The Butler

The album that made Butler a star. The sweeping ballads, catchy uptempo, dance-oriented hits, and multi-tracked overdubs and background vocalists helped make his music a staple on late '80s Urban Contemporary radio. There is little jazz influence and even less jazz content on this release, but Butler does display a strong, effective singing voice.

Frank Butler's second and last recording as a leader followed his first by just under one year. He retains the same rhythm section as on The Stepper (Dolo Coker and Monty Budwig, while featuring two tenor saxophonists, Joe Farrell and Teddy Edwards, this time around. Missing are the longer drum solos of the earlier album; instead the focus is primarily on the two saxes. Edwards wrote the opening up-tempo blues "Wheelin' and Dealin'," which turns into an old-fashioned tenor battle, with both men coming out victorious. The ballad medley is split, with Farrell taking "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good") and Edwards playing "Tenderly," though the latter's solo gets the nod. Butler is showcased briefly in a snappy treatment of ‘Four" and more extensively in Coker's "Mr. October."

Following abortive collaborations with David McAlmont and Richard Ashcroft, ex- Suede guitarist Bernard Butler finally heeded his wife's advice and took centre stage for his solo debut. Not surprisingly, wide-eyed positivism is the presiding sentiment here–so much so, that, at times, People Move On seems to be about little more than itself. Save for that melodically slight Top 10 hit "Stay" though, it's hard to raise much objection in the face of such sustained inspiration. Highlights? Well, "You Just Know" will be better known to football fans as the plaintively catchy riff used during the 1998-9 season on Match Of The Day. "Change Of Heart" crashes along some beautiful George Harrison-style playing. Best of all though are "Autograph" and "Woman I Know"–not least for the way their gothic grandeur exposes the limitations of Butler's old band.