Soup (The Best Of) - Beautiful South/The Housemartins

...it is pretty much condensed soup from The Housemartins, and reheated soup from The Beautiful South.

~~~~ Track Listing ~~~~

Housemartins

1. Flag Day

Unmistakeable Paul Heaton vocals but rather sombre number.

2. Happy Hour

Undoubtedly the Housemartins greatest ever song. This has a much more upbeat and happy tone to it.

3. Think for a Minute
...liking. One to avoid.

4. Caravan of Love

Another classic Housemartins track. However, they are very few and far between on this album.

5. Five get over excited

One of the better tracks on the album but I want quantity as well as quality and sadly there isn't enough.

6. Me and the Farmer

Another decent track but same comments as before apply.

7. ... more

When my wife was struggling with ideas as to what to get me for Christmas, I was aware of this compilation fron The Housemartins & Beautiful South, and suggested she get it for me. However, I hadn't looked closely at the tracks on the CD, which if I had done probably wouldn't have asked for it.

The main reason for this is that the majority of the Beautiful South Tracks on this album were included on their own greatest hits release (Beautiful South - Bronze) which I already own. So pretty much all I have gained from this is seven tracks from The Housemartins. So in reality it is pretty much condensed soup from The Housemartins, and reheated soup from The Beautiful South.

~~~~ Track Listing ~~~~

Housemartins

1. Flag Day

Unmistakeable Paul Heaton vocals but rather sombre number.

2. Happy Hour

Undoubtedly the Housemartins greatest ever song. This has a much more upbeat and happy tone to it.

3. Think for a Minute

To much like Flag Day for my liking. One to avoid.

4. Caravan of Love

Another classic Housemartins track. However, they are very few and far between on this album.

5. Five get over excited

One of the better tracks on the album but I want quantity as well as quality and sadly there isn't enough.

6. Me and the Farmer

Another decent track but same comments as before apply.

7. Build

Another decent track but I want more.

Beautiful South

8. Song for Whoever

A decent track to start the Beautiful South part of the album, but the problem with all these tracks is they have all been included on other Beautiful South albums and most have been played to death.

9. You Keep It All In

Typical fare which dealt with isues of male repression.

10. I'll Sail This Ship Alone

Very much in keeping with the two previous tracks.

11. A Little Time

As before

12. Old Red Eyes Is Back

In my opinion this is the Beautiful Souths best track, and dealt with the problems faced by alcoholics.

13. 36D

Another decent track, which was released at the height of their succes.

14. Good As gold (Stupid as Mud)

Another typical Beautiful South track.

15. Everybody's Talkin'
16. Prettiest Eyes
17. One Last Love Song
18. Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)
19. Don't Marry Her
20. Perfect 10
21. How Long's A Tear Take to Dry?
22. Just A Few Things That I Ain't

As you can se by know I am struggling to add anything as anybody familiar with Beautiful South will already have most of these tracks on one album or another, and all the songs will be familiar.

To say I am disappointed with this album is a massive understatement. If you are a Beautiful South fan and already have the Bronze Album, don't buy this. If you are a Housemartins fan, look around the bargain basement and find any of their albums which will provide you with so much more than this. 

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