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outstanding, long-standing British band - jazzboCR - 03-03-2015
One tough-to-describe outfit because they did so many things so well. From '88-'07, if they put something out, the enlightened listener wanted to hear it. No joke. Known especially for some socio-political material BUT ALSO for having terrific women singers, frequently as co-lead in men/women dialogues. The players involved all went on to good things, post-breakup. And you know what? My quirky nature on full display but I like the way their album covers meshed well if ironically with the album titles *. Ladies and Gentlemen: The Beautiful South A more seasoned view: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-beautiful-south-mn0000032971/biography Their Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beautiful_South Alternate discog: http://user.xmission.com/~dking/bsdiscog.htm << That Wiki discog is quite complete; this is for the fanatic.
Some tunes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttuA1UEUAI0 << Quirky vid but Jesu! What a song!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH8ll5yHxWs << Dead-common situation, uncommonly well-versed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XyzLp06Etc << remind you a bit of 10CC?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC-6giBM_fM << Of course, lest it be used against me....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u5Fu_Aw9hw << They pretty much define late Century or early next century smart pop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_cPa_79Ig8 << one of those social commentary things, dressed up...so to speak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rrXmE19hFk << you tell me what this song is about--I han't a clue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPAU-8TaAAA Lush and lovely. The same in French: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rosTQGy6v20 << Both for that Exceptional Chicago Woman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR9LYrCR_4I << They age less than any other part...and your eyes are the mirror of your soul, aren't they?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUa1Ia6vvhI << been this guy, in this situation, OH YES.
SPECIAL: On Jools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qg78HhUqPc and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwzLLfyK3vw
* Those covers? ââ¬â¹http://music.famousfix.com/tpx_89307/the-beautiful-south/album-covers And 1 from the Housemartins: ââ¬â¹https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPGpQUitqXE << 1st heard on an acapella comp CD a few years agio, I admit I melted.
outstanding, long-standing British band - SteveO - 03-03-2015
The terrific women singers got me!
outstanding, long-standing British band - CRAZY-HORSE - 03-03-2015
The Housemartins.....only made two studio albums "hull-0,London-4" and "the people who grinned themselves to death", they always planned on splitting up after two albums regarlesss of what success they achieved...
"caravan of love" can be found on their debut album, was a huge #1 hit for them in the UK, and by far the biggest hit they had.
after the split.... bassist Norman Cook dabbled in 'dub' and 'dj' work under various names, he ended up becoming known as Fatboy Slim
the rest of the band became Beautiful South...their lyrics were very similar to those of Housemartins, but musically they are more mellowed out.
both are/were good band's who never achieved the success they deserved IMO, im guessing their socio/political commentary turned people away from them...
outstanding, long-standing British band - Big Ears - 03-03-2015
A few years ago, I bought what I thought was a heavy rock CD in a charity shop and when I got home I found the disc inside did not match the album cover - instead it was a Beautiful South compilation. Considering the source, I was not going to take the record back, so I gave it a listen and it was not bad. Despite being praised to within an inch of its life, the line, 'I love you from the bottom of my pencil case' (from their first hit Song for Whoever), is one of the most inspired phrases since, 'She was just seventeen, if you know what I mean'. As has already been observed in this thread, the girl singers (especially Jacqui Abbott), albeit relegated to a secondary role, do stand out. Apparently Ms Abbott gave up performing to look after her son, who had been diagnosed with autism, and it is quite refreshing to see a pop or rock star who puts their family first.
My gripe (and there are a few) is that the roles of the various lead singers was never really clear to me, for example Paul Heaton co-wrote Song for Whoever, but does not take the lead vocal. Also, I like soft rock, but the Beautiful South are a bit too gentle for my taste. Finally, the intended irony of the band's name rankles with a southerner like me. The Beautiful South are like the proverbial curate's egg, good in parts with an outstanding line here or a great song there. To their credit, they do not appear to have fought over the band name since the split, even though Heaton and Abbott have recorded some very Beautiful South-like material.
Question: How well was their northern political attitude received in the US? I am English and I struggle!
outstanding, long-standing British band - jazzboCR - 03-03-2015
Big Ears Wrote:Question: How well was their northern political attitude received in the US? I am English and I struggle!
First off, Bros, thanks for the commentary--that may give folks who never heard of them a reason to take them for a spin. Second, folks in the U.S. have no knowledge of the North vs. South British split--we/I thought it was one cohesive unit, if not always lovey-dovey. I was baffled by their name at first--I thought it referred to the U.S. split, that time being Southern rock's heyday (being a heavy stoner back then, I didn't even look at the record back, just snatched it up). Imagine my surprise...but I didn't take it back, just put it away for awhile.
In my (still foggy) mind, the line between pop and soft rock is blurry if at all existing, accentuated by AMG's practice of the "Similar to..." listing at opening page bottom--Paul Williams is an accomplished singer/songwriter but rock he's not (again, my opinion only).
outstanding, long-standing British band - Big Ears - 03-03-2015
There is a political north-south divide in England, but it remains fairly cohesive. It is more like a lovers' tiff than a civil war.
outstanding, long-standing British band - jazzboCR - 04-03-2015
Big Ears Wrote:There is a political north-south divide in England, but it remains fairly cohesive. It is more like a lovers' tiff than a civil war.
Not to take this to Tedium City but didn't a lot of the Northern rockers have to go to Germany and the Netherlands to find the big gigs and acceptance not available in London and environs? Gritty cities, gritty times, relative poverty makes for some great music--rock at one end, introspection at the other. I'm prolly overstating the obvious here...and not wishing The Nasties on anybody just so I can get great music...but I sure relish the outcome. I expect to get struck off many Christmas card lists for saying that and this >> striking steel against carborundum gives you one result; striking steel against oatmeal gives you another--hail King Carborundum!
outstanding, long-standing British band - CRAZY-HORSE - 04-03-2015
Big Ears Wrote:There is a political north-south divide in England, but it remains fairly cohesive. It is more like a lovers' tiff than a civil war.
quite true Big Ears....
there is also a 'class system' that prevails in some quarters in the UK to this day also.
outstanding, long-standing British band - CRAZY-HORSE - 04-03-2015
Big Ears Wrote:A few years ago, I bought what I thought was a heavy rock CD in a charity shop and when I got home I found the disc inside did not match the album cover - instead it was a Beautiful South compilation. Considering the source, I was not going to take the record back, so I gave it a listen and it was not bad. Despite being praised to within an inch of its life, the line, 'I love you from the bottom of my pencil case' (from their first hit Song for Whoever), is one of the most inspired phrases since, 'She was just seventeen, if you know what I mean'. As has already been observed in this thread, the girl singers (especially Jacqui Abbott), albeit relegated to a secondary role, do stand out. Apparently Ms Abbott gave up performing to look after her son, who had been diagnosed with autism, and it is quite refreshing to see a pop or rock star who puts their family first.
My gripe (and there are a few) is that the roles of the various lead singers was never really clear to me, for example Paul Heaton co-wrote Song for Whoever, but does not take the lead vocal. Also, I like soft rock, but the Beautiful South are a bit too gentle for my taste. Finally, the intended irony of the band's name rankles with a southerner like me. The Beautiful South are like the proverbial curate's egg, good in parts with an outstanding line here or a great song there. To their credit, they do not appear to have fought over the band name since the split, even though Heaton and Abbott have recorded some very Beautiful South-like material.
Question: How well was their northern political attitude received in the US? I am English and I struggle!
i think you are spot-on with the part i have highlighted Big Ears....
i have one of their albums...its pleasant enough as background music, but its all too much of a muchness to listen to intently in one sitting.
outstanding, long-standing British band - jazzboCR - 04-03-2015
Damned shame, those rotters packing so much excellence into each disc. Couldn't they have had the decency to pack in some filler so we could keep up with them? But then that's what shuffle play on CD 5-disc players is all about--one by them then Klaatu then one by Martin Denny then one by Rush then one by Tom Jones--before you know it, a whole night's gone by. That plethora of concentrated riches can really bite you in the nether regions.
This is fun--let's play some more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPHufdlNtPc&t=27 << love their vids--leads me to think
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbWrHi7T8-E << sure they did covers...intelligently
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKC3zRQMSSU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJfqrBuUkGs << I prefer a classic Coke-bottle shape with a good mind but whatever...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjZFC0v6gqo << some see this as a very subtle dig at the US-UK "special relationship". I dunno.