View Full Version : Album Club: 11.10.2011: Zero 7 - Simple Things (2001)
Zero 7 - Simple Things (2001) (CD, Vinyl)
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Bu5WEhxRL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Spotify Link: http://open.spotify.com/album/79coNjazSJD8z4WHyhCz4w
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Things_(Zero_7_album)
After much deliberation and several changes of heart (even after starting this post!) I have decided to go with this, one of my favourite Chillout albums ever - indeed, one of my favourite albums of all time.
There are very few albums where I can vividly recall the first listen, but this is one of them.
I've got lots more to say about this album and the musical journey it has taken me on over the past 10 years and the artists it and the band have introduced me too - but for the moment, pour yourself a glass of your favourite tipple (or a cuppa if you're being good on a school night...) sit back, relax - listen and chill... :)
Reid Malenfant
11-10-2011, 20:05
Got the CD here, must remember to spin tomorrow & comment :eyebrows:
Put it this way, if I keep it it must be looking at a 3* rating at least ;)
Oh, well played sir! I shall dig out my well-worn CD (!) and play it again just to abide by the rules before commenting.
Spectral Morn
11-10-2011, 21:35
Listening now on CD.
Not listened to this album in a few years, so it will be really nice to do so again.
Can't believe this is 2001, boy how time fly's by.
Regards D S D L
aquapiranha
11-10-2011, 21:47
I will have to get this and report back, embarrassed to admit I have never heard it.. :doh:
I will have to get this and report back, embarrassed to admit I have never heard it.. :doh:
Me too :o
I will have to get this and report back, embarrassed to admit I have never heard it.. :doh:
Knowing your tastes Steve, you should like it, especially as you were playing Beth Gibbons earlier - Sia Furler sings on two tracks, oh how I love that girls voice.
It's often only 1p on Amazon marketplace, plus £1.26 postage :)
Audioman
11-10-2011, 22:57
Just listened on Spotify. For a start Chill Out is not my bag. However the album is competently played and produced for this genre and holds interest till about half way through. After that it becomes a little overlong and boring.
Makes acceptable background music while surfing the net. Better than I expected overall. This passed me by unoticed 10 years ago and I feel I didn't realy miss anything.
Since ELP got 3 marks I can only give this 2/5 though it probably deserves better if one likes the genre.
I had another listen last night and again in the car this morning. This is what started Zero 7 off and it's an excellent first effort. For me, Sia's voice contributes to the classic Z7 sound, which I don't really consider to be chillout. It's better than that - intricate, catchy and just great to listen to with stand-out vocals and harmonies. Their ability to create a mood and hold it is quite compelling and I find that all their albums can sustain repeated listening.
I don't think it's quite up there with When It Falls (my favourite Z7 album) or The Garden, which feature much more of Sia, Sophie Barker and Tina Dico, so I'm giving it 4 stars.
Good choice Alex, takes me back to the early days of the Big Chill, 2001 I think, they headlined the Saturday night at the old enchanted garden...tremendous performance from Mozez & Sia in particular...I was close enough to rest my chin on the stage, very happy memories :)
It's definitely of that time and place, post club and pre come down...Like a lot of the bands of that time 'Kinobe', 'Blue States', 'Bent' etc. I don't think they came close with any of their follow up albums, I bailed out at 'when it falls'.
4 stars for me...
Thing Fish
12-10-2011, 11:30
Although I hadn't heard this album it's the sort of album I used to listen to when I made websites back in the day.
I would spend hours sitting in front of my Mac listening to the likes of Air and Lemon Jelly. This album really took me back to those happy days.
Although I wouldn't buy it on vinyl I would quite happily listen to it on my computer.
3 well deserved stars ***
This Hi-Fi OCD is a terrible thing...
I was happily listening away to the FLAC album on my PC studio setup at quite a low volume, when I noticed a sort of intermittent click/scratchy noise coming from my right speaker...Track 4 'Give it Away' from about 3:00 to 4:30 mins into the track.
I immediately assumed it to be some computer interference, so I listened to it on my proper rig downstairs, same thing. I then re-ripped the album to FLAC via dBpoweramp, all tracks ripped with a perfect accurip confidence of 25, and overlayed the existing tracks on my server.
Still there...after playing it a few times it sounds like someone had a loose pickup or jack lead or somesuch at the recording...or I'm going mad ;)
Never heard this - in fact, Zero 7 seem to have passed my by completely. CD on its way from eBay, so I'll comment once it arrives.
griffo104
12-10-2011, 13:32
I going to enjoy this.
I HATE this sort of music.
But Zero 7 are the exception, I love their 2nd album and it gets played on a regular basis, it's chilled out but rhythmically superb and the singing, from the male and female, is excellent, notice the girly gets a lot of comments but the bloke's decent, so much that I bought his solo album which I've not quite been able to get in to.
I look forward to chilling with this tonight.
Zzzzzzzzz, Oh yes, Zero 7. I’m awfully tempted to make a crack about adding another zero and giving them a license to thrill. Trouble is they don’t; thrill that is.
Middle of the road coffee table tunes for people who prolly think it sounds wonderful on their stereo. Trouble is, it doesn’t challenge a decent stereo either.
Come on, they don’t have the inventiveness of say the French lot Air. That female singer needs her adenoids sorting and someone needs to point out that their lyrics suck something terrible :ner:
However, I’ve got a coffee table (well tea trolly if we’re going to get pedantic) and I’ve also got this CD and a couple of their others.. Pleasant enough bit of chill for those days when you’re feeling uninspired and don’t want to start a revolution. I don’t have many days like that though :)
I can see a few of the usual suspects here absolutely loving it though.
Zzzzzzzzz, Oh yes, Zero 7. I’m awfully tempted to make a crack about adding another zero and giving them a license to thrill. Trouble is they don’t; thrill that is.
Middle of the road coffee table tunes for people who prolly think it sounds wonderful on their stereo. Trouble is, it doesn’t challenge a decent stereo either.
Come on, they don’t have the inventiveness of say the French lot Air. That female singer needs her adenoids sorting and someone needs to point out that their lyrics suck something terrible :ner:
However, I’ve got a coffee table (well tea trolly if we’re going to get pedantic) and I’ve also got this CD and a couple of their others.. Pleasant enough bit of chill for those days when you’re feeling uninspired and don’t want to start a revolution. I don’t have many days like that though :)
I can see a few of the usual suspects here absolutely loving it though.
...what prompted you to get the second and third albums John? Some form of aural masochism...;)
Was I that scathing?
I gave it 3 out of 5 ffs! :lol:
I bought a job lot of CD’s mate and the other two Zero 7 albums were in the lot.
I’ll get around to giving them another listen one day when I’m feeling really really mellow and cuddly; could be a while though.
They aren’t as inventive and melodic as Air for example and don’t have the lyrical skills, or dare I say, vocal skills of Morcheba. Imo they’re average and that’s what I’ve marked them as. Perhaps we need more scope in the marking range 1 to 10 say in half unit increments.
The lyrics really put me off, but I find that with a lot of music these days. I tend to listen to instrumental stuff a lot more or outright pop. The stuff that tries to straddle the line between pop and something meaningful just irritates me unless its done really well; Kevin Ayres, Stranger In Blue Suede shoes being an example of a well crafted song with a fairly lighthearted social comment.
Was I that scathing?
I gave it 3 out of 5 ffs! :lol:
I bought a job lot of CD’s mate and the other two Zero 7 albums were in the lot.
I’ll get around to giving them another listen one day when I’m feeling really really mellow and cuddly; could be a while though.
They aren’t as inventive and melodic as Air for example and don’t have the lyrical skills, or dare I say, vocal skills of Morcheba. Imo they’re average and that’s what I’ve marked them as. Perhaps we need more scope in the marking range 1 to 10 say in half unit increments.
The lyrics really put me off, but I find that with a lot of music these days. I tend to listen to instrumental stuff a lot more or outright pop. The stuff that tries to straddle the line between pop and something meaningful just irritates me unless its done really well; Kevin Ayres, Stranger In Blue Suede shoes being an example of a well crafted song with a fairly lighthearted social comment.
I was only joking mate, there are many more bands of that era I prefer too, I could only take the first album myself, it's a bit like a big bowl of angel delight...too much and you feel sick ;)
I suppose seeing them play it live helped...and so did the recreationals :)
Vinyleyes
12-10-2011, 17:40
This should be interesting ,... Chill music ( and everything else in the techno world) was allowed to completely and utterly pass me by ... is it made with computers ... or do people actually play instruments.
However I will try to give it a listen looking for any plus points .. .. Now I am in a remote place and I cannot get Spotify .. any ideas anyone .. :)
This should be interesting ,... Chill music ( and everything else in the techno world) was allowed to completely and utterly pass me by ... is it made with computers ... or do people actually play instruments.
However I will try to give it a listen looking for any plus points .. .. Now I am in a remote place and I cannot get Spotify .. any ideas anyone .. :)
Not techno or electronic at all really Brian, it's more easy listening with a bit of a groove underneath, all real musicians and instruments, with some keyboards and effects...the Aphex twin it is not!!! ;)
This is not music I tend to listen too, so another one thats just leaves me a bit cold I am afried it would not really chill me out either I guess its all about how music moves and emotionally connects to each of us
Now I am in a remote place and I cannot get Spotify .. any ideas anyone .. :)
Not sure, Brian - www.we7.com appears to now need registration, and not sure how it works these days. Anyone else got any ideas?
Reid Malenfant
12-10-2011, 18:51
Ok, just finished the CD... Well it's all over the place :eyebrows: I think it's trying a bit too hard to be everything to everyone...
For instance, the vocals on track 1 kind of reminded me of a certain Mr sinatra? Then we have what could be any or all of the Cafe Del Mar albums.. We then get treated to a female vocalist that sounds like she has a peg on her nose (later on she sounds different)...
Following on from this we have the afro caribbean band & finally we get treated to some classical :rolleyes:
It's ok, but it's too much of a mixed bag & i don't see what the idea is frankly... Make it chillout & have the whole album chill...
Like John i tend to prefer instrumental ablums of this kind of genre (lounge music) & would much prefer to stick on some Cafe Del Mar, they are more consistant.
This gets a 3 from me, if there were 0.5 allowed it would get 2.5 ;)
aquapiranha
12-10-2011, 22:30
well I listened to it after finally getting spotify working, and I think it is OK. when I say OK, what I mean is that I could certain listen to it again, especially as Tim mentioned the tracks with the nice female vocals. However, it would be wrong of me to give it a very high score just because I like a couple of tracks and so I give it 3. Had more of the tracks been vocal, I would have rated it higher.
Vinyleyes
13-10-2011, 12:28
Well I managed to get a download of this through the firewall somehow .. don't ask where it came from ... ;) ......... and ... I will start by saying I never went through all this chill period .... it did nothing for me at the time .. maybe ...... because ........
Music for me has to be involving, and be going somewhere. This stuff meanders around, has an overbearing, repetitive and fairly boring bass presence throughout and seems to consist of lots of little bits stuck in around and on top of this bass line. The vocals do not convince ... they sound affected and contrived .. every now and again it almost gets some feeling .. I don't mind In The Waiting Line .. bit it just falls short. At other times it sounds like she is trying lamely to add feeling with artificial warbles and the odd ... UH! ( or she wants to be Norah Jones .. now that is good chill :-) )
There is no sense of coherance .. and of music being built towards a conclusion .. maybe that is what chill is .,.. just meandering "cool" soundbites put together in an attempt to create a soundscape. The orchestral bits sound like they come from a different era altogether .. just don't fit .. it sounds like someone has sat in a bedroom and made a collage of loops .. There is no .... togetherness ! It has lots of bits of the "real stuff" in there .. but it just doesn't come over as a performance ...
I can see how this might be attractive or pleasant when one is in the "Love the world for a few hours state" .... .. but that is what makes it easy to get sucked into stuff like this ... :) .......... ....... 2 stars here............ :cool:
Well this is certainly proving to be an interesting week, and still too early to start summarising the responses so far, but it is great anecdotal evidence to add to my "research" for a theory that I will be proposing when it comes to its conclusion...
Hope that's got you interested! ;)
Do lilac curtains feature at any point? If so, I'm already excited!
Marco.
Do lilac curtains feature at any point? If so, I'm already excited!
They'll have to now, just for you! ;)
<Awaits forthcoming summary with great anticipation>
:eyebrows:
Marco.
Vinyleyes
13-10-2011, 13:49
Well this is certainly proving to be an interesting week, and still too early to start summarising the responses so far, but it is great anecdotal evidence to add to my "research" for a theory that I will be proposing when it comes to its conclusion...
Hope that's got you interested! ;)
It has indeed Alex ... and I'm giving it a few more listens to judge if I was being too harsh ... :)
I wouldn't get TOO excited - it's not that exciting! :D
See what you've started now? :lolsign:
Marco.
Actually I do find it interesting as I really like Zero 7's style and love their 2nd and 3rd albums but when reading some of the criticisms here I can also understand why they are not connecting with some people. I'm finding it an intriguing case of seeing both sides.
As this is not my thing I played it 3 times to give it a chance, its pleasant enough but just doesn't do anything for me I'm afraid to say. If it was food I'd say it looks nice but tastes bland. 2/5 only :sorry:
Well this has been a very interesting choice for me, with a result I didn't expect?
I have this album as well as 2 other Zero 7's. Now I don't really listen to 'chill-out' music, but bought Zero 7 for the female vocalists they have employed over the years. My discovery with this choice is that I don't think I ever really listen to the whole of Zero 7 albums, but just play the SIA, Tina Dico and Sophie Barker tracks. I didn't really realise this until I sat down and listened to this all the way through, as per the club idea.
So my opinion now is that I don't really think it's as good as I thought it was - if that makes sense? When I first saw this choice I thought it an easy 4 stars, but now it's only a 3, as I only really like the tracks with SIA and Sophie . . . now that was a surprise :scratch:
I have some empathy with that view, Tim. Sia, Dico and Barker really imbue Zero 7 songs with their unique feel and few (but not all) of their other songs are up to their standard.
griffo104
18-10-2011, 08:52
Actually I do find it interesting as I really like Zero 7's style and love their 2nd and 3rd albums but when reading some of the criticisms here I can also understand why they are not connecting with some people. I'm finding it an intriguing case of seeing both sides.
I agree. I've given this album a 3 but it's more a 3.5, I think then 2nd and 3rd albums are both a solid 4 and are better than this offering, better songs, almost as if they tidied themselves up a little bit.
I'm not a fan of this style of music but I do enjoy this band but I have a few friends who are and they hold the band in a great deal of contempt. Electronica Lite is what one of them recently described them.
A firend of another hifi forum was desperate to get rid of the 2nd album and I could never understand why but he thought it was dreadful, so I can understand why some have dislkied even though I think in general they make well crafted electronic pop songs.
An excellent choice (even though I only gave it a 3 that's more to do with preferring the other albums).
My CD has arrived and I've had the chance to play it through a couple of times. I rather thought I was going to like this more than I actually do - it's all very pleasant and the fits the downtempo/chillout moniker very well. Good sound too with well-extended lows and good soundstaging.
What I didn't like too much was some of the singing. One track, "Distractions", is sung in that nasally, contrived syllable-mangling style that I absolutely detest.
Overall, I've given it a three.
One track, "Distractions", is sung in that nasally, contrived syllable-mangling style that I absolutely detest.
How funny, that's one of my favourite tracks :eyebrows: I can see how people won't like SIA mind you and her style of singing is definitely a Marmite experience.
Just as a matter of interest Keith, what are your thoughts on Auto-Tune?
What I didn't like too much was some of the singing. One track, "Distractions", is sung in that nasally, contrived syllable-mangling style that I absolutely detest.
Sia is an acquired taste and sings in her lazy Aussie style reminiscent of Rickie Lee Jones' lazy Californian style. Her voice has great power and imparts wonderful emotion. Personally, I love it.
How funny, that's one of my favourite tracks :eyebrows: I can see how people won't like SIA mind you and her style of singing is definitely a Marmite experience.
I liked the other track she sung on and have heard one of her solo albums - which I thought was OK.
Just as a matter of interest Keith, what are your thoughts on Auto-Tune?
Used as an effect on that Cher song it was fine, but that would soon get tiresome if over used. As a studio tool to fix an out-of-tune singer it seems somewhat dishonest.
Sia is an acquired taste and sings in her lazy Aussie style reminiscent of Rickie Lee Jones' lazy Californian style. Her voice has great power and imparts wonderful emotion. Personally, I love it.
I'm a big RLJ fan, but Sia's singing on this particular track did nothing for me. I've heard other Sia tracks and thought them OK.
DanJennings
21-10-2011, 18:07
I typed this once already but lost it. grrr. Anyway...
As usual I'm late to the party.
I've heard this album before years ago, presumably not long after it was released. I think it may have been Hamish that played it to me, and I don't think I was very keen at the time.
However, I've listened to it a couple of times this week with a copy borrowed from a friend, and I have to say I really rather like it.
It confused me that I recognised most of the songs, even though only really giving it a cursory listen a couple of times almost 10 years ago... :confused:
It reminds me in places of Air, and occasionally Morcheeba but more soulful than either. A very soothing wash over you type album, it was lovely after a shit day at work.
I'll give it 4 stars, and I'll definitely be ordering myself a copy.
Well, I promised a little "theory" a while back, so I suppose I should deliver - albeit I have to admit it was written on the back of a postage stamp, not even graduating to the back of a fag packet... :lol:
It has long been suggested that dog owners often gravitate to a mutt that looks like themselves - you know, a bulldog owner often looks like a bulldog... Well, my "theory" is somewhat aligned - does your music taste reflect your personality?
My wife, and also others (including my boss) find it frustrating that I am a very laid back person - I really don't get wound up by very much in life, and generally let it all just wash over me. So is it a coincidence that my favoured music is usually "chillout"? Does anyone else believe that their music choices reflect their personality, or to get back to the dog analogy, am I barking up the wrong tree?
Music is such a personal thing that perhaps it is impossible to pigeon hole it, and indeed your mood can vary, but looking back over time, some of the music I have been "in to" fitted my lifestyle at the time - but generally I always fall back to "chill" - which fits me perfectly as a person - does anyone else feel the same, and their favoured music choices fit their personality?
I don't think I can apply that to me, Alex. I like 'chill' music like Zero 7 or Tangerine Dream but I also like edgy, angry music from the likes of Shostakovich, Stravinsky or Portishead. It all depends on my mood and reflects on that more than my personality, I think.
I think like a lot of these theories there is some truth, for instance I tend to play music depending on my mood/muse but the main music I listen to is complex technical heavy existential aggressive and melodic in places. I certainly not the most technical person and no one would describe as aggresive so not really sure how this fits in to the theory. But think a great theory to have a chat in the pub with
I remember when working in a big day service coming up with a similar theory that I be happy to discuss in the pub lol
morris_minor
29-11-2011, 16:58
Simple Things, When It Falls, The Garden - all good :)
Yeah Ghost: WTF was all that about? :mental:
dantheman91
16-06-2014, 14:48
5 / 5
Sure is a fantastic production but their are also some track that bring back certain memories such as "Destiny" & "Simple Things" this is what music is about for me bringing back certain times that were happy times.
The Black Adder
16-06-2014, 21:09
4 / 5 - Great album, been a fan from their early days..
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