by Zero 7 List Price:$17.00 Our Price:$13.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Product Details
Media: Audio CD
Release Date: Tuesday, November 13, 2001
Label: Palm Pictures (Audio
Average Customer Review: 4.5 Based on 147 reviews.
Sales Rank: 173
Tracks
1.
This World
2.
Likufanele
3.
End Theme
4.
Salt Water Sound
5.
Spinning
6.
Out Of Town
7.
In The Waiting Line
8.
Distractions
9.
Red Dust
10.
Simple Things
11.
Give It Away
12.
Destiny
13.
Polaris
14.
I Have Seen
Editorial Review
Zero 7's ability to conjure beautiful lullabies with all the romance of 1960s French pop (as found on their debut LP, Simple Things) would have made them the toast of soundtrack composers and chill-out connoisseurs the world over. Unfortunately, two Frenchmen beat Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker to the title of "masters of comedown cool," leaving the London duo to be forever called "the British Air." And this is fair; the similarities between Zero 7's lush cinematic soundscapes and those of Air's Moon Safari and the Virgin Suicides score are so strong as to sound almost intentional. Nonetheless, their debut is a truly gorgeous album. It has all the tried and tested atmospheric tricks--bleeps and whooshes layered over plodding Fender Rhodes chords, swathes of strings and tender trumpet parps--but it's Binns and Hardaker's languid grooves and the soft melancholy of their melodies that make dream-state instrumentals "Give It Away" and "Polaris" utterly enchanting. The real power of Simple Things, however, is in its songs. As beautiful as the ambient strains are, when laid beneath the seductive vocals of Australian diva Sia on the ethereal "Destiny" or the heart-breaking "Distractions," their potency becomes apparent. --Dan Gennoe
Top Customer Reviews
Rating:
4 Like Air, But Not Really
I heard "Simple Things" on a listening station at my local music store. I was immediately reminded of "Moon Safari" by Air. As I consider that a classic 90s album, I was pretty much hooked into getting this particular release by Zero 7."Simple Things" is really good chill-out music. I've listened to it several times since its purchase a few days ago, and it continues to stay fresh and enjoyable. The tracks are all pretty much low-key, trip-beat relaxing songs, some with vocals, some without. My favorite songs are "Polaris", "Red Dust", and "This World", though I think all of the songs, with the possible exception of track 11, are quite good.In comparing this album to Air's "Moon Safari", I found a distinct difference. While the basic sound of the two albums is similar, "Moon Safari" was a landscape of actual songs. "Simple Things" derives its pleasure from tracks that are elongated chill-out sessions. There isn't a superior album in my comparison, just different artistic approaches and production styles. So, Zero 7 has succeeded in creating its own sound, and what a pleasing sound it is.
Rating:
5 One of the best of 2001...
Simple Things, the first LP by British programming duo Zero 7 is one of the most imminently listenable albums to come along in a very long while. The whole album is layered with downtempo, almost ethereal beats that will undoubtedly take the edge off any migraine until you're awash in a sea of contentment. Zero 7 (aka Henry Binns & Sam Hardaker) say that the true joy of their music comes from the talented core of guest vocalists found on their debut album. This statement proves true as these vocalists bring out the amazing beauty of this disc. Among the standout tracks on the album is the sultry 'Distractions,' a sensual collaboration with Sia Furler, which feels just as at home in a smoky jazz bar as it does at a candle-lit bedside. Other great tracks include 'I Have Seen,' featuring male vocalist Mozez and the beautiful bonus track 'Spinning,' featuring Sophie Barker. Simple Things is more than just electronic music... it is music that creates a most beautiful atmosphere.
Rating:
4 cool as the other side of the pillow
I would give this one 5 stars if I loved ALL the songs. You cannot review everything youu love with 5 though. This CD is something that all of us that love to groove/chill with a margarita on the deck at dusk with someone you love, either in person or in your mind. This etherial piece delivers variety, technical/techno virtuosity and a calmness that will fill you up with peace. It is one of those that you have to listen to unencumbered and without distraction the first time, and then your mind can open to something very different and without genre. Hope I conveyed that if you even THINK you are cool, you must own this..
Rating:
5 Among The Best of UK Downbeat
Zero 7's Simple Things is one of the best ways to sample the downbeat electronica genre. It's a must have for true aficianados, and it's a great entry CD that's very enjoyable.Zero 7 make use of 2 primary female vocalists. Sia Furler is the most notable one, who's beautiful jazz voice is on their hits Destiny and Distractions. She's also released her own CD which has spawned an Ibiza club hit. The music is truly ambient in that it doesn't take over the scene like typical bass driven club techno or trance. Great for having a dinner conversation or chilling.Zero 7's studio work is also sprinkled throughout the UK music scene. They've done remixes for N*E*R*D and appear frequently on track lists for folks like Richard Dorfmeister and the Ninja Tune DJs. Chances are you've already heard some of their handywork. Now you can check out their originals.Can't recommend it highly enough.
Rating:
4 A beautiful album, but too similar to AIR for 5 Stars
I first heard of Zero 7 when I saw their video, "Destiny." I have to admit that they first time I saw it I immediately thought that it was a new AIR song, so I was surprised to see a different name at the end. I just bought this album two days ago and don't regret it. I will say that they are HEAVILY influenced by AIR, which is a fabulous electronic band from France. Zero 7 almost sounds TOO much like them, which is why I couldn't give this album 5 stars. However, their sound is different because of the volcalists. There is a male vocalist as well as Sia for many of the songs. Sia has an angelic yet haunting voice that adds to the mellow and hypnotic sounds of "Destiny" and others. Electronic music is such a general term, since there are so many genres within it. I would recommend this album to anyone who has enjoyed AIR's Moon Safari. (although I still believe that Moon Safari is much more innovative and original than Simple Things).
Rating:
5 RARE GREATNESS!!
This is pure brilliance! Every song. Every musician. Every vocalist. So Fresh. Reminds me of the freshness of Sade & Simply Red & Soul II Soul when they first came onto the scene. A new flavor to taste with your ears & hearts. Go on!! Go! Get this one!! Now!!
Rating:
4 Beautifully crafted and gorgeously relaxing chillout album
Zero 7 follow in the footsteps of bands such as Air in creating rich, layered chill-out music, but Simple Things marks them out because of its addition of great vocals. It's perfectly crafted with its gently weaving acoustic guitars, sweeping strings and trumpets, jazzy drums, lush keyboards, and well-placed, subtle synths. But its the vocals put tracks like 'I Have Seen' and the classic 'Destiny' (one of those songs that you'll know even if you don't realise it) in a class apart. On the former, they're a rich male baritone, yet never overpowering, and on the latter its a stunning female voice.The darker title track, gospel-fuelled 'Likufanele' and orchestral 'End Theme' add some variation to the mix, and instrumentals keep it flowing beautifully between the tunes. The formula does stay pretty much the same, but its the perfect album for that late-night mood, if thats what you want. 4 stars.
Rating:
3 Cozy Chill out album with great vocalists
Lovers of downbeat electro and lounge will appreciate this cozy album. Put this in the CD player and curl up with a book in your favorite seat. My favorite tracks are "Destiny", "Distractions" and "In the waiting line" who are served with the brilliant vocals of Sophie Barker and Sia Furler. Not surprisingly they all have been singles! I also loved the soulful voice of Mozez on "Simple things", "I have seen" and "This world". The voices give a warm human touch to the electro tracks. The songs alternate with instrumental tracks and the album flows well that way. "Polaris" and "Likufanele" stand out among the instrumentals for me, while "Give it away", "Red Dust", "Out of town" and "End Theme" tend more to get the skip treatment when I'm not in the mood for that type of music. A perfect album to relax and dream on.
Rating:
5 Musical sedative (in a good way)
I won't lie here: I origianlly came into contact with this music because i was looking through one of my friend's music collection on Itunes and thought the name Zero 7 sounded interesting. I know it's a bad way to choose, but the guy had good taste and too many artists to go through them all. So I listened to it and it took me less than 10 mins to get hooked on everything written by this group. I loaded it on my player and took on Spring Break to ski- and literally the entire time this is what was playing. I don't do that often. I listen to a lot of different music and rarely listen to the same thing non-stop for more than a day. I just don't know what to say. This music is addictive. The melodies/harmonies are so relaxing. They just make you want to sit there and contemplate life.
Rating:
5 magnificent!
Ok, I've had this CD for a while already and have dared not write a review on it. I haven't but a CD in a while since I'm back home in Venezuela where music is outrageously expensive (not that it isn't in the U.S.) and have found myself listening to Simple Things more than any other CD in my decently sized collection. The album is relaxed, varied and the vocalists...oh the vocalists! I wish they'd appear more often because the tracks where they shine with their presence are incredible. Now people say that this CD is similar to AIR's Moon Safari. They are extremely different, and to french pretenciousness goes: this one is a way better album. The other interesting opinion that many people have is that they rate Simple Things as "Electronica". Well, perhaps something like Everything but the Girl or Dzihan & Kamien is electronica but not this. I'd call it more a mix between Acid Jazz and Soul. Well, I better get new music because I don't want to burn out this CD any soon!
Rating:
5 Relax
I like the songs and the sound very much. It is very relaxing music. The sound of the vocals are just perfect.
Rating:
5 Nothing Simple About This Album...
...Except for the fact it is Simply Amazing! Its difficult to even describe the style of music at hand here - chill-out, lounge, trance, with traces of jazz, classical, and pop music throughout. Zero 7 takes you from porno music to polished, sultry and sinful to sweet and smooth within tracks and within the album. No matter what kind of music you listen to, "Simple Things" will surely relax your mind and your soul as you just take in all of the delicate yet complex songs arranged.There are a number of styles explored on the album, which can be categorized in two large subdivisons - with vocals and with out. The vocal songs mainly feature male singer Mozez who stars on the albums opening disco-lounge track "I Have Seen", the absolutely amazingingly mysterious title track, and the sultry ballad "This World". The two female vocalists are quite similar sounding, as noted on the stunningly addictive "Destiny" where they share lead vocals. The sound of Sia Furler and Sophia Barker's voices is accented softly with both a British sound, and almost a southern twang, but no worries their voices are like liquid on all the songs they sing. Furler returns on one of my fave tracks on the album "Distractions" a sweet love-ish ballad, while Barker is given the slightly weaker "In The Waiting Line" which shows the difference in the two girls voices as they are back to back, although Barker recuperates on the closing track "Spinning".Within the non-vocal tracks the guys that make up our beloved band in question experiment with 1970's synthesized porno beats and keyboard sounds, mixed with smooth bass, acoustic guitars, and elegant strings, and of course that "air" sound that has led them to be labelled as "british air". But if that doesn't sound appealing trust me it is - I'm not a fan of music with out vocals but this album wouldn't be complete without Zero 7's delves into the instrumental and vocal-track worlds. Of course there are a few exceptions to the general sounds they use, including the Semi-lyrical African masterpiece "likufanele" sung by the Philanai Mothers and mixed over a xylophone (i think) driven sound. Another exception is the track afterwards, "End Theme" which is rightfully titled as it sounds very much like a song you'd find in a movie score. A beautiful and energetic, almost regal arrangement of strings is what you'll find here, and is another one of my faves on the album for its uniqueness alone, I'm proud of the guys for taking a chance and putting this song on the album.The best thing I can say to you at this point is to definitely buy this album, if just to give it a listen, because after hearing the opening strains of "I Have Seen", the vocals of Furler and Barker, or the smooth tones of any of the instrumental tracks you will be so hooked on this album! Its great to play as background music during a dinner with friends, or when you are stressed and enjoying a drink after work, or even just to play in the car - works well for rainy or sunny days. I suppose the most amazing part of it is how simple the songs appear at first glimpse - but when examining the layers and the beauty in each track, you'll begin to realize your feelings for this album are anything BUT simple.
Rating:
5 Smoke & sunshine
For the past few years I've listened to chillout and have bought many, many compilations. When an artist stands out, I go and buy their full album. What makes Zero 7 stand out? Well, in electronic music and the rise of the bedroom artist, true musicianship is on the decline. It's become too easy to make bad music. Too much synthesizers, one-finger keyboards and drum loops, and not enough chords, acoustic instruments, melodies and weaving of parts into a whole. I love Thievery Corp, but to be honest, most of their songs are forgettable - a year later, I won't be listening to any of the tracks. St. Germain, on the other hand, gives the feeling that several people were jamming together in a studio session. Zero 7 is on another level above these two excellent artists, with their (guest) vocalists, atmosphereics, emotion, beautiful pads, chords, guitars, hard-yet-soft beats and musical sensibilities.
Rating:
4 This cd manages to sound classic and yet completely new
Zero 7 has a sound that to my ears, has strong elements of laid-back Seventies groups yet is completely rooted in today's smooth jazz genre. They combine seamless harmony and a relaxed tempo with guitar and synthesized instrumentals for a sound that is unique, but shows its origins with grace and humor. Not everyone is happy with the mix: the vocals have been compared to cloying "lite R&B" but this is a matter of taste, since folks over the decades have pretty much shown the music world that smooth vocals are what they want, and plenty of it. The vocals are hypnotic; either the fluid female duo sound of Sia Furler and Sophie Barker, or the male vocalist Mozez, whose husky ballads could get him nominated as the next Seal or even "let's get lovin'" Barry White replacement--not for his range but for the effect he has on the listener. The prize here may be the spacey instrumentals, a clever blend of real drums and base mixed with electric keyboard and synthesizer. If you are a fan of smooth jazz such as Sade, you will probably enjoy this album. If you have't found anything you like in music since Kenny G, maybe this could find you a new groove. Sexy stuff.
Rating:
1 Unoriginal and Uninspiring
Am I the only one who sees that this Emperor has no clothes?! No new clothes, at least. This drippy cd rehashes every uninspired a.m. radio-soft-jazz tune you ever heard. And people are saying the female vocalists recall Portishead?! What the fuzzy?!! The 2 singers are 0h-So-Pleasant, and Beth Gibbons' voice is nothing if not relating displeasing emotions! Please, check out some real downtempo, sonic-texture artists like Airlock, Crustation or Thunderball. These artists throw in jazz, samples, djs and guest vocalists, too, while maintaining an experimental edge to create melodies you never thought you'd hear, much less heard before!
Rating:
5 Tragic Angels & A Moon Safari
Simple Things is quite simply one of the best debuts I've ever heard. The vocals are soft yet purposeful, and the lyrics are often quite inspired. Sia's beautiful voice is ethereal on the simply beautiful "Distractions" & "Destiny". It brought her fantastic Healing Is Difficult out of the doldrums of my CD collection.It's easy to see where Zero 7 has taken much of their inspiration. There are definite similarities to Air (although it remains easy to tell the two apart) as well as Groove Armada and Fatboy Slim. Don't let the Fatboy Slim confuse you - this is by no means a dance album. This is almost an anti-dance album - the kind of thing you put on when you're very tired / drunk / stressed / angry (delete as appropriate).It would be impossible to pick out any personal favorites (I love every track), but the real stand out tracks are "In The Waiting Line", "Destiny", "Distractions" and the largely underrated "End Theme".If you're in a party mood, by all means, don't put this CD on. It will definitely not help build the atmosphere, but makes a perfect comedown disc. It's difficult, however, not to try and vigorously enforce this great new band on all your friends. I can't wait for the next chapter of the story.Easily addictive, this is my first must-have of 2002. Can't say fairer than that, really...
Rating:
5 Cannot go wrong with this one.
This isn't just a downtempo, "chill-out" album. What makes this different is the cinematic quality of some of the tracks, and that live studio musicians were used throughout. This is not a remix album; it a a set of real honest-to-God COMPOSITIONS. Two tunes leap out at me, because I sat down and learned them by ear: "In The Waiting Line" is probably the best Noir tune of 2001. A great tune in Bb with three distinct, flowing chord changes, loaded with portentious minor chords and incredible vocal harmonies. "Give It Away" is a song that any number of movies could use for a love story soundtrack - one with a tragic end for its protagonists. This is a lovely, wistful instrumental five-chord jam in F#. A great song to have on the CD when you're driving through the wine country on a sunny day. Many other tunes provide diverse highlights as well.The only tune I'm not wild about is "Destiny," as it is uncomfortably close to the Mariah Carey/Christina Aguilera pop scene for my taste. Great production values, though. :) Not only that, but if that is a hit and finances more such work, more power to 'em. Throughout the CD, good solid acoustic guitar work and imaginative strings. Hard to believe two obscure studio production assistants came up with such a solid first record. This shows great talent and I hope they do a lot more.
Rating:
5 Chill Out
This is a great album to put on when you just need to unwind and relax. That being said, it is not just a chill out album. Listen closely to the lyrics, and the excellent vocals, the way everything molds together, it's definately one of the more unique albums I have heard lately. 14 tracks in total, 2 of which are bonus tracks, it runs just over 70 minutes, of pure musical bliss. Of course comparisons will be drawn to Air, but don't let that stop you from giving Zero 7's debut SIMPLE THINGS a try, comparisons can be drawn between this and Air's MOON SAFARI, but this has its own unique flair and flavor, they have found their own style. Sia provides seductive and passionate vocals on "Destiny" and "Distractions", two of the best tracks on the set. I also quite enjoy "Red Dust", "End Theme", "Polaris" and "In The Waiting Line". Every track is enjoyable, definately an underrated album. Everyone should take a listen to this.
Rating:
4 Zero 7 and Paris under a groove great dinner discs
I bought both records here on amazon. Had some people over and the wine and conversation flowed. Most at the function asked about the music. So, I thought I pass the good word on to others here. Thanks to these records and artists the party kicked off just right.
Rating:
5 I'm wearing holes in the disc
This is such a fantastic disc. I can't stop playing it!
Rating:
5 Rare Find - Every Track is Good
I found out about Zero 7 from watching Garden State. To my amazement I enjoy every track on this CD. The 3 vocals have different styles yet they mix so well together. I particularly enjoy listening to Sia in Distractions. Her raspy versatile voice range and the soul she puts into it really hits your emotions. At their website http://www.zero7.co.uk/ you can view a few of their live performances in Quicktime, not the highest quality, but better than Realtime. Sia sang Sommersault and I was just Wowed! I can't wait to see more of them. It's the best CD to listen too at he end of a work day, with a glass of wine!
