Paul Carrack – Beautiful World – review

Inspired by the success of Blue Views and the subsequent tour, Paul Carrack returned to the studio immediately after the end of the latter to relieve his flow of ideas with a new album. The result is the album Beautiful World.

Beautiful World contains ten songs, produced, co-recorded and partly co-written by drummer Gary Wallis (another producing Mechanics drummer!) and keyboardist Toby Chapman. The opener The Way I’m Feeling Tonight, written with Graham Gould (10cc), is the first single and is certainly representative of the fresh wind blowing through Paul’s music; only 21 months after the last album, he has taken off his blue glasses and, after the somewhat helpless comeback springboard Blue Views, is back in the line of One Good Reason and Groove Approved.

The music draws on Carrack’s typical mainly American sources and – although hardly experimental – is certainly not influenced by commercial considerations. The four- to five-minute songs, mostly in conventional format, feature predominantly moving rhythms with lots of drum programming and hip-hop touches. Paul, who is also a sought-after session keyboardist, elicits quite appealing sounds from his instruments, especially on Time To Let Go or Close To Me, and not just predictable chord progressions.

Tim Renwick contributes acoustic guitar riffs and a wah-wah electric guitar solo at the end of It Goes Without Saying. Satisfied is a successful funk number with brass and harmonica solo, and the slight change of rhythm at the end of the title track is worth noting, as it makes the song interesting.

In addition to the well-known Dave Bronze, a number of other musicians (mainly backing vocals) were also involved. Anyone who needs a slight change of pace after the “heavy” Genesis album will be well entertained here from mid-October, at least with unfocussed listening.

Author: Andreas Lauer

Tracklist

The Way I’m Feeling Tonight
Time To Let Go
Beautiful World
Perfect Love
You Give Me Something
Satisfied
Close To Me
It Goes Without Saying
If You’d Ever Needed Someone
Some Kinda Love

Musicians

Paul Carrack: Vocals, keyboards, Hammond organ
Toby Chapman: Keyboards, additional programming, backing vocals
Tim Renwick: Guitars
Dave Bronze: Bass, backing vocals
Gary Wallis: Drums, drum programming, additional programming
Mark Feltham: Harmonica solo (6)
Tessa Niles: Backing vocals (1–7, 9, 10)
Tommy Blaize: Backing vocals (3)
Claudia Fontaine: Backing vocals (3)
Beverley Skeete: Backing vocals (3)
Paul Williamson: Backing vocals (3)

Production

Toby Chapman: Producer
Gary Wallis: Producer
Andy Jackson: Recording engineer, mixing (8)
André Horstmann: Assistant engineer
John Brough: Mixing (1–7, 9–12)
Ray Staff: Mastering
Steve Tannett: A&R
John Carver: Art direction, chair
The Leisure Process Studio: Sleeve design