Search - Beautiful South :: Painting It Red

It is that a wrinkle on your forehead? I don't think so.

cdswatch | Folsom, CA | 11/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You know you are an elder statesman when many are eagerly waiting in their wings for your 'misses'. As with beautiful supermodels, they look for any sign of aging and similarly for rock stars, sign of cirrhosis. It seems to me that with the release of a Beautiful South album of late, there would be a group of fans who lash out at them. Is Beautiful South on the slipperly slope to the land of ex-pop stardom and the members should check their retirement accounts to ensure that they won't run out of beer money for the rest of their lives? Fat chance.Not with this one, at least. Sure, there is a growing sign of tiredness of remaking old records which will probably mean strong witty lyrics and so-so music. What sets 'Painting it Red' apart is the venture into different music genres. The playfulness is not so much in the lyrics anymore but instead in the wide variety of musical arrangements. From the hip street beat 'Just Checkin' to sentimental ballad 'The River' to slightly soulful 'Baby Please Go'. This is arguably the first time in years you can filter out the lyrics and still have a pretty decent record from them. All the songs are pretty consistent, equally good although there are no killer tunes ala 'Song for Whoever' or 'Rotterdam.'I certainly hope that Beautiful South will keep on making excellent records such as this, but all the enticement the past fans have thrown at me might one day prove irresistible. Until then, they are my chosen drug tonight."

Am I alone out there?

cdswatch | 11/04/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I jumped the gun and went to the amazon.uk.co site and bought the "english" version with 20 tracks versus the states 17 track version. The US release is missing 'Who's Gonna Tell?' (sounds more like a reading of a poem rather than a song); 'White Teeth' (think 'Big Coin' from Quench); and 'Chicken Wings' (This has got to be the saddest song I have heard from TBS). Anyway like other reviews this album takes numerous listening to really appreciate. I found the music on the 2nd CD more upbeat. I think it has more range than any one of the previous albums. I'm also happy to hear more than just Paul and Jacqueline vocals. Dave leads more than a couple of songs in this set. I can't help but feel that this set sounds like a mixture of all the previous albums put together and TBS has hit it's stride. Let's just hope they keep it coming."

Paint It Brilliant

teddybee | Corona, NY United States | 11/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Beautiful South makes music for grown-ups: achingly pretty, savagely witty pop songs about the dark corners of human feeling. "Painting It Red" is their latest offering, seventeen beautifully crafted songs that examine the ways in which we love, fool, doubt and disappoint ourselves and each other.Dave Rotheray's music is, as always, an insidiously catchy blend of pop, r&b, soul and jazz, with hooky riffs percolating through "Just Checking" and "A Little Piece of Advice." Paul Heaton's lyrics manage to be both hilariously contemptuous and quietly compassionate. ("They say be wary of strangers/Especially when they offer you sweets/But there ain't no government health warning/On half the mad fuckers you meet/Save yourself personal tragedy/Go back to the man with the sweets") And the vocals---by Heaton, Dave Hemingway and Jacqueline Abbot---are nuanced and lovely: heartfelt, but never forced.This band gets better and better with each new disc. Check them out. Pop music may never be deep enough to truly capture the mix of hilarity and heartbreak in the way we live today. But as their song title says, The Beautiful South come "Closer Than Most.""