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Ok, so I took a major chance with this CD [after some samples from a third-party website] and here is what I regret about it... nothing; though it is pretty unusual for someone like Havens' to make an album of this particular nature, but it is definitely worth it in the long-haul. Just so you know, most of this album consists of excellent late 80's AOR material. That said, here is my review for your [the buyer's] convenience:
1: "Drivin';" This [particularly] is 1/2 the reason as to why I purchased this CD, as this high-tempo track is filled with light guitars, hefty percussion and some synth work; oh, and for the record, there would then be a [similar, yet elegant] re-written version exclusively for the original soundtrack to the 1989 racing comedy, "Speed Zone" or "Cannonball Run III" in the UK; a superb choice that is sure to have one dancin'; oh, and somewhere on the net, there is a semi/decent live video performance of Havens performing this tune.
2: "Simple Things;" Obviously the title track for this album, this song is a combination of a dramatic blues composition, equipped with light percussion and violin strings, with the elements of a slightly typical element of AOR, as the guitar play [including a great guitar solo] makes this song a power ballad - this track may be simple, but the overall outcome is beyond simple.
3: "Songwriter;" This tune is a rather light song, with elements of soft rock/pop, with both an acoustic and electric guitar solo, plus nice synth material as well; there is nothing more to say about this track... unless you wish to include the wonderful lyrics by Havens.
4: "Passin' By;" This song has to be the equivalent of a lost demo by another artist, or Havens himself for that matter, but this one has a really nice [soft] melodic rhythm, not to mention the presence of a lengthy guitar solo, nice synthesized material and great lyrics.
5: "Wake Up and Dream;" This song is a perfect example as to what this album is all about, and the lyrics are incredible - that, and unique elements of violin strings, percussion and lead guitars.
6: "I Don;t Wanna Know;" This song, the second single from this album alongside with "Drivin'," is a wonderful blues tune, with some great guitar work all around, nice percussion, and of course beautiful saxophone work in the beginning and partial ending; for the record, let I forget that this song was re-written by Havens, as it was originally performed by John Martyn, but I enjoy this one better.
7: "Shouldn't we All be Having a Good Time;" Anyone listing to this tune, after a while, should in fact be having a good time, as this track is one of those "Let's Stick Together" type songs; anyway, this is a pretty good funk song, with some good guitar work, plus a nice soothing synthesizer solo somewhere in-between, and the lyrics are pretty good too - in my opinion, this song has to be the 1987 equivalent of the hit song, "Celebration."
8: "Arrow Through Me;" Other than being a song originally by Paul McCartny, I have no recollection of this song whatsoever, but it is not all that bad; you get a nice little 70's style rhythm for an 80's track, and a nice tenor sax solo only sweetens the deal.
9: "Runner in the Night;" This is the perfect light pop/AOR/blues tune, as its lyrics, synth work and percussion really gets this tune moving; sure, there is no guitar solo, yet ironically you hear a good deal of them through the song, but nevertheless you can not go wrong with this one, as this song runs away with a victory in the night.
No arguments with this album are given anywhere - other than the light absence of guitar solos - though all but three tracks have one, so it cancels out. Other than that, this album gets a perfect 10, as the music from "Simple Things," including the title track alone, has listeners like me wanting more, as well as appreciating 80's music even more than I already do now. So as I have been saying before to some great albums in the past, "this album is definitely worth every penny;" so if you see a copy here on Amazon or elsewhere for that matter, GET IT!
-Al
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