The Beautiful South

Welcome to the Beautiful South (1989) A+

0898 (1993) A

Blue Is the Colour (1997) A–

To listen to: Miaow (1994), Solid Bronze: Great Hits (comp, 2002)

1. Song for Whoever
2. You Keep It All In
3. We Are Each Other
4. Don't Marry Her
5. I'll Sail This Ship Alone
6. Prettiest Eyes
7. Bell Bottomed Tear
8. You Play Glockenspiel, I'll Play Drums
9. Liars Bar
10. I Love You (But You're Boring)
11. Old Red Eyes Is Back
12. From Under the Covers
13. Have You Ever Been Away
14. A Little Time
15. Woman in the Wall
16. Dumb
17. We'll Deal with You Later
18. Mirror
19. One Last Love Song

In 1994 the Beautiful South suddenly found themselves the biggest-selling band in Britain, when Carry on Up the Charts went five times platinum. In fact, that comp is mostly redudant, as at least two of the four albums it draws from are essential. Forming the band after the Housemartins split, Paul Heaton, with his writing partner David Rotherway, cut down on the class consciousness and turned the irony way up, getting smart-asses about love and sentimental about not-quite-love. But -- and I think this is unique -- this improved his art. Starting with the beyond classic "Song for Whoever" -- "Oh Shirley oh Deborah oh Julie oh Jane/I wrote so many songs about you I forget your name" -- Heaton achieves a sharpness way beyond what he managed with the Housemartins.