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.
