Entitled Reviews

Media reviews

No, not the lad with the amazing dancing bear. This is
the other Simon Smith, the one who sings about the unfairness
of society, naked sexual lust, charity telethons and the scars
of everyday life from the point of view of a man with no
hands. If that seems a distressing, disturbing perspective, ask
yourself what else he could do. After all, he has no hands.
Smith’s greatest strength, apart from a grainy, rough-hewn
voice, is this unflinching honesty, which enables him to
present his points of view without slipping into the kind of
maudlin self-pity which would be perfectly justifiable but
counter-productive.

His Useless Eaters can slip into a Dire Straits-ish boogie or
conjure a swirling ambient soundscape depending on what
his songs need and, perhaps most encouraging of all, is the
fact that, with most of his material, the emotions and feelings
could belong to any sensitive human being and that’s one
measure of a great songwriter

Johnny Black

The Big Issue

"Smith's tender vocals are deeply moving... 
Smith and the Eaters have produced a gorgeously 
mellow LP to melt the hardest of hearts"

The Big Issue May 10 to 16 1994
Best album of the week scoring **** against 
"Erasure's"**. 
"The Fall's"**, 
"Tom Robinson's"*** 
"Doughboys'"*** 

It’s not the first time that radio-friendly pop tunes have been used to hammer home hard-hitting lyrics. In Simon Smith’s case, the subject on the agenda is disability. Born with no lower arms, he knows all about the prejudice that a disabled person faces every day of their lives. Singing about the injustice he experiences, Smith’s
tender vocals are deeply moving. Sounding at times like Lloyd Cole,
Dire Straits and Chris Rea, Smith and The Eaters have produced a
gorgeously mellow LP to melt the hardest of hearts. Best of the
bunch is Little By LittLe, a haunting ballad.

GARY CROSSING

 


  
“What set's the songs apart is Simon's lyrics”
 The stud Brothers
 Melody Maker Jan '94

Simon Smith And The Useless Eaters look set to rise above the swamp of indie-wannabes that clog up the airwaves at the moment
Adam Norsworthy
London Newspaper Group Jan'94

Wonderful record
Paul Anderson
DJ. Radio Mercury 28 March 1994
  
One of the most lyrically dense and compelling  collections I've ever struggled through
Phil McMullen
Ptolemaic Terrascope summer 1994

Smith and the Eaters undoubtedly have an enormous potential. [Entitled] moves fairly effortlessly between rock, punk and new-age music, and there are even some rap sections
Michael Turner
LDN Nov '93 

I believe that Simon Smith And me Useless Eaters have the necessary ability, stamina' and talent to succeed.
Clive Dunn
Contact UK. Jan '94

I've been bouncing around the office and wearing out my Walkman listening to some very
pleasing sounds familiar messages are put in a masterful way through Simon's lyrics. A welcome intelligence, in particular the understanding and portrayal of image… This is an album to join the others in your collection.
Kit Wells 
DAIL Nov '93
  
Categorising Entitled would place it within the adult orientated rock genre, with a style reminiscent of The The, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Lloyd Cole, Leonard Cohen, Peter Gabriel  and with strong lyrics and a predominantly guitar based arrangements
Disabled Magazine Dec '93
  
I  enjoyed this album so much  and played it so often that I had to get it reviewed
Roland Humphries
Editor Disability Arts Magazine
  
On first listening to this album I was struck by the perfect recording quality. The first track sounds great... The guitar work is excellent. it needs to be danced to! The beat gets to you...  and your feet start tapping.
Francis Rwama
Disability Arts Magazine Dec '93

  

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