Murray Head Albums (12)
'Emotions: My Favourite Songs'
Release Date 2/14/2006
Tracks 17
Label EMI
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
For Pipe Dreams, singer Murray Head let go of the mainstream pop approach he tried in his early-'90s releases to try a lusher, more varied sound. This album was fueled by his concern with the possible extinction of many ancient cultures. It translated into the music, producing Oriental, Indian, Arabic, and African textures here and there. The challenge was to unify them enough so they fit together on the same CD. Head managed to produce a coherent record, but the ethnic traits he was aiming at got buried in the process and finally play a very minor role. Pipe Dreams is a strong album, maybe his strongest since 1981's Voices. The supporting cast includes Ian Maidman (who co-produced the CD), Annie Whitehead, Geoff Richardson, and Steve Fletcher. But once again the singer was trying to revamp his sound and some experiments land very close, almost too close, to their patrons. "Prison Wall Blues" sounds like late-'60s John Mayall; "Si Tu Veux Être un Homme" (André Maurois' French adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's poem "You Will Be a Man, My Son") has the distinctive Caribbean touch of Henri Salvador; finally, "Over the Hill" shares an uncanny resemblance with Peter Gabriel's "Secret World." The best moments are found in the traditional song "Fair and Tender Ladies," the funny "Is That All There Is" (also included in French in a different recording), and "India Song," on a text by writer Marguerite Duras. Head, still in great vocal shape, delivered a good, if not striking, album of intelligent adult pop. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For Sooner or Later, Murray Head changed his ways and went for a more synthetic sound. Steve Hillage produced the album, a keyboard and drum programming affair for the most part. The singer's usual collaborators during the '80s, guitarist Geoffrey Richardson and keyboardist Peter Veitch, contributed a few takes, each buried among the layers of synthesizers. Singers Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin also provided some backing vocals. Head's writing has rarely been this mainstream, his pop songs relying now exclusively on catchy melodies. The coldness of the arrangements does not help the lack of excitement that plagues this album. The opener, "You Are," seems to contradict this assessment, since it stands as the best single the singer released during the second half of the decade. But what comes after is bland and forgettable. The main subject is love, with little variations. One exception: Richardson's "Paper Thin," a solid track, touching despite Hillage's production and worthy to appear on a best-of collection. The CD reissue on Headcase (2001) includes two bonus tracks, "Picking up the Pieces" and "Some People"; they bring little more to the album and short circuit the attempt "Wanderer" makes at an atmospheric ending. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Produced by Steve Nye, Restless sounds quite good and timeless for an LP from 1984, especially when compared to the horribly dated Sooner or Later (1986) or Murray Head's hit, "One Night in Bangkok," a product of the new wave. The singer was trying to regain his quickly vanishing fame, but he did not compromise his music, at least not completely. "When You're in Love" is a typical soft rock ballad, its chorus catchy yet still easy to forget. "Modern Boy" and "Peril in Venice" emulate some of the tricks Phil Collins used in his more atmospheric songs early in his solo career. But then one also finds the strange "African Tourists" and "Salvation," which includes a chorus of African voices. As usual with Head, lyrics tend to be a little naïve, well-intentioned but somewhat simplistic, like in the cliché-ridden Mafia song "Mario." Luckily there's the voice -- distinctive, emotional, and well-used. As the music market was more and more turning to standardization and focusing on a search for the ultimate hit single, Head kept on recording albums of intelligent pop songs, although he had to strip them down, leaving his more arty ambitions behind. That's why Restless doesn't come close to the power of 1981's Voices. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Recorded and released in 1981, Voices predates Murray Head's commercial breakthrough, "One Night in Bangkok." This is a very English album focused on gentle, intelligent acoustic pop songs. No wonder it went by unnoticed at a time when punk rock and new wave monopolized the attention of the media. Members of Fairport Convention and Caravan accompany the singer, along with longtime collaborator Alun Davies, pop producer Rupert Hine, and guitar hero Jeff Beck. But of all these musicians, the Fairport Convention connection had the biggest influence on the album's sound. Pieces like "Last Daze of an Empire," "Old Soho," and "Going Home" all bear the British folk signature of the group -- except that they are propelled by Head's powerful vocal delivery. "She's Doing Time on the Line" shares affinities with Peter Blegvad's universe, while "Children Only Play (Do You Remember?)" foretells Head's Québec hit "Comme des Enfants Qui Jouent." And "How Many Ways" conjures up the image of Cat Stevens (during the first verse, the singer sounds like he deliberately imitates Stevens). Because of its delicate moods, careful arrangements, and strong cohesion, Voices ranks high in the singer's discography, at its top beside Say It Ain't So, and it deserves a fair place in the music library of any fan of the folk singer/songwriter genre. Recommended. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide
