Free

AMG Review of Free

Alex Henderson
All Music Guide

A major change of direction...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...Astley had more in common with Michael MacDonald and the Doobie Brothers...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"...