Blue Views is the fifth solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter Paul Carrack, then a member of the supergroup Mike + The Mechanics. It was Carrack's first solo album in seven years; in the interim period between solo albums, he had recorded one album as a member of Squeeze, one album as a member of Spin 1ne 2wo, and two albums as a member of Mike + The Mechanics. Blue Views was originally released in 1995 on I.R.S. Records in the UK and most other territories. In the US, it appeared on the Ark 21 label.
The album was produced by Carrack's erstwhile Mike + The Mechanics bandmate Peter Van Hooke, who had left the group the previous year. Blue Views spun off two UK top 40 hits: "Eyes of Blue" and a re-recording of "How Long", which Carrack had originally written and sung 22 years earlier as a member of the band Ace.
In the US, "Eyes of Blue" was a minor hit on the Adult Contemporary (AC) chart, while the track "For Once in Our Lives" was a major AC hit, peaking at No. 3.
The song "Love Will Keep Us Alive", co-written by Carrack, was previously recorded by the Eagles for their 1994 album Hell Freezes Over.
Reception
AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine calls Blue Views "solid adult contemporary pop", and while criticizing some of the "spotty" material, writes that "Carrack's vocals are terrific and the sound is appealingly polished."
Track listing
Personnel Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. Paul Carrack – vocals, keyboards Rod Argent – keyboards Tim Renwick – guitars (1–6, 8–11) Robbie McIntosh – guitars (1–6, 8–13) Mitch Dalton – classical guitar (1) Neil Hubbard – guitars (7) Pino Palladino – bass (1–7, 9–11) Keith Wilkinson – bass (8) Andy Newmark – drums Martin Ditcham – percussion Luís Jardim – percussion Frank Ricotti – percussion Roger Chase – viola (10) Bill Hawkins – viola (10) Perry Montague-Mason – violin (10) Gavyn Wright – violin (10) Katie Kissoon – backing vocals Tessa Niles – backing vocals Lance Ellington – backing vocals (5, 9, 10)
Production Peter Van Hooke – producer Simon Smart – recording, mixing Paul Mortimer – additional engineer Danny Dawson – recording assistant, mix assistant Paul Hicks – recording assistant, mix assistant Robbie Kazandjian – recording assistant, mix assistant Guy Massey – recording assistant, mix assistant Chris Blair – mastering Abrahams Pants – design Paul Cox – photography
Certifications
References
External links