People Move On
| People Move On | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Bernard Butler | ||||
| Released | 6 April 1998 | |||
| Recorded | RAK studios | |||
| Genre | Pop,[1][2] rock[1] | |||
| Length | 63:39 | |||
| Label | Creation | |||
| Producer | Bernard Butler | |||
| Bernard Butler chronology | ||||
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| Singles from People Move On | ||||
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People Move On is the debut album from English singer Bernard Butler released in 1998.
Background
Following his split from soul singer David McAlmont in 1995 and a three-year absence from the public eye, Butler re-emerged on Alan McGee's Creation label for his debut solo album. A year earlier McGee had, in fact, dubbed him the "Neil Young of the Nineties".[3] Butler wrote all the songs, produced the album and played all the instruments, except drums and strings,[4] which were played by Makoto Sakamoto and The Brilliant Strings respectively. According to Butler, most of the ideas on the album were created in the studio, with only four songs written beforehand.[5]
Drawing influences from classic rock from the late 60s and 70s, The Independent wrote: "People Move On echoes the early Seventies cool rock singer/songwriting era in its heartfelt sentiment and warm, melodic approach." Though Butler has stressed that it isn't a "retro record".[3] The record has a Spector-esque feel, which according to Rolling Stone displays an "old-fashioned big-pop-production quality of the songs."[2]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [6] |
| Birmingham Post | [7] |
| Daily Telegraph | (favourable)[4] |
| Houston Press | [1] |
| The Independent | (favourable)[8] |
| Los Angeles Daily News | [9] |
| Montreal Mirror | (8.5/10)[10] |
| Philadelphia City Paper | (favourable)[11] |
| The Post and Courier | [12] |
| Rolling Stone | [2] |
The album was released to generally positive reviews,[13] though some critics felt that Butler's vocals were rather thin.[6][3] One reviewer felt that "his voice doesn't carry enough weight to give the songs a killer instinct."[14] In response to the criticism Butler stated: "I'm not claiming I'm a technically talented singer, and I'm certainly not some kind of tortured poet who sits with a notebook under trees pondering the meaning of life, but my voice allowed me to express a part of me I had found very difficult to express in conversation before."[15]
Simon Evans of the Birmingham Post highly praised the album. He felt that, "Butler has at last delivered the kind of high-grade solo album he always seemed capable of when he finally gave up the celebrity sessioning." He then compared the album to the last output by his creation labelmates Oasis, saying: "this is the kind of tuneful, fun, album Oasis should have made after Morning Glory, until their ambitions expanded exponentially with their egos."[7]
Andy Gill of The Independent alluded to the album's classic rock influences and aside from " the occasional ponderous moment," he felt that "overall, it is a notable, and welcome, success." He went on to say: " Butler's sheer ambition hoists most tracks to their optimum level, allowing him for the first time to be defined by his future rather than his past."[8]
Chart performance and sales
Singles released from the album were "Stay", "Not Alone" and "A Change of Heart". The album peaked at No. 11 on the UK Albums Chart. "Stay" was the highest charting single, peaking at #12.[16] The album was certified gold in the UK selling over 100,000 copies.[17] Following the album's success, Butler was nominated for a BRIT award as best new male artist in 1999.
Track listing
All songs written by Bernard Butler.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Woman I Know" | 7:51 |
| 2. | "You Just Know" | 4:39 |
| 3. | "People Move On" | 4:39 |
| 4. | "A Change of Heart" | 4:41 |
| 5. | "Autograph" | 8:45 |
| 6. | "You Light the Fire" | 3:53 |
| 7. | "Not Alone" | 3:52 |
| 8. | "When You Grow" | 5:25 |
| 9. | "You've Got What It Takes" | 4:50 |
| 10. | "Stay" | 5:18 |
| 11. | "In Vain" | 4:55 |
| 12. | "I'm Tired" | 4:54 |
References
- 1 2 3 Gershon, Stephen (11 June 1998). "Rotation: Bernard Butler - People Move On". Houston Press. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- 1 2 3 Randall, Mac (17 June 1998). "Bernard Butler: People Move On". Rolling Stone Archived at Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 15 July 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
- 1 2 3 O'Brien, Lucy. "We don't need another hero: Interview: Bernard Butler". The Independent. 5 April 1998
- 1 2 Cheal, David. "Pop CD of the week". Daily Telegraph. 4 April 1998
- ↑ "BUTLER DOES IT FOR CHRISSIE". NME. 14 September 1998. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. People Move on review Allmusic
- 1 2 Evans, Simon (4 April 1998). "Pop CD of the Week". Birmingham Post. Birmingham Post Archived at The Free Library. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- 1 2 Gill, Andy (3 April 1998). "Music: Andy Gill's round-up". The Independent. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ↑ Shuster, Fred (10 April 1998). "Sound Check". Los Angeles Daily News Archived at The Free Library. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
- ↑ Silcott, Mireille (7 May 1998). "Montreal Mirror review". Montreal Mirror. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ↑ Amorosi, A, D. (20 August 1998). "Critic Pick: Bernard Butler". Philadelphia City Paper. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ↑ Grant, Devin (25 June 1998). "CD previews". The Post and Courier Google News. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Bernard Butler Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ↑ Lewis, Angela. "Bernard Butler: People Move On". The Independent. 11 April 1998
- ↑ Author Unknown "The guitar man finds his voice". Daily Telegraph. 8 October 1998
- ↑ "Artist Chart History: Bernard Butler". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ↑ Hay, Carla (4 March 2000). Popular Uprisings. Billboard Google Books. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
External links
- People Move On at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)