The Beautiful South's first album, and 50 minutes worth of memorable music. Interestingly Woolworths complained about the cover of this album, saying it might encourage children to shoot themselves or start smoking. Personally, I disagree but there you go. The cover is, according to the Band, a way of saying that there are many ways to die, shooting yourself (which is quick) or smoking (which kills you slowly). Kind of dramatic but it has nothing to do with the content of the album itself. The brilliant album opens with the full 6 minute version of "Song for Whoever". This is a brilliant track, Paul Heaton's voice, backed up with Dave's ...  Read the complete review

As I listen to this album I am amazed to think that it's been about 18 years or so since I was first introduced to this group and this album. I can remember it so vividly my son was just born and I loved this album. It was on my frequent play list. The first time I heard this album it was on a horrible home made recording. From that point on I was on my way to find a new cassette. Yes Cassette that's what we had then and CD's were so expensive at that time that I chose the cassette. Since then I have replaced the cassette with a cd and it's actually like the third time I have bought this cd. I seem to be very hard on them. The first time I ever heard ...  Read the complete review

The first album by what have become such a big band. It is not my favourite album But it does have my favourite cover, the sex reference is so obvious and so funny, the gun firing in the mouth, the cigarette, it is pure genius and pure Beautiful South. This is not a stand out album, a very good album but 1989 was the begining and I suspect and judging by 0898 it was a little while before TBS found their feet, some tracks on here show their potentional and what was to follow others sound like bad 80's left overs from A Simply Red Album. But the good tracks, boy they are good and worth buying the album for. 'Song For Whoever', ...  Read the complete review

"Welcome to..." provides a great welcome to this band, if you've never heard their music before. Coming soon after the Housemartins split, the vocal talents of Paul Heaton , Dave Hemmingway and Dave Rotheray are emerging, along with the original band members: Sean Welch and David Stead. On the original Go! Discs label, this album is slowly becoming a classic. In fact, initial copies are quite rare, as the cover was deemed too upsetting for some and was replaced by a graphic of a teddy bear, which as well as proving a point, raised the monetary value of the original pressings. The track listing is as follows: 1. Song for Whoever 2. Have You ...  Read the complete review

This is, unsurprisingly, the Beautiful South's debut album, released little over a year after the break-up of the Housemartins. Considering the short time scale Paul Heaton had to form a new group, write an album with a new co-writer, and then record the album with string and brass arrangements, I think the quality is remarkable. Whilst there may not be the depth of sound on the most recent albums, this still contains some of the group's best loved songs, namely 'Song for whoever' and 'You keep it all in'. It is also quite different in sound to the group's other albums with some tracks sounding quite easy-listening, some latin dance (Woman .  Read the complete review