THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH
Golddiggas, Headnodders & Pholk Songs
Cover-versions are a risky business. One is acceptable, a full album is showing you really have balls and George Michael got slated for releasing 'Songs From The Last Century' in 1999.
Just like Michael, the Beautiful South never needed to cover any artists songs. Their song-writing partnership of Heaton & Rotheray is second only to Lennon & McCartney as the most successful song-writing duo in Britain.
On G.H.A.P.S. the South have tackled a varied selection of songs, and thankfully most will be unknown to even the biggest music fans. There's 'You're the One That I Want' (John Revolting & Olivia Nothing-On) which is hardly recognisable from the Grease version, and E.L.O's 'Living Thing' sounds so much better in slow-motion also.
Their male/female combination works fantastically well on 'This Will Be Our Year' while Heaton goes it alone on the heartbreaking 'Valentine'.
While their version of 'Since You?ve Been Gone' (Rainbow) sadly never made the final album cut, we are treated to Blue Oyster Cult's 'Don't Fear The Reaper' and the recent S Club 7 hit 'Don't Stop Movin', both of which are as far as possible away from the originals, which sounds great to my ears.
The current single 'This Old Skin' is another typical pleasant good humoured foot tapping tune that will struggle to make an impact on even the lower regions of the singles chart, while 'Til I Can't Take It Anymore' sounds like a hidden track from 'London 0 Hull 4' and they do a great version of the Stylistics 'I'm Stone In Love With You'...
While I've yet to hear a cover-versions album hailed as a classic, they have been brave here and have introduced unfamiliar songs to a familiar audience. With a change of record labels, it's a fresh approach which'll give them time to tour, and work on their 10th studio album. So for that I'm extremely grateful, but this is really an album for loyal South fans.
Just like Michael, the Beautiful South never needed to cover any artists songs. Their song-writing partnership of Heaton & Rotheray is second only to Lennon & McCartney as the most successful song-writing duo in Britain.
On G.H.A.P.S. the South have tackled a varied selection of songs, and thankfully most will be unknown to even the biggest music fans. There's 'You're the One That I Want' (John Revolting & Olivia Nothing-On) which is hardly recognisable from the Grease version, and E.L.O's 'Living Thing' sounds so much better in slow-motion also.
Their male/female combination works fantastically well on 'This Will Be Our Year' while Heaton goes it alone on the heartbreaking 'Valentine'.
While their version of 'Since You?ve Been Gone' (Rainbow) sadly never made the final album cut, we are treated to Blue Oyster Cult's 'Don't Fear The Reaper' and the recent S Club 7 hit 'Don't Stop Movin', both of which are as far as possible away from the originals, which sounds great to my ears.
The current single 'This Old Skin' is another typical pleasant good humoured foot tapping tune that will struggle to make an impact on even the lower regions of the singles chart, while 'Til I Can't Take It Anymore' sounds like a hidden track from 'London 0 Hull 4' and they do a great version of the Stylistics 'I'm Stone In Love With You'...
While I've yet to hear a cover-versions album hailed as a classic, they have been brave here and have introduced unfamiliar songs to a familiar audience. With a change of record labels, it's a fresh approach which'll give them time to tour, and work on their 10th studio album. So for that I'm extremely grateful, but this is really an album for loyal South fans.
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