Paul Young (album)
Paul Young is the seventh solo studio album by English singer Paul Young, released in May 1997 on East West Records. This was Young's last album made up of original material, until his 2023 album, Behind the Lens.[1] It displays a stronger country influence than his previous albums[2] and saw significantly more songwriting input from Young, with eight of the twelve tracks being co-written by him. The album and lead single "I Wish You Love" both charted inside the UK top 40.[3]
Critical reception
A 1997 review in The Guardian believed the album marked a significant departure from Young's previous albums. The instrumentation was found to sound more akin to a Garth Brooks album than the output Young was best known for. Despite saying it potentially had "all the ingredients for a first-class disaster" the review rated the album as "good" and awarded it a score of 3 out of 5.[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ball and Chain" |
| 5:12 |
| 2. | "I Wish You Love" |
| 4:52 |
| 3. | "Tularosa" |
| 5:55 |
| 4. | "Vanish" |
| 3:46 |
| 5. | "Hard Cargo" | 5:40 | |
| 6. | "Say Goodbye" |
| 4:10 |
| 7. | "In a Dream Gone By" |
| 4:07 |
| 8. | "You'd Better Run Away" |
| 3:39 |
| 9. | "Across the Borderline" | 5:39 | |
| 10. | "Then There's You" |
| 3:55 |
| 11. | "It Was a Very Good Year" | Ervin Drake | 4:56 |
| 12. | "Window World" |
| 6:29 |
Note
- Track 10 contains a loop of the song "Neanderthal Man" by Hotlegs.[5]
- Track 11 contains a loop of the songs "Overcome" by Tricky, "Loser" by Beck, and "I Couldn't Keep It to Myself" by Tony! Toni! Toné!.[5]
Personnel
- Paul Young – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, sitar, tambourine
- Simon Clark – keyboards (1, 3–12)
- Steve Piggott – keyboards (1, 3–12), synthesizers (3, 5, 6, 9, 12)
- Matt Irving – accordion (1, 3, 7, 9, 11)
- Ross Cullum – keyboards (2)
- Jack Hues – programming (2), guitars (2), bass (2)
- Robbie McIntosh – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
- Jamie Moses – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Melvin Duffy – pedal steel guitar (4, 8)
- David Pilch – bass (1, 3–9, 12)
- Chris Hughes – bass and drum programming (2)
- Steve Greetham – bass (10, 11), backing vocals (4)
- Pino Palladino – bass (11)
- Curt Bisquera – drums, percussion
- Greg Penny – beat box (3), tambourine (6)
- Ben Georgiades – cymbals (5)
- Bob Loveday – violin (2)
- Skaila Kanga – Paraguayan harp (3, 7, 12)
- Brendan Power – harmonica (4)
- Frank Mead – saxophone (6)
- Nick Payn – saxophone (6)
- Nick Pentelow – saxophone (6)
- Courtney Pine – saxophone (12)
- Martin Drover – trumpet (6, 7)
- The London Session Orchestra – orchestra; led by Gavyn Wright (3, 4, 8, 11)
- Anne Dudley – string arrangements & conductor (3, 4, 8, 11)
- Drew Barfield – backing vocals (1–10)
- Steve Booker – backing vocals (5)
- Boo Hewerdine – backing vocals (5)
- Carol Kenyon – backing vocals (2)
- John Tonks – loops & fills
Production
- Greg Penny – producer
- Paul Young – producer
- Chris Hughes – executive producer, mixing (2)
- Andy Strange – recording, mixing (7, 9, 12)
- Bob Clearmountain – mixing (1, 3–6, 8, 10, 11)
- Ross Cullum – mixing (2)
- Tony Cousins – mastering
- Martin Granville-Twig – mastering
- Norman Watson – photography
Charts
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[3] | 39 |
| German Albums Chart[6] | 90 |
References
- ^ "Paul Young: It's fun to go looking back over my music success". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- ^ "Biography > Paul Young". All Music Guide. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- ^ a b "UK Charts > Paul Young". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
- ^ "Review: Paul Young". The Guardian. 23 May 1997. p. 40. Retrieved 30 October 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
for preview (subscription required) to see full article
- ^ a b Paul Young (liner notes). East West. 1997.
- ^ "German Charts > Paul Young". GfK Entertainment Charts. Archived from the original on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
External links
- Paul Young at Discogs (list of releases)
