― the timefox, Tuesday, 19 August 2003 08:12 (twenty years ago) link
I used to ADORE the Beautiful South . . . funny and witty and tunes. Good songs sung well . . . what more could you want?
Their pinnicle is the Blue is the Colour album. It is, without doubt, one of THE darkest albums ever made. But it's not dark in a dead-of-night kinda way . . . it's dark in a grey-day kinda way. You know . . . when the day is so boring, so bad, and so terrible, life looks like its viewed through a monochrome TV set with the contrast turned right down. The songs are great individually, but brilliant together, creating a kind of middle-class darkness thats far more convincing than your usual feel-my-pain Pink Floyd derived proclamations.
It least, that's what I thought at the time.
I listened to this album about a fortnight ago . . . it's still not bad. The full impact has been lost over time, but it's still good rousing stuff, especially Have Fun and Mirror, and Blackbird on a Wire is a lovely, lovely song.
Even if everything else they've done is a dud (which it isn't - Red Eyes is Back and Song for Whoever, despite the tweeness, are great songs) this album redeems them. Indefensible? Hardly.
― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 10:31 (twenty years ago) link
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 19 August 2003 10:39 (twenty years ago) link
"And the Sunday sun shines down on San Francisco bay" . . . that bit.
― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 10:44 (twenty years ago) link
― the structurefox, Tuesday, 19 August 2003 11:06 (twenty years ago) link
As far as I can see it contains no bridge - ie. no third element that departs from the see-saw of verse and chorus.
Admittedly, though, I cannot instantly hear a tune when I look at all of these lines. Some of them are a touch ungainly.
I do not care for the obscenities, either.
DON'T MARRY HER
Think of you with pipe and slippers Think of her in bed Laying there just watching telly Then think of me instead
I'll never grow so old and flabby That could never be Don't marry her, fuck me
And your love light shines like cardboard But your work shoes are glistening She's a PhD in "I told you so" You've a knighthood in "I'm not listening"
She'll grab your sweaty bollocks Then slowly raise her knee Don't marry her, fuck me
And the Sunday sun shines down on San Francisco bay And you realise you can't make it anyway You have to wash the car Take the kiddies to the park Don't marry her, fuck me
Those lovely Sunday mornings With breakfast brought in bed Those blackbirds look like knitting needles Trying to peck your head
Those birds will peck your soul out And throw away the key Don't marry her, fuck me
And the kitchen's always tidy And the bathroom's always clean She's a diploma in "just hiding things" You've a first in "low esteem"
When your socks smell of angels But your life smells of Brie Don't marry her, fuck me
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 19 August 2003 11:12 (twenty years ago) link
I thought it was lots of verses punctuated by an occasional middle 8.
If you aren't that bothered by the lyrics, you'd find it a bit tedious, I guess. But why does the absence of a middle 8 necessarily make it boring? Lots of cool songs don't have a middle 8 (or a chorus, depending on your point of view)
― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 11:13 (twenty years ago) link
But this song needs more musical variation than it has. As it stands I find it unbelievably pedestrian. That's leaving aside the lyrical problems.
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:32 (twenty years ago) link
I think it's better on the album than as a stand-alone track. As a gentle introduction into the fug, it's great, but as a stand alone track, it can be a little dull.
"Don't marry her, fuck me" isn't half as good as "Don't marry her, have me", either. The latter is too shocking, too callous - the former is vague and subversive. It would underpin the albums "Where have all the morals gone?" theme better than the version taht eventually ended up on there.
― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 14:39 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 16:23 (twenty years ago) link
You get what I mean though. I'm a fighter, not a writer!
― Johnney B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 10:30 (twenty years ago) link
Also, I'm in America - where you have to turn over a lot of stones to find anyone even remotely familiar with The Beautiful South.
-Eric
― The Hideous North, Sunday, 15 January 2006 23:52 (eighteen years ago) link
The first Housemartins album was great, but after that: Nothing much.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 16 January 2006 02:23 (eighteen years ago) link
Some of their stuff is crap. CRAP.
It's like a lucky dip without the cellophane.
― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!! (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Monday, 16 January 2006 02:25 (eighteen years ago) link
-The Hideous North
― The Hideous North, Tuesday, 17 January 2006 04:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― My Life in the Ghost of Bush (noodle vague), Sunday, 19 November 2006 02:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― My Life in the Ghost of Bush (noodle vague), Sunday, 19 November 2006 02:12 (seventeen years ago) link
Actually if you read your original post I'm sure you'd be be ashamed at its presumptuous, exuberant, bolloxicity.
― Domino Man (noodle vague), Sunday, 19 November 2006 03:34 (seventeen years ago) link
― raw sweaters annoying brother (raw sweaters annoying brother), Sunday, 19 November 2006 04:01 (seventeen years ago) link
I'd like to withdraw the vehemence of last night's statement but retain the sentiment.
― Through a twenty deep screen of humourists (noodle vague), Sunday, 19 November 2006 11:55 (seventeen years ago) link
― wordy rappaport (EstieButtez1), Sunday, 19 November 2006 14:14 (seventeen years ago) link
― Through a twenty deep screen of humourists (noodle vague), Sunday, 19 November 2006 14:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― wordy rappaport (EstieButtez1), Sunday, 19 November 2006 14:47 (seventeen years ago) link
The Beautiful South invented indie.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 14:03 (sixteen years ago) link
Or at least what we nowadays see as "indie" in the top 40, Diet Coke Zero-drinking, Tim Lovejoy-quoting ViewPigeonDetectivesKaiserChiefsRazorlightMilburn bands. Britpop as influencing modern indie is the biggest music critic red herring ever invented. 80s indie influnces + "I am soooooo drunk" lyrics + hoolie appreciation = both.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 14:04 (sixteen years ago) link
i remember quite liking paul heaton's solo album thing he did in 2001.
― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 14:09 (sixteen years ago) link
Something about biscuits and asylum seekers, yes?
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 14:09 (sixteen years ago) link
i agree with tom that the beautiful south are the worst band ever produced by britain. they're the aural equivalent of that time travelling sitcom that starred nicholas lyndhurst and the fat guy from 'bread'. or 'my hero'. -- pulpo, Monday, 18 August 2003 09:24 (3 years ago) Bookmark Link
that makes them sound like the second best band ever thou. the best band ever would sound like "the piglet files".
― acrobat, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 14:11 (sixteen years ago) link
The Beautiful South invented Belle & Sebastian but that's about it. Unfortunately.
― DavidM, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 14:13 (sixteen years ago) link
There was that letter into the NME in about 1998 that was just a list of Beautiful South/B&S similarities. They lost me about the same time they claimed that "A Perfect 10" and "String Bean Jen" were basically the same song.
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 14:14 (sixteen years ago) link
That's pretty small.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 14:18 (sixteen years ago) link
"Song for Whoever" may be the smuggest song ever as well. Not sure if that's "in a good way".
― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 14:21 (sixteen years ago) link
They were great when Brianna was there ("Would you still love me if I lost my legs?"= classic!) but after that I totz stopped paying attention...I hate that new chick.
― django, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 16:41 (sixteen years ago) link
Indefensible? C'mon, the first four albums are full of gems. I loved the whole iron fist in a velvet glove thing. Lyrical bile presented in a public-friendly muzak style. And it sold! I just bought the BBC Sessions, lots of their best tracks. They lost me after -Miaow- though.
― Mr. Odd, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 17:26 (sixteen years ago) link
Paul Heaton's, Dave Rotheray's and Sean Welch's audio commentary on the Munch DVD is one of the most entertaining I've ever heard (the videos themselves though are almost all complete shite, which kind of helped).
― DavidM, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 19:01 (sixteen years ago) link
This is definitely a question that means something different in the US than in the UK. In the US they've just been another British indie band that never sold very well, but that a few Anglophiliac college kids dug. (I was one of in the early 1990s.) The voices aren't remarkably bad...I'd even say they're great compared to the competition at that level of UK import at the time (e.g. Charlatans, Soup Dragons). I still love the first record, esp. "From Under the Covers", which inexplicably utterly destroyed me when I moved far from home to college. "36D", "We Are Each Other", the cover of "Girlfriend" on the first record...these are catchy, bouncy pop. From what I'm seeing on the thread the band comes with a lot of cultural baggage in the UK, but I don't think this ever translated over here (thankfully).
― Euler, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 19:03 (sixteen years ago) link
"Song for Whoever" may be the smuggest song ever as well. In a great way.
― "too worldly to compete on /b/" (King Boy Pato), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 10:23 (fourteen years ago) link
By the way, if you thought Heaton or anyone who wrote songs was the problem: http://www.newbeautifulsouth.co.uk/
― "too worldly to compete on /b/" (King Boy Pato), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 10:26 (fourteen years ago) link
I'd kind of forgotten how great "My Book" and "We Are Each Other" are.
― HI DERE, Friday, 23 April 2010 17:57 (fourteen years ago) link
My mind is kinda blown at noting Lex talking about how he doesn't mind them way upthread!
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 23 April 2010 17:59 (fourteen years ago) link
this revive was spawned by a coworker IMing me "What was that song that started 'I love you from the bottom of my pencil case'?" and me going on a Youtube binge shortly thereafter
― HI DERE, Friday, 23 April 2010 18:00 (fourteen years ago) link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welcome_to_the_Beautiful_South
also I'd never seen the alternate album cover, lololol
― HI DERE, Friday, 23 April 2010 18:01 (fourteen years ago) link
"prevent the hoards of impressionable young fans from blowing their heads off in a gun-gobbling frenzy, or taking up smoking"
Indeed.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 23 April 2010 18:03 (fourteen years ago) link
I am hoping that isn't a US/UK spelling thing and that they really do mean hoards of fans
― HI DERE, Friday, 23 April 2010 18:07 (fourteen years ago) link
The New Beautiful South have changed their name to 'The South'.You can find The South at www.thesouth.uk.comIts all about the songs!Thank you
Thank you
― Blecch Generation (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 23 April 2010 18:16 (fourteen years ago) link
first album is still a monster
"Sail This Ship Alone" and "Woman in the Wall" are just... yeah I dig shit like that.
― Damn these skinny jeans' pockets. (HI DERE), Wednesday, 16 June 2010 15:10 (thirteen years ago) link
This is a band that I ought to have loved, but I am largely indifferent. A bit too pastoral maybe, but some of their songs are ace. "Song For Whoever" is still a classic.
― Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 17 June 2010 08:23 (thirteen years ago) link
The singles compilation is all anyone needs IMO, but that contains some of the finest pop songs I've ever heard. The two extra tracks slung on the end to ensnare the completists, "Prettiest Eyes" and "One Last Love Song", are very moving. I love the swell, grit and movement of this band.
― anagram, Thursday, 17 June 2010 08:26 (thirteen years ago) link
edit: one extra track. "Prettiest Eyes" was not new.
― anagram, Thursday, 17 June 2010 08:29 (thirteen years ago) link
I must be getting old but Beautiful South are starting to sound really good to me! I remember hating them along with everyone else but now the smoke has cleared I'm not sure why...
From the bottom of my pencil case,AdamRL
― Hollis Frampton Comes Alive! (admrl), Saturday, 5 November 2011 20:21 (twelve years ago) link