A major change of direction, the disappointing
Free found
Rick Astley working with producer
Gary Stevenson instead of the Stock/Aitken/Waterman team and going for a very adult contemporary-type pop/R&B sound instead of the dance-oriented direction that put him on the map. No longer were
the Average White Band and '70s Philly soul/disco valid comparisons; the new and less appealing
Astley had more in common with
Michael MacDonald and
the Doobie Brothers -- though this generally pedestrian material isn't nearly as clever. There are a few songs on
Free that pack a bit of a punch, including "The Bottom Line" and the rock-influenced "Is This Really Love," but most of them (many written or co-written by
Astley himself) are as bland as they are forgettable. Quite clearly,
Astley is someone who needs the help of expert producers/composers -- and not necessarily Stock/Aitken/Waterman.
Jimmy Jam &
Terry Lewis, for example, could probably do quite well by him. For those checking out
Astley for the first time,
Whenever You Need Somebody would be a much wiser investment.