''Simple Things'' is the debut studio album by English duo
Zero 7, released on 23 April 2001. It peaked at number 28 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, staying on the chart for 56 weeks.
[ It was nominated for the ]Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...
.Destiny
Destiny, sometimes also called fate (), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual.
Fate
Although often used interchangeably, the words ''fate'' and ''destiny'' ...
" and "In the Waiting Line", promoted the album prior to its release.
Critical reception
Tim DiGravina of AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave the album 4 stars out of 5, calling it "an accomplished slice of soulful genius that rewards frequent spins."soul
The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
-influenced diva vocals, gurgling and ringing keyboards, and classical string arrangements, into a relaxing, potent wave of sounds."Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' gave the album 3.5 stars out of 5, saying, "More like jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
on acid than acid jazz
Acid jazz (also known as club jazz, psychedelic jazz, or groove jazz) is a music genre that combines elements of funk, soul music, soul, and hip hop music, hip hop, as well as jazz and disco. Acid jazz originated in clubs in London during the 1 ...
, ''Simple Things'' can be hallucinatory yet eminently listenable; it's chill-out music with a little something for your mind as well."Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
, the album was too similar to Air
An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...
's '' Moon Safari''.
Track listing
Source:
In popular culture
* "In the Waiting Line" appeared in the season 6 episode, "The Domino Effect" of ''Sex and the City
''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO, based on Sex and the City (newspaper column), the newspaper column and 1996 book by Candace Bushnell. It premiered in th ...
'', in the season 3 episode of ''House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
'' "Needle in a Haystack", and in the 2004 film '' Garden State'' and on its soundtrack
A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
.
* "Destiny" appeared in the 2002 film '' Blue Crush'', as well as the 2009 film '' Obsessed''.
* “Give It Away” was used as a background track on the CBBC
CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...
show ''SMart
''SMart'' was a British CBBC television programme based on art, which began in 1994 and ended in 2009. The programme was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London. Previously it had been recorded in Studio A at Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingha ...
'' when sharing viewers' artwork that had been sent in the previous week.
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
* Zero 7 – production, mixing
* Demus – mixing (3, 5)
* Mozez
Osmond Wright, professionally known as Mozez, is a Jamaican-born and London-based singer, songwriter
A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be cal ...
– vocals (1, 5, 10)
* Sia Furler – vocals (3, 7)
* Sophie Barker – vocals (3, 8, 14)
* Philani Mothers - vocals (11)
* Dedi Madden – guitar (1, 7, 8)
* Allan Simpson – guitar (3, 4, 6)
* Phil Thornalley
Phillip Carden Thornalley (born 5 January 1960) is an English songwriter, musician, and producer who has worked in the music industry since 1978. He produced the album ''Pornography'' by The Cure and was later their bass player. He began releas ...
– guitar (9), bass guitar (9)
* Pete Trotman – bass guitar (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12)
* Max Beesley – Rhodes piano (5)
* The Brilliant Strings – strings (1, 4, 5, 6, 12)
* Sally Herbert – violin (1, 7, 10, 11)
* Graeme Stewart – trumpet (4, 6)
* Simon Elms – trumpet (9)
* Dan Litman – flute (6)
* Jeremy Stacey – drums (1, 8, 12)
* Miggi Barradas – drums (4)
* Ollie Savill – percussion (2)
* Jenny Arrel – percussion (11)
* House – design
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
2001 debut albums
Zero 7 albums