Blue Is the Colour (1996)

About this title: "Don't marry her... f**k me." Light, dreamy pop that includes lines like this may knock the listener over. An added feature is the various ways vocal duties are shared by Jacqueline Abbot, Dave Hemingway, and Paul Heaton. Finely produced, it should be noted that the knob-twiddler here was Jon Kelly (Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Tori Amos, Kate Bush). Beautiful South reminds one of the blunt simplicity of some of the Ann Magnuson-sung Bongwater, but much more accessible. Dulcet harmonies with casual bar talk rewritten as poetry. "Have fun/And if you can't have fun/Have someone else's fun." The ...

Tracks:

1. Don't Marry Her [Heaton/Rotheray]
2. Little Blue [Heaton/Rotheray]
3. Mirror [Heaton/Rotheray]
4. Blackbird on the Wire [Heaton/Rotheray]
5. The Sound of North America [Heaton/Rotheray]
6. Have Fun [Heaton/Rotheray]
7. Liars' Bar [Heaton/Rotheray]
8. Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) [Heaton/Rotheray]
9. Foundations [Heaton/Rotheray]
10. Artificial Flowers [Harnick/Bock]
11. One God [Heaton/Rotheray]
12. Alone [Heaton/Rotheray]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.