Progressed is the first extended play by English band Take That. The collection was released on 10 June 2011 and features eight previously unreleased tracks packaged alongside Take That's sixth studio album, Progress. It was preceded by the lead single "Love Love" on 11 May. One more single, "When We Were Young", was released from the EP.

Progressed
Studio album (reissue) / EP by
Released13 June 2011
Recorded2009–2010
Studio
Genre
Length34:58
LabelPolydor
ProducerStuart Price
Take That chronology
Progress
(2010)
Progressed
(2011)
Progress Live
(2011)
Singles from Progressed
  1. "Love Love"
    Released: 11 May 2011
  2. "When We Were Young"
    Released: 11 July 2011

Background edit

Initially it was believed that Robbie Williams would rejoin Take That in a short term capacity for the album Progress which debuted at number 1 in the UK and achieved similar success across Europe, and the subsequent record breaking Progress Live tour. On 19 May 2011 Take That officially confirmed the upcoming release of Progressed, due for release on 13 June 2011 in the United Kingdom, following the release of its first single, "Love Love".[1]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Daily Mirror     [2]
Digital Spy     [3]
Daily Express     [4]
The Independent     [5]
Q          [6]

Progressed received positive reviews from music critics upon its release.

Simon Gage of the Daily Express praised the new material and awarded it 5 stars stating that it is "essential listening" whilst commenting that "there has been a full-bodied love affair between Take That and the British public for so long it’s difficult to imagine them ever putting a foot wrong."[7]

Nick Levine of BBC Music similarly reviewed the album positively, concluding that the collection is "a fine Progress-complementing EP from the 10-legged national treasure."[8]

The Independent awarded Progressed 3 stars, calling the collection a "galumphing disco electropop whose swaggering synth riffs on 'Love Love' and occasional dubstep/electro moves, as on the intro to 'Man', are swept up by standard stomp-beats"[9] whilst Q believed it was "a bold step to add to the biggest selling album of the year but one that ultimately pays off".[10]

Gavin Martin of the Daily Mirror reviewed the new material positively, opining that "from the trad Barlow ballad setting of 'When We Were Young' through the evolutionary electro of 'Man', the new songs successfully extend the original album's balancing act between dignified nostalgia and commercially crafted experimentation."[11]

Heat reviewed the album positively, summarising: "all in all, we have to say this album is utterly weird and wonderful and the perfect extension to Take That's defiant Progress album of 2010. Progressed is a winner in our book."[12]

Lewis Corner of Digital Spy praised the new material and felt that "the self-penned collection proves once again why Take That's comeback was better than everyone else's – by out-growing the stereotypical boyband branding to become a group of credible and genuinely artistic group of musicians."[13]

Track listing edit

All tracks are written by Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams and produced by Stuart Price, with additional songwriting on "Eight Letters" by Midge Ure, Chris Cross, Warren Cann and Billy Currie

Progressed – CD1
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."When We Were Young"
  • Williams
  • Barlow
4:34
2."Man"
  • Barlow
  • Owen
4:39
3."Love Love"
  • Barlow
  • Owen
3:43
4."The Day the Work Is Done"
  • Owen
  • Barlow
4:04
5."Beautiful"Barlow4:14
6."Don't Say Goodbye"Barlow3:54
7."Aliens"
  • Donald
  • Williams
4:48
8."Wonderful World"Owen4:58
Progress – CD2[14]
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
9."The Flood"
  • Williams
  • Barlow
4:49
10."SOS"
  • Owen
  • Williams
3:44
11."Wait"
  • Williams
  • Barlow
4:15
12."Kidz"
  • Owen
  • Barlow
4:42
13."Pretty Things"
  • Williams
  • Barlow
4:03
14."Happy Now"
  • Williams
  • Barlow
4:03
15."Underground Machine"Williams4:15
16."What Do You Want from Me?"Owen4:37
17."Affirmation"Donald3:54
18."Eight Letters"
  • Barlow
  • Williams
4:41
19."Flowerbed" (hidden track)Orange3:48

Personnel edit

Adapted from liner notes.[15]

Musicians edit

  • Gary Barlow – keyboards, programming
  • Karl Brazil – drums (tracks 1, 3, 4)
  • Stephen Lipson – mandolin (track 1)
  • Ben Mark – guitar (track 1, 3, 5, 7)
  • Stuart Price – bass guitar (tracks 1–3, 5, 7), guitar (1, 7, 8), keyboards, programming
  • London Studio Orchestra – strings (tracks 1, 4, 6, 8)
  • Perry Montague-Mason (tracks 1, 4, 8), Everton Nelson (6) – leaders

Production edit

Charts edit

Weekly charts edit

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Danish Albums (Tracklisten)[16] 1
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[17] 21
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[18] 11
Irish Albums (IRMA)[19][A] 2
Scottish Albums (OCC)[20][A] 1
South Korean Albums (Gaon Chart)[21] 81
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[22] 46
UK Albums (OCC)[23][A] 1
  • A^ In certain territories, Progressed charted in conjunction with Progress under the same title.

Year-end charts edit

Chart (2011) Position
Danish Albums Chart[24] 57

Release history edit

Region Date Format
Ireland[25] 10 June 2011 CD, digital download
United Kingdom[1] 13 June 2011
Italy[26] 14 June 2011
Denmark[27] 15 June 2011
Australia[28] 17 June 2011
Germany[29]
Brazil[30] 28 June 2011

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Take That – 'Progressed'". Takethat.com. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Take That – Progressed album review". Daily Mirror. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  3. ^ "Take That: 'Progressed' – Music Album Review". Digital Spy. 12 June 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  4. ^ "Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | Music :: Album review – Take That: Progressed (Polydor)". Express.co.uk. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  5. ^ Gill, Andy (10 June 2011). "Album: Take That, Progressed (Polydor) – Reviews, Music". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  6. ^ "Q-music – Q is good for you – Home". Q-music.nl. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  7. ^ http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/251745/Album-review-Take-That-Progressed-Polydor- Simon Gage, The Express 10/06/11
  8. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/6xzb Nick Levine, BBC Music 09/06/11
  9. ^ The Independent Andy Gill, The Independent, 10/06/11
  10. ^ "Q Music Review Section". Q-music.nl. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  11. ^ https://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/columnists/gavin-martin/2011/06/10/take-that-progressed-album-review-115875-23192869/ Gavin Martin, Daily Mirror 10/06/11
  12. ^ http://www.heatworld.com/Entertainment/Music/2011/06/Squeal-Take-Thats-Progressed-EP-just-landed-on-our-desks-Heres-a-rundown/ Heatworld 09/06/11
  13. ^ "Lewis Corner, Digital Spy 12 June 11". Digitalspy.co.uk. 12 June 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  14. ^ "Progressed by Take That". iTunes Store (GB). Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  15. ^ Progressed (liner notes). Take That. Polydor Records. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ Hung, Steffen. "danishcharts.dk – Danish Charts – Albums – 22/07/2011". Danish Charts. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  17. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Take That – Progressed". swisscharts.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  18. ^ "Chartverfolgung / Take That / Longplay". musicline.de. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  19. ^ "Chart Track". Irish Albums Chart. GfK. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  20. ^ "Scottish Official Charts". Official Charts Company. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  21. ^ "South Korean Charts". Gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  22. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Take That – Progressed". swisscharts.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  23. ^ "Official Chart Company". Official Charts Company. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  24. ^ "Album-Top 100". Hitlisten.NU. IFPI Denmark. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  25. ^ "Take That To Release A Collection of New Songs". Umusic.ie. Universal Music Ireland. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  26. ^ "Progressed, il CD di Take That – BOL.IT". Universal.dk (in Italian). M.I.E. S.p.A. – Divisione BOL. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  27. ^ "Take That – Progressed – Deluxe Edition (2CD)" (in Danish). CDON Group. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  28. ^ "Progressed". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  29. ^ "Take That – Detail – Progressed – (CD) – Universal Music" (in German). Universal Music Entertainment GmbH. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  30. ^ "Take That – Progressed (2CD)" (in Portuguese). Livraria Cultura. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2011.