0898 Beautiful South - The Beautiful South

Even though it’s not as good as the fantastic Miaow, this is another of my favourite albums by the ever reliable TBS. The third album, it features a couple of their best known songs, as well as some hidden gems. The lyrics are – need you ask? – as biting as ever, while musically it’s a notch up on it’s two predecessors. Cover artwork, on the other hand, is just STRANGE. All 12 tracks are Heaton and Rotheray originals, which – given the South’s record when they try covers – is a definite plus point. TRACK BY TRACK REVIEW 1. OLD RED EYES IS BACK – A song about the ills of alcoholism, this would be ...  Read the complete review

Classic irony in the lyrics and classic irony in that this perhaps is the classic South album yet it sold less then the previous two, the tunes the style. TBS have said that when they came to record this that there was a different atmosphere, more confident more up for it and it shows. It is the classic Beautiful South Album, it is exactly what they are about. Every track is a standout track and shows a band who have found just their feet but also their niche and are going to enjoy their music more than ever. !he dark funny lyrics and captivating tunes adorn the album. 'I'm Your No1 Fan.', sarcasm? who knows, who cares? A ...  Read the complete review

This album by the excellent Beautiful South has really worn the test of time. Not to be confused with the rather dodgy telephone service lines of the same name, "0898" is a real corker of an album, and if you have been living on the moon for the last 10 years will give you a great insight into the varying musical styles and thoughts of the band, particularly its frontman Paul Heaton. The tracjlisting is as follows, which includes 5 chart hits of the early nineties: 1. Old Red Eyes is Back 2. We Are Each Other 3. The Rocking Chair 4. We'll Deal With You Later 5. Domino Man 6. 36D 7. Here It Is Again 8. Something That You ...  Read the complete review

The lyric I used for the title of this opinion is from Bell-Bottomed Tear, one of the best songs I think the Beautiful South have ever made and this track is the highlight of the album for me. Their lyrics are so well thought out, meaningful, poetic... Here are some examples : "Here I walk, here I walk Looking for an angel's wings in the den of the hawk" (The Rocking Chair) "Next morning our eyes filled with sleepy regret A kiss and goodbye and a long cigarette But the pillow I lay on is cold and it's wet Can't pretend" (Bell-Bottomed Tear) Besides the wonderful lyrics, this album also ...  Read the complete review

This album sold less than any other Beautiful South album, although it still went platinum, so it could be hardly considered a failure. However, I think it deserves to be heard by a wider audience, as those who bought the million-selling 'Quench' will almost certainly like it. This is because '0898' and 'Quench' are the only 2 Beautiful South albums which have explored a reasonably similar theme - that of guitar based pop. I think that here the group seem quite similar to Pulp with lots of melodic, up-tempo songs, and fantastic lyrics. The production is certainly much better than the slightly thin feel to the first two albums, and ...  Read the complete review