This album contains 19 tracks of which feature Paul Carrack from his various guises as a member of ACE, Squeeze, as well as Mike and the Mechanics.
The album also contains some of Paul’s most successful solo songs or collaborations either with members of the Eagles or Chris Difford of Squeeze with the beautiful Satisfy My Soul, as well as Nick Lowe and Mike Rutherford the latter being Mike of Mike and the Mechanics either with Mike or within the group format.
This is more than a hits collection; it is most certainly a rather clever way of a new fan being introduced to Paul’s back catalogue as well as it being a faithful collection for the fans from every stage of Paul’s career.
Some of the songs chosen have reached the dizzy heights of the charts, and some of the songs that appear have not reached those dizzy heights but they did deserve to do so.
Paul’s soulful voice and multi instrumental input can be found in many styles and genre’s within this collection from songs about Love and all other emotions and scenarios that Love brings up, to mournful sadness to political questioning.
Paul easily demonstrates with his solo work that he is more than the man from Mike and The Mechanics as a lot of people may have come to know him through that medium or the man from Squeeze.
Track list
- How Long (ACE)
- Tempted (Squeeze)
- I Need You
- Silent Running (Mike and the Mechanics)
- Don’t Shed a Tear
- When You Walk In The Room
- The Living Years (Mike and the Mechanics) (Paul Carrack 2006 version)
- Battlefield
- Dedicated
- Over My Shoulder (Mike and the Mechanics)
- Love Will Keep Us Alive (2006 version) (recorded by The Eagles)
- Eyes of Blue
- Beautiful World
- Satisfy My Soul
- Groovin’
- Anyday Now
- Where Did I Go Wrong
- It Ain’t Over
- What a Wonderful World (with SWR Big Band)
Judging from the track list there is a lot of Paul’s career for the listener to immerse themselves into, There are no highlights though as the whole album is a highlight.
I bought my copy from the merchandise desk during Paul’s 2009 UK tour and I am still enjoying it.
This is most defiantly an album to start with should you wish to learn more about Paul Carrack or if you had a hard time trying to find one of Paul’s songs that have been on the radio you will find it on here and much more.
The sleeve notes are impressive not only has Paul written a little piece about each song on the album, but there is a solo discography within the artwork as well as songs of Paul’s that other’s have covered, and if that wasn’t enough information there is also a near complete sessions list titled Album’s Paul appears on.
With regard to these sessions there are songs that became hits for other artists that Paul had a hand in either as a keyboard player or guitarist as well as vocalist both primary and backing vocals, and many more instruments.
To accompany the textual information there are a whole careers worth of photos inside the booklet from Ace to present day which would have been 2006 when the album was finalised.
For more information about Paul Carrack please visit his official site at carrack-uk.com