Oh my what a stonking review Bev :cheer: loved reading that :cheer:

Mr Young, has earned his stripes and more :yahoo: :yahoo:

bloody RECOGNITION at last, i mean properly :w00t:

My copy has FINALLY arrived today!

 

Listening to it now :wub:

My copy has FINALLY arrived today!

 

Listening to it now :wub:

 

Let us know what you think. :)

Someone posted this on Pop Justice, if true it could be why they're trying out Hearts on Fire on JR? :dance:

Second single is being decided by his team this week - really, really don't know what I'd choose! I love the whole album.

I think they are having real trouble choosing as each track is fantastic..still, what a dilemma to have :lol:

Someone posted this on Pop Justice, if true it could be why they're trying out Hearts on Fire on JR? :dance:

 

I think they are having real trouble choosing as each track is fantastic..still, what a dilemma to have :lol:

 

No wonder i cant do my favourites in some kind of order, really struggling with it :rolleyes:

I listened to the radio Ulster interview today, omg what a stonker that is, album tracks and Will talking about how the tracks came about, absolutely loved it :cheer:

Hearts on fire just sounds amazing on radio... passes out big time ... :blink: :wacko: :lol:

Edited September 14, 201113 yr by phil3579

My copy has FINALLY arrived today!

 

Listening to it now :wub:

 

3 weeks late? :blink: blimey did you order from Play :blink:

thats disgraceful, im avoiding ordering from them as much as i can, my other half buys quite a bit of music.

yes please do let us know what you think :dance:

Someone posted this on Pop Justice, if true it could be why they're trying out Hearts on Fire on JR? :dance:

 

I think they are having real trouble choosing as each track is fantastic..still, what a dilemma to have :lol:

 

I saw that comment. He seems to have his ear to the ground from his other posts.

I saw that comment. He seems to have his ear to the ground from his other posts.

 

I would be more than happy with Hearts on fire as a potential next single its one of my top faves, :cheer: still cant sort album faves out, think i will end up grouping them rather than putting them in order, :wacko:

I saw that comment. He seems to have his ear to the ground from his other posts.

Yes, i noticed him posting things before and he does seem to know things. :D I'm wondering if they will see how Hearts of fire goes live before they choose? it's seems they have tried out Come On and LNTM a few times already....Still hoping for my first choice..'I just want a lover' :lol: although i'd be happy with HOF if it is next.

Yes, i noticed him posting things before and he does seem to know things. :D I'm wondering if they will see how Hearts of fire goes live before they choose? it's seems they have tried out Come On and LNTM a few times already....Still hoping for my first choice..'I just want a lover' :lol: although i'd be happy with HOF if it is next.

 

Hmmmm interesting, someone said that History took off after JR not sure was it Ros, so if HOF goes the same way, then surely it will send people to sites to download from the album (or buy the album, which is what the singles are all about) could HOF potentially end up in top 40? even if its not actually officially released as a single? if so, if people dash to download from the album, and those sales are passed by when the single is released, im just really thinking where it would actually chart, god am i making any sense at all :blink:

 

just found it, sorry it was Marguerite... apologies :D

Edited September 15, 201113 yr by phil3579

Tweet from popjustice.

Breaking news: Will Young album still very good

:lol:

 

 

Still enjoying it then. :lol:

Loved the tweet from Mr PJ :lol:

(ros @ Sep 15 2011, 08:12 AM) *

I saw that comment. He seems to have his ear to the ground from his other posts.

 

Sandra over on Devoted has told me that he is the music reporter for Digital Spy and she thinks it's most likely true because he had information about the album before it was released.

 

Hope Will has a vote in this too and not just his team :cool:

Edited September 15, 201113 yr by munchkin

Hope Will has a vote in this too and not just his team :cool:

Surely there is no doubt about that is there Chris? :lol: as soon as He wrote Jealousy he said he knew it was going to be the first single.

 

New York music blog, self important and snobby though.

 

Will Young: Echoes

 

A product of a British reality vocal contest, Will Young’s musical stint, now 10 years in the making, has finally manifested him as noteworthy.

 

Echoes conjures an understated sort of brilliance that politely calls for your ear’s consideration. Gracefully gyrating through electronic dance floor beats, the record is lo-fi and revives the 80′s vigorously. Along the George Michael and Pet Shop Boys matrix, the sound unleashes indulgent sensations of nostalgic melancholia that are not characteristic of any material released in 2011.

 

“Losing Myself” is stylishly brooding. “I Just Want a Lover” cannot get anymore salacious, yet it is delivered in a manner most gracious. “Good Things” is cleverly crafted. With an infectious chorus it is engineered to follow the story of a song that would have never been released after 1992. Discerning producer Richard X’s forlorn disco beats and Young’s wistful vocals have delivered a demure kind of prettiness that is undoubtedly successful. This is the record that Darren Hayes should’ve recorded.

This blog has had over 20k hits so far.

Blog Stats

■20,676 hits

http://darabzine.wordpress.com/2011/09/17/will-young-echoes/

Edited September 17, 201113 yr by Sweetwilliamfan

New York music blog, self important and snobby though.

 

This blog has had over 20k hits so far.

 

http://darabzine.wordpress.com/2011/09/17/will-young-echoes/

 

Thanks Bev, love the compliments, but i dont think the whole album is 80's-esque, i do think GT and SFH is though, what does everyone else think or am i missing something completely??

 

has finally manifested him as noteworthy

I think thats a bloody cheek tbh imo, yes this album is his best yet, but to basically snub the rest isnt warrented.

 

huh? i love Darren Hayes, but what a daft comment. :rolleyes:

 

Love this bit..

 

Echoes conjures an understated sort of brilliance that politely calls for your ear’s consideration. Gracefully gyrating through electronic dance floor beats

:dance:

Thanks to MaryW.

 

It is amazing to think that it is nine years since Will Young won the very first Pop Idol in February of 2002. Next year’s 10th Anniversary will be a very special time for Will Young. Since that first Pop Idol win, many singers have forged music careers in the revamped 21st century version of the singing talent contest.

 

What is amazing is that the singers who have won these singing talent shows on television; none of them (apart from Lamar from BBC1’s Fame Academy) has had the lasting appeal of Will Young. What I mean by lasting appeal are artists who are not just recognised for their vocal talents, but as songwriters also. From the beginnings of Pop Idol, Fame Academy and Pop Idol’s revamped show The X Factor; the artists who have won these shows were controlled and managed under the management of their mentors or to give its posher name Svengalis. These are the Simon Cowell’s and Louis Walsh’s of these worlds who hopefully have under their ownership some of the biggest acts in UK pop music.

 

Will Young’s very first album and career were managed in this way, but Will knew from the very beginning he wanted to be in charge of his own destiny. As a songwriter himself, this part of his career was very important to him.

 

When Will Young released his second album Friday’s Child in 2003, what emerged was Will Young the Singer-Songwriter. The first track from that album ‘Leave Right Now’ solidified Will Young’s reputation as one of the finest male singers this country has. Singer-Songwriter Eg White wrote this classic track, something he has never truly been given credit for.

 

Personally I think that Will’s ‘Leave Right Now’ single is one of the finest modern pop singles EVER released in this country; not just for its lyrics but also its impeccable production values. His use of instrumentation was also very unique on this album. Will Young is very much an English artiste. Even though his interpretation vocal and lyrics is American black soul, the instrumentation; especially strings dictate another identity.

 

Listen to ‘Leave Right Now’ and you can hear a classical English string quartet .Will uses the classical strings quartet arrangements on most songs that cater for string arrangement on his records. This is what identifies him as a very English artist.

 

Will Young’s new album ‘Echoes’ is his fifth studio album release. For the very first time, the trademarks that are identified by Will Young are taken away with and mainly controlled by Producer Richard X. Richard has been able to produce Will Young into a new territory for a whole album. The inspiration production wise seems to be 1980’s Pop-Synth music.

 

First single released, and the song that starts the album ‘Jealousy’ is a fine example of Will Yong’s new music direction. You can hear the soft touches of electronica supporting the voice. This song really works very well. With a vocalist like Will Young, what is amazing about the track is that both Will Young and Richard X have pulled off the difficulty of merging loudness and softness in a track; where both the voice and electronica instrumentation are fully supporting each other. With electronica and a fine vocalist like Will Young; in the studio this is a hard thing to achieve. The fact they have done it through this whole album needs to be congratulated from both sides. Lead singer David Gahan from Depeche Mode is another singer who has been able to achieve this difficult task in his career.

 

On the track ‘Losing Myself’, Will Young finds himself as an artiste. This is one of those rare instances where the individuality of Will Young the singer-songwriter comes out (excuse the pun) as you can actually hear Will’s vocals on the backing track. That is the whole genius of this whole album. By Will doing his own backing vocals; Will Young the artist, singer-songwriter is fully acknowledged. This fact was even evident on the last two studio albums ‘Keep On’ (2005) and ‘Let It Go’ (2008), but it’s fully acknowledged on the Echoes album.

 

Track ‘I just want a Lover’ goes into a soft funky vibe with a bass line that is very reminiscent of Chic’s ‘Good Times’.

 

Producer Richard X really shows his talent in recording sounds across the Stereophonic field. This is evident on songs like ‘Come On’ where you can hear the tribal drums clearly and ‘Lie to me’’ where there are middle of the range ambient sounds with wet reverb electronica sounds, all heard very clearly also.

Will Young has collaborated with various writers on this new album. Andy Cato (Groove Armada) Kish Mauve, Fred Falke, The Sound of Arrows (a Swedish electronic pop group) Richard Stunnard and music producer Pascal Gabriel. I think it’s a shame Pascal could not have done more production work on this album, because I personally think he is one of the very best Dance/Electronica producer’s in the world.

 

My only nagging doubt of this album is that Producer Richard X can sometimes play safe, like he is producing by numbers. There is a kind of soft melancholy to this album that is like the production work done with Rachel Stevens on her second album ‘Come and get it’ (2005). I think this is a shame because compared to Rachel Stevens; Will Young is an artist who is recognised for his vocal prowess, not just the types of songs he writes and chooses for his albums. The power of Will Young’s vocals with electronica could have been explored more deeply and more powerfully. This is something his fans (after winning the first pop idol contest) fully expect to hear on a Will Young album.

 

Although saying that; there is still a very deep maturity of Will Young the Singer-Songwriter on this new album.

 

Will Young Echoes 19 Recordings/RCA/Sony Music

 

8/10 ********

 

Roger Howard© 13/09/2011

 

http://www.musicvita.com/music-freak/music...bum-review.html

Edited September 17, 201113 yr by truly talented

Oh my, what a brilliant review, did i say brilliant?, yes BRILLIANT, oh i loved reading that :wub: :w00t:

thanks Gill for bringing it over for us.

people are actually giving Will so much praise at last, something he deserved really when he released FC, but we have got there in the end :yahoo:

im just revelling in it :yahoo:

Dont think weve seen this have we?

 

 

Will Young says X Factor judges are biggest stars now, not the talent, ahead of Liverpool Empire gig

Liverpool Daily PostSep 16 2011

Will YoungIT’S hard to remember a time before Will Young was famous.

 

That’s not because he’s an era-defining musical wonder – even he wouldn’t argue that were true – but down to the phenomenon that thrust him into the limelight.

 

In February, 2002, he was crowned Pop Idol, winning the TV competition that kicked off the Noughties’ golden age of TV talent shows.

 

The Berkshire boy was just 21 when he stepped in front of Nicki Chapman, Neil Fox, Pete Waterman and Simon Cowell to deliver a shy, almost apologetic version of Blame It On The Boogie.

 

“Slightly cheesy” was the panel’s verdict, but he sailed through and just as calmly won over the voting public.

 

Contrary to stories at the time, Young wasn’t the underdog at any stage, leading the phone-voting figures from the off.

 

Considering the attention now lavished upon Pop Idol’s successor, The X Factor, it’s interesting the talent show genre’s most creatively successful star appeared so early on.

 

“It’s all changed so much since my day,” begins Young, who is performing at the Liverpool Empire this autumn.

 

“Saying that, I’d still do X Factor. It’s a chance and a massive leg-up, but you have to pick up the baton and run with it.

 

“When something becomes a success, it goes into the mainstream marketplace and it’s hard for it to seem genuine again. We had no agenda then – and the judges are the biggest stars now, not the talent.”

 

To hear how far Young has come since his early auditions covering soul classics, you only need to listen to his new album, Echoes.

 

Sophisticated, measured and perfectly written, it’s easily his best work.

 

“It’s been a long time coming,” he says. “Some of the songs I started about five or six years ago, others 18 months ago.

 

 

 

“I wanted to work with Richard X, who’s done amazing things and really made it sound like a body of work,” he says, referring to the producer who specialises in the grown- up pop of Goldfrapp, Roisin Murphy and Sugababes.

 

“I wanted to do an electronic, upbeat album with programmed drums, and it was Richard that really pulled that together, made sure it didn’t go too far in any direction and balanced it all out perfectly.

 

“I didn’t want it to turn into, ‘Will does club bangers’.”

 

At its beginning, Echoes sees Young explore his more melancholic side on tracks such as Jealousy, Outsider and Lie Next To Me.

 

Things pick up towards the end, however, finishing with upbeat trio Happy Now, Good Things and Safe From Harm.

 

“That dichotomy of melancholy lyrics with upbeat music is interesting to me.

 

“I’m inspired more by sadness than happiness, but that’s not to say I’m an unhappy person.

 

“If ever I’m feeling low, sad or insecure, then writing a song is a good way to get it out. Heartbreak informs most of my favourite music, and it’s hard to write happy songs without sounding evangelical.”

 

With that, the sound of a siren whizzes past the open window of the cafe we’re in. He seems distracted by it and we start talking about the recent rioting in the country.

 

For the next 20 minutes or so, he talks passionately about the work he does with youth charity Catch 22, possible causes for unrest and even solutions. Young, who has a degree in politics from Exeter University, believes advertising is largely to blame, “for making people feel rubbish if they don’t have the right possessions”.

 

“I’ll give it ’til the end of the year, see how this album does and then jack it all in for a life of politics,” he jokes, although if his sensible Question Time appearance in 2009 was anything to go by, the voting public could do a lot worse.

 

“Doing Question Time, debating at the Oxford Union, having a South Bank Show special, going on Top Gear and so on, it’s all because I’m more comfortable getting the real me across,” he explains.

 

“In my early 20s, all I knew is that I’d always wanted to be a pop star, so I was determined not to screw it up.”

 

WILL YOUNG performs at the Liverpool Empire on November 6.

 

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...92534-29428059/