre songwriter, and I think, with this album he fell into the same category as Robert Palmer. Both strong on pop covers - not so great when they are to demonstrate their own musical ideas, and in the case of Paul Young, who is a better singer, it's just a pity 'cause with his second album, he showed what he was capable of. This is his perhaps least interesting album, and it might have brought him more damage than his following, and better, albums could ever mend.
[ allmusic.com 2 /5 stars ]
