If you listen to the sample provided of the first song, "In the Name of Love," you might find yourself saying the same thing I did: "That sounds like Michael McDonald." There's a good reason for that - Michael McDonald wrote the song. This indicates a trend for the release where Rick tries to break out of the old SAW mold, however he hasn't found his own voice just yet. The second song, "Cry for Help," was a Top 10 hit for Rick in 1991. I seem to recall Rick learned to play piano for this song (though he isn't credited), demonstrating how Rick was trying to gain more control over the creative process. This is a good song, however Rick's voice strains in places, though he shows his propensity for soul music in the ending. "Move Right Out" is a strong r&b grooving song that has a great attitude and lyrics. "Be With You" is another Michael McDonald sounding song, fast paced and up-beat, but not exactly strikingly brilliant. "Really Got a Problem" is appropriately named. Rick finds himself struggling between his pop roots and his new soulful sound, creating a song that is not much of either and falls somewhat flat. "Is This Really Love?" enters a new area for Rick - soulful rock. While I'm not a big fan of that style, Rick pulls it off pretty well with a solid performance and orchestration. "This Must Be Heaven" and "Never Knew Love" continue that style, but they have been infused with some pop edges (a la Mike and the Mechanics) that dull the potential power these songs might have. "The Bottom Line" I think is the worst song Rick has ever recorded (though Rick's worst is better than some artists' best work). It's an up-beat, almost big band pop ditty that sounds like it should be in some cheesy musical, though the jazzy instrumental ending is kind of cool. Rick gets help on piano from Elton John on the last two songs, "Wonderful You" and "Behind the Smile." Ending with these songs concludes the album on a positive note. Both songs are deep, strong, and soulful, showcasing Rick's talented (though sometimes wavering) voice and showing the growth and maturity he was striving for.

I will be crucified by Rick Astley fans the world over, but I only give Free 3 stars. I gave Rick and this album many serious listens. But let's face it - not even a musical talent like Rick Astley can be perfect all the time. And this was his first attempt at making music on his own terms in his own style; you can't expect him to get it right the first time. And despite many concerted efforts, I just could not develop a strong bond with many of the songs on this release as I had on other releases. And this will sound silly, but the packaging brought me down as well. The lack of glossy photos (Rick's image is a simple black line art drawing), and using black and a baby-poop brown as the only two colors really made the release look cheap and unappetizing. [Rick might have been trying to save money, but at least use a grayscale photo and better colors!] Thus, only the 3 stars.

For true Rick Astley fans, this is a must have. This is a historic piece that shows Rick's progression from a music industry hit-making machine to an individual artist with his own style and sound. This release is interesting and has quality material, but it is not phenomenal, and it was quite a departure from the Rick audiences were used to. However, it is an incredibly important release and a stepping stone to where Rick was headed. I would recommend Free to die hard Rick Astley fans, those who hated the Rick of SAW, and to fans that picked him up at his last album, Body & Soul.


ACCOMPLISHED & SOPHISTICATED   July 11, 2000
Pieter (Johannesburg)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

An accomplished collection which showcases his not inconsiderable talent as a composer while proving how great his voice really is when supported by the right material and sympathetic production. Cohesive and melodic, the album offers prime performances on the anguished ballad Cry For Help which builds up to a really soulful crescendo, and the catchy, uptempo Be With You. All in all he succeeds in reaching emotional sophistication and proving that there's life after SAW.


His freedom album from formulaic pop!   March 27, 2005
Preston (nc)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I call this album from Rick Astley his freedom-type album. Free from the formulaic verse-chorus-verse dance pop that he had to sing with the hit machine producers of Stock Aitken Waterman. In its place is a more streamlined live sound for him. When I first heard Cry For Help, I went nuts! I was shocked, and still am to this day. One of Astley's best vocal performances and performing with piano, a live band and a gospel-like choir at the end. Astley sounds good on this album, as he and the producer of Go West's songs produced this effort. I like the danceable Move Right Out. Many of the songs are more personal and you can tell that Rick wrote most of the songs. I still think that his '93 album is the best, but this is a close second to me. Brilliant pop album!


Third Time The Charm For Astley   March 16, 2009
Andre S. Grindle (Brewer Maine)
Alright despite Rick Astley's current status of poster boy (or whipping boy) for 80's cheese pop I found his early 80's pop/disco hits and albums such as Whenever You Need Somebody to be peppy,refreshing and pretty strong for it's day,if endelibly linked to it's era. Well obviously the title of this tells you so;this is DEFINATELY not that first album. The youthful spirit of his first two releases is replaced by a decidedly more mature and often more anguished tone.While Astley penned and produced most of the music here Michael McDonald and Mark King,bassist and lead singer for the Brit-funk band Level 42 are welcomed guests. "In The Name Of Love" is a great way to start the album;contemporary and dancable for sure but with a great soulful feeling to match Astley's terrific,bassy pipes. As with the rest of this album the production style (probably luckily) remained decidedly mid 1980's;Astley didn't bother going along with the New Jack and alternative rock sounds that were then the only things that could get you on the radio.So even if this album was commercially ignored,and in the end it has aged very gracefully."Cry For Help" really helped give this album "art-cred";the genuine report being Rick's yearning vocals and the backup vocals of the Andrae Crouch singers bring out a total building intensity.It's one song that people will really come to this album for a good case for Astley's creative control here.On "Move Right Out" and "Never Knew Love" the easy groove of Brit Soul make an appearance.As for the two Mark King co-compositions "Be With You" is a furious funk-rocker that really excites while "Really Got A Problem" tends more towards the poppy side of things;would've been a good single.Another big potential single here is "This Must Be Heaven",kind of a retro soul bounce to the whole thing and a hook that cannot be beat.Again it's very far away from "Never Gonna Give You Up". I would say the same thing about "The Bottom Line" except this 5+ romp through the classic 60's Motown beat changes gears in the last quarter of the song turns into a bluesy nightclub be-boppy jazz jam where Rick narrates his own little outro.It shows artistically Rick's true colors are likely on the jazzy side of things but if edited down-yeah I hear a single..The album concludes with two wonderful ballads "Wonderful You" and "Behind The Smile" that recapture the feeling and soul of "Cry For Help" as well as the epic production. Rick Astely's fate with pop culture,like many from his decade of recording has been more then a little unfair.And considering that many of them have credible music such as this to offer perhaps it's time to change our outlook on the pop stars of the 80's who made the effort to break away from the stiffling production of their producer oriented era,just as their predesessors had in the late 60s/early 70s and see that the 80's/early 90's were not totally an artless,pointless time in popular music.