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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Friends & Lovers |
| 2. I'd Do It Again If I Could |
| 3. Cocoon |
| 4. Smile |
| 5. You Must Go On |
| 6. No Easy Way Out |
| 7. Everyone I Know Is Falling Apart |
| 8. What Happened To Me |
| 9. Let's Go Away |
| 10. Precious |
| 11. Has You Mind Got Away |
| 12. You'll Feel It When You're Mine |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Since his departure from indie glamour boys Suede in 1994, guitarist Bernard Butler has wandered the wilds of British music. In the following years, he worked with soul singer David McAlmont, folky popster Aimee Mann, and James' Tim Booth, rapidly gaining a reputation as a celebrity sideman-for-hire. Not content with this status--and wanting to stretch his own songwriting chops--Bernard Butler released his solo debut, People Move On, in 1998. A fine collection of well-written guitar pop, People Move On was let down by one crucial fact: as a singer, Bernard Butler made an excellent guitarist. Fortunately, through the miracle of modern technology, or just good, old-fashioned practice, Butler's voice has improved immensely, and Friends And Lovers is an excellent second album. Gone are the over-the-top orchestral flourishes of his debut; in their place are terrific melodies, harmonies and hooks, suffused with faint echoes of 1970s rock. Standout tracks "I'd Do It Again If I Could" and "You Must Go On" all demonstrate Butler's newfound songwriting confidence, and he attacks all of his songs with an excitement and abandon that seemed sadly lacking on People Move On. Friends And Lovers is the jubilant sound of a man who knows he has nothing to prove. --Robert Burrow
CD Description
Since his departure from indie glamour boys Suede in 1994, guitarist Bernard Butler has wandered the wilds of British music. In the following years, he worked with soul singer David McAlmont, folky popster Aimee Mann, and James' Tim Booth, rapidly gaining a reputation as a celebrity sideman-for-hire. Not content with this status--and wanting to stretch his own songwriting chops--Bernard Butler released his solo debut, People Move On, in 1998. A fine collection of well-written guitar pop, People Move On was let down by one crucial fact: as a singer, Bernard Butler made an excellent guitarist. Fortunately, through the miracle of modern technology, or just good, old-fashioned practice, Butler's voice has improved immensely, and Friends And Lovers is an excellent second album. Gone are the over-the-top orchestral flourishes of his debut; in their place are terrific melodies, harmonies and hooks, suffused with faint echoes of 1970s rock. Standout tracks "I'd Do It Again If I Could" and "You Must Go On" all demonstrate Butler's newfound songwriting confidence, and he attacks all of his songs with an excitement and abandon that seemed sadly lacking on People Move On. Friends And Lovers is the jubilant sound of a man who knows he has nothing to prove.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If you like guitar-driven pop/rock with great melodies, depth and a bit of quirkiness thrown in, this album is for you!
Bernard Butler proves from the of that he means business with the soaring title track, then moves swiftly onto show his heavier side with 'I'd Do it Again If I Could. Then the pace begins to slow down with 'Cocoon', which is an appropriate title for this song which wraps you in its wonderful melody, thought provoking lyrics and a key change to die for!
The songs in the middle section are less immediate and perhaps not as strong, but grow on you over time and become old friends. The beautiful ballad 'Precious' surely shows that Bernard knows how to build a song, and this song is perfectly placed to lead into the epic 'Has Your Mind Got Away' which will surely satisy those with progressive leanings.
Bernard has been accused of having weak vocals in the past, but he's really cracked it with this one. His vocals are quite charming.
This is a very accomplished record, it's diversity and charm will stay with you for a long time. Buy it now!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
While the critics enjoyed the music of People Move On, they didn't enjoy the singing, and Butler himself was disparaging about the sales of his first work. He kept the momentum going, however and produced this, an album worked on the road in the year with his live band. If the first album had been big and epic, this was back to basics.
The opening tracks do their job superbly, grab the attention. Friends and Lovers is simply a stomping rocker of a track a superb rhyff over a well crafted verse chorous, and middle eight. Do It Again If I Could carries this on with another killer rhyff leading the whole thing through. Coccoon is another great track with an attention gripping chord pattern and a huge chorus showing that time on the road had truly improved Bernard as a vocalist. Smile is almost like something left over from People Move On, but done with a more subtle edge. One of the weaker tracks of the opening half is actually the single You Must Go On, while it bowls along nicely enough, it's just thin compared to what comes before, and what follows immediately after. No Easy Way Out is the pinncale of the record, it's a painful song lyrically, but the arrangement, and the music come together with some beautiful vocals to make this the most polished product on the record.
Everyone I Know Is Falling Apart is a bare bones piece of ambiance, brought to a head in the outro, a heavy piano over a dreamy guitar and synthesiser.
It's a shame that after this point, things aren't quite up to the standard of the rest of it. Precious is touching, but Let's Go Away is as light as You Must Go On. What Happened To Me is a filler, and while You'll Feel It When You're Mine is jaunty enough it is utterly throwaway.
This leaves us with the smouldering and epic, Has You Mind Gone Away. Highs and lows in one song. Yes, great vibe, great sound, fantastic guitar solo, but the length of the track doesn't support the strength of the idea behind it, and could have done with some editing.
Sadly, two things conspired to end Bernard's solo career, which could have gone into something really, really worthwhile. The first was the folding of Creation records which left him without a deal. The second was more poor sales. Bernard went back to working with David McAlmont, and then Brett Anderson.
This is a good solid record and a hint of what might have been had Butler's solo talent been allowed to flourish.
The opening tracks do their job superbly, grab the attention. Friends and Lovers is simply a stomping rocker of a track a superb rhyff over a well crafted verse chorous, and middle eight. Do It Again If I Could carries this on with another killer rhyff leading the whole thing through. Coccoon is another great track with an attention gripping chord pattern and a huge chorus showing that time on the road had truly improved Bernard as a vocalist. Smile is almost like something left over from People Move On, but done with a more subtle edge. One of the weaker tracks of the opening half is actually the single You Must Go On, while it bowls along nicely enough, it's just thin compared to what comes before, and what follows immediately after. No Easy Way Out is the pinncale of the record, it's a painful song lyrically, but the arrangement, and the music come together with some beautiful vocals to make this the most polished product on the record.
Everyone I Know Is Falling Apart is a bare bones piece of ambiance, brought to a head in the outro, a heavy piano over a dreamy guitar and synthesiser.
It's a shame that after this point, things aren't quite up to the standard of the rest of it. Precious is touching, but Let's Go Away is as light as You Must Go On. What Happened To Me is a filler, and while You'll Feel It When You're Mine is jaunty enough it is utterly throwaway.
This leaves us with the smouldering and epic, Has You Mind Gone Away. Highs and lows in one song. Yes, great vibe, great sound, fantastic guitar solo, but the length of the track doesn't support the strength of the idea behind it, and could have done with some editing.
Sadly, two things conspired to end Bernard's solo career, which could have gone into something really, really worthwhile. The first was the folding of Creation records which left him without a deal. The second was more poor sales. Bernard went back to working with David McAlmont, and then Brett Anderson.
This is a good solid record and a hint of what might have been had Butler's solo talent been allowed to flourish.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Bernard Butler is one of the popular music world's greatest secrets. They don't write songs of this quality much anymore and Bernard has finely honed his craft to produce the best record of his career. Can't wait for the next one...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Lousy voice, pretentious CD, not enough editing
I rarely get a CD where the singer's voice is so bad that I can't listen to it. This is one of them. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mr. K. Hubbard
Brilliant
I really really love this album. It has been in my collection for more than 10 years and I still love every second of it. Great melodies. great production and great guitar work. Read more
Published 14 months ago by mogens1972
not a bad buy at all
I bought this album hoping it would be equally as good as 'People Move On' and I can gladly say I wasn't disappointed. Read more
Published on 6 Nov 2001 by whazzup2076@hotmail.com
Brilliant songs, guitar riffs and spirit!
Best kept secret of 1999. Wonderful riffs, sensitive songs, honesty. Butler and his band perform with real spirit and conviction, and this is a superb record, expertly written,... Read more
Published on 1 Dec 1999
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