Housemartins in general

My late teens and early twenties were spent in a seedie little club, just off Bev road in Hull, called the Adelphi Club. Yeah it sounds abit like a working mans club but it was infact at that time in the early to mid 80's the place to go to see live bands in Hull, there were other clubs in Hull but the Adelphi club had to things going for it, it was cheap and it was with in stumbling distance of my house!! Only problem was it didnt have a late license in them days!! The Adelphi club didn't just showcase Hull bands it also got in bands from out of Hull, eg the Farm. It's been years since i've been there but I'm told they are still carrying on ...  Read the complete review

The Housemartin's formed in 1984, their lead singer and songwriter was Paul Heaton who came from Sheffield. Their breakthrough came in 1986 with the release of their third single Happy Hour. It went into the top five and so did their first album London 0 Hull 4, they recorded Caravan Of Love in 1986 which was a very good record but sadly they split up. But then Paul Heaton formed The Beautiful South in 1989. They had a lot of hits with records such as A Little Time, Good As Gold, Everybody's Talking and many more. I did'nt like the Housemartin's but I really liked The Beautiful South. ...  Read the complete review

To say that someone or something is quintessentially English is quintessentially naff, but in this case it's quicker than saying that the Housemartins were subtle, understated, sly, malicious, and intelligent. They also wrote very good tunes, performed them stylishly, and didn't outstay their welcome. Given all that, it's hardly surprising that they never received the recognition they deserved, but if you want to wipe the memory of Oasis, Blur, and the rest of the over-hyped, under-talented current crop from your mind, just pick up a copy of “London 0 Hull 4” or “That's what I call quite good” (a double-album best-of) and ...  Read the complete review