Search - Nik Kershaw :: To Be Frank

To Be Frank, A Work Of Genius

Alan | Nashville, TN | 06/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let's be honest. The music business can be a cruel one, and those artists who outstay their welcome are often derided mercilessly, often with good reason. For many, Nik Kershaw will forever remain in the same category of '80's synth pop along with Howard Jones, Thompson Twins and Heaven 17. And that is a shame, because "To Be Frank" reflects everything that is good about modern pop music and is as contemporary as they come. The whole album is shot through with a refreshing humor married to some of the catchiest material Nik has ever recorded. His voice sounds great, and the instrumentation is a delight. If you liked "Don Quixote" all those years ago, you will love the full- on samba of "Wounded". "Hello World" is a down to earth critique of the falseness of celebrity (much like "Wouldn't It Be Good" was) and overall, the album's production reminds us that Nik is first and foremost a genuinely talented songwriter whose older material has dated far less than many of his contemporaries and whose new material - this and 1999's "15 Minutes" - stands up with the best music of today. For me, the album's highlight and undisputed masterpiece is "Die Laughing", a song with a great melody, subtle instrumentation and hilarious lyrics. My only reservation? The non-album tracks "They Said" and "Food For Fantasy", released on the "Wounded" CD Single, are as good as anthing on the album. If a US distributor is found for this wonderful collection, perhaps they could add those two on at the end. Then the best album of 2001 would be just about perfect."

Second great work in a row.

Alex Góes | Salvador, Bahia, BRAZIL | 08/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Nik does it again. Since I am an artist myself down here in Brazil, I am going to be a little more technical in my review. His last work (15 minutes)is, in my opinion even better than this one but both have the same amazing sound. Nik has achieved a level of mixing and mastering that is amazing to listen to and that I would like to achieve some day. The guitars, both electric and acoustic, are played with perfection, creativity, and much care was taken with the way each one should sound. Drums are a little more subtle and I felt this one was a bit more acoustic than the earlier effort. Nik's ability to write about such trivial things with such eloquence has long served as an influence in my work. Beautiful melodies woven into surprising harmonies. You can't go wrong! Even if you don't buy this one, don't you dare not purchase 15 minutes. It is a masterpiece!!"

"Eleven New Gems"

Mark J. Perkins | Fort Wayne, IN USA | 09/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The newest Nik Kershaw release "To Be Frank",again proves that he is one of the very best songwriter-musicians of the past twenty plus years! This new collection of songs has something for everyone; upbeat pop typical of "wounded" and "already"(my choice for a single)."Die laughing"and "How sad" show off Nik's masterfull songwriting as well as anything he's done recently. The musical slant towards being more acoustic than electric guitar of his earlier works is again balanced by his layering electronics is best displayed by songs like "Hello world" and "one day". If you're tired of the same old music with nothing that sounds fresh or different; give this new disc( as well as his previous release "15 minutes") a listen- you'll be singing these songs to yourself before you know it!"