Though acclaimed by most critics back in the 1980s, Paul Young's "No Parlez" perhaps more than any album ever made epitomises the declining fortune in the hands of critics that commercial music of the 1980s has suffered in the last twelve years.

Nonetheless, this change in viewpoint is totally deserved in this case. Whilst to those critics from the 1980s Paul Young might have appeared to be a truly charismatic white-funk singer, his voice really sounded at times like a rapper trying to sing. The effect really cannot be seen as anything other than atrocious to modern ears, especially when the songs move to softer, easy listening passages that come between dated synth-pop that really tried to be hard when Paul Young never wanted a producer who might produce a decent type of funk sound.

The rhythms in particular show how hopelessly tied to the 1980s "No Parlez" is. The backing vocals in particular appear to be so artificial (for example the "please hurry" section of "Come Back And Stay" - the first song I remember on radio) that nobody who did not grow up when I myself did could gain any insight into anything from them.

Just as bad was the way in which most of these songs were set to extended dance mixtures with horrible rap-type intros that do nothing at all bar destroy any melody that was in the songs (which Paul Young's later efforts proved to be minimal at best). Even when he attempts to sing a ballad that should have been a capella on "Broken Man", the songs goes nowhere.

Nobody really needs to accept the way "No Parlez" sounds in the 21st century. So dated it's a museum piece, really.
Though acclaimed by most critics back in the 1980s, Paul Young's "No Parlez" perhaps more than any album ever made epitomises the declining fortune in the hands of critics that commercial music of the 1980s has suffered in the last twelve years. Nonetheless, this change in viewpoint is totally deserved in this case. Whilst to those critics from the 1980s Paul Young might have appeared to be a truly charismatic white-funk singer, his voice really sounded at times like a rapper trying to sing. The effect really cannot be seen as anything other than atrocious to modern ears, especially when the songs move to softer, easy listening passages that come between dated synth-pop that really tried to be hard when Paul Young never wanted a producer who might produce a decent type of funk sound. The rhythms in particular show how hopelessly tied to the 1980s "No Parlez" is. The backing vocals in particular appear to be so artificial (for example the "please hurry" section of "Come Back And Stay" - the first song I remember on radio) that nobody who did not grow up when I myself did could gain any insight into anything from them. Just as bad was the way in which most of these songs were set to extended dance mixtures with horrible rap-type intros that do nothing at all bar destroy any melody that was in the songs (which Paul Young's later efforts proved to be minimal at best). Even when he attempts to sing a ballad that should have been a capella on "Broken Man", the songs goes nowhere. Nobody really needs to accept the way "No Parlez" sounds in the 21st century. So dated it's a museum piece, really.