I am a very late convert to Beautiful South. They have been around almost for ever, certainly since I was a student (or perhaps I am thinking more about the wonderful Housemartins) and recently split up because of 'musical similarities'. I only ever bought this one. Typical me to really get into a band nearly two decades after they formed and just as they split. And I have decided that I would really like to see them live.
I have always enjoyed their songs in a sort of passive way, but it's only since I put them on my mp3 player that I have realised just how much I like them. All of the songs on this album have nice tunes, which may seem like damning with faint praise, but it is a sine qua non of songwriting. I don't actually know much about them, but I have never got the sense of them being manufactured.
If the tunes are nice, the lyrics are brilliant. I have nothing but admiration for the poetry evident in every song.
This is most definitely an album that is worth playing over and again. That's the problem with trying to blog my entire record collection by forty. I am not sure there is any great benefit in listing all the songs on this album, and trying to rank them in order of preference. There are plenty of sources on the internet that have the track listing. However, I am trying to establish a list of my top one hundred pop songs ever. Maybe. Ish.
Some of the songs are memorable for lyrics such as
Albert Steptoe in 'Gone with the Breeze'
Mother played by Peter Beardsley, father by John Cleese
Whereas One Last Love Song has fairly banal lyrics, a deceptively simple melody, and moving harmonies. The unconventionally nasal lyricism of the male singer turn this into a special song.
A Little Time uses contrast between the soft male voice and the female voice coming in as if at cross-purposes. Very apt.
Bell Bottomed Tear is poignant. The words are profound, I think, the tune delightfully simple, the orchestration sophisticated, the voices real and idiosyncratic. I really like her voice. In fact thinking about it, in pop I tend to prefer female voices to male; in classical, I prefer male voices to female. Discuss...!
In fact this is incredibly difficult to write. I have decided that this has to be right up there as one my very favourite pop albums in my entire collection. I don't want to be a position.
Song for Whoever is quirky and satirical and yet not really cynical. Wonderful song.
I'll Sail This Ship Alone. Wonderful Song.
Prettiest Eyes. Wonderful Song.
Aaaaagh! Aaaaagh. Aaaaagh. I am going to have play this album over and over again over the next few months just so that I can determine how many of those songs mentioned above are actually not merely very good but quite possibly great.
I am the newest mad keen fan of the Beautiful South. Believe me, I am now an expert. They are utterly wonderful and this album ought to be in the collection of everybody who calls themself a music lover.
