Home (Simply Red album)

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Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Dotmusic	6/10[4]
entertainment.ie	[5]
The Guardian	[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]
Uncut	[8]

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Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian described Home as "luxuriant" and "accomplished," praising Mick Hucknall for staying true to Simply Red's signature "cappuccino-soul" style while still sounding "angelically" refined. She concluded that the album proves "there is life in the old haircut yet," highlighting its polished mix of white funk, R&B influences, and elegant cover versions.^[6] Dotmusic editor Gary Crossing praised Hucknall's "superb voice" and acknowledged his long record of pop classics, noting that even if his songwriting is uneven, his best work remains memorable. He ultimately concluded that the album is "not the finest of offerings," but still contains "plenty here to remind us of why we loved the man and his voice in the first place."^[4]

Michael Hubbard, writing for musicOMH, described Home as "business as usual," noting that Simply Red continue to rely on their familiar "pop-tinged soul-ballad" formula that has long defined their success. He acknowledged that while the album is "not the best work" the band has ever produced, it nonetheless demonstrates Hucknall's distinctive place in pop music and features moments of polished, well-crafted production.^[9] Rolling Stone's Richard Abowitz argued that while Hucknall's long experience with Simply Red occasionally shines through on Home, particularly on tracks such as "Fake" and "Home Loan Blues," the album is ultimately uneven and lacking inspiration. He criticized the reliance on sampling and cover versions as "pointless" or "embarrassing," concluding that Hucknall "would do better to ignore the comforts of Home next time and instead just get more lost."^[7]

Home achieved greater commercial success than Simply Red's previous studio album, Love and the Russian Winter (1999), particularly in terms of international chart performance, longevity, and overall sales. Whereas Love and the Russian Winter reached the top ten in a limited number of European territories and appeared on only two year-end charts, Home charted more extensively across Europe and internationally, including entries in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.^[10][11][12]

The album reached number one on the Italian Albums Chart and peaked within the top ten in several countries,^[13] including Austria, France, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.^{[14][15][16][17][18]} It additionally reached number two on both the Dutch Albums Chart and the UK Albums Chart.^[19][20] Home also demonstrated stronger year-end chart performance. In 2003, the album reached number three on the Italian year-end chart and number seven in the Netherlands,^[21][22] while also placing within the top fifty in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the United Kingdom.^{[23][24][25][26]}

The album additionally surpassed its predecessor in certifications and sales. Home received double platinum certifications in both the Netherlands and the United Kingdom,^[27][28] platinum certification in Germany,^[29] and gold certifications in Austria,^[30] Belgium,^[31] Canada,^[32] France,^[33] Portugal,^[34] Russia,^[35] and Switzerland.^[36] The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) further certified the album platinum for shipments exceeding one million copies across Europe.^[37] Worldwide sales were estimated at approximately 2.5 million copies.^[38]