Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Heaton's Acid Erosion


It's been five long years since the disbandment of The Beautiful South, and frontman turned solo artist, Paul Heaton's newest offering, Acid Country, further demonstrates the slow acid erosion of his salad days.

Acid Country is another self-indulgent submission into Paul Heaton's growing catalogue of solo work that just doesn't live up to his, or anyone else's, potential. There's not a likable, single worthy track on the album, but he's still pushing the same old messages of political injustice, romantic discontent and female objectification. One has to wonder why he decided to go solo doing what The Beautiful South had already been - and frankly, much better?

Heaton was the lyrical brains behind the South operation, along with guitarist Dave Rotheray composing the music, so ultimately anyone who was an ardent follower of the UK hit makers, wouldn't argue it was the one and only Paul Heaton they were in line to see. For those contented by nostalgia, present day, The Beautiful South continues on as a more localized "cover band" of its own back catalogue, lead by previously useless co-vocalist Dave Hemmingway. They perform now as just The South, but without Paul Heaton (or Rotheray, for that matter), they're as much a shadow of their former selves as Heaton is without them. When it came to The Beautiful South, Paul Heaton was no doubt the meat that made the sandwich - but without the bread, the cheese, the mustard and the greens that were the rest of the band, you're left feeling unfulfilled.

From the perspective of career moves, Heaton's decision to remove himself from The Beautiful South is a head scratcher. He clearly hasn't changed his message... the rest of the band didn't want to break-up (it was his decision to leave) - so the only other perceived problem was The Beautiful South's increasing inability to chart in the later part of their career. This was a known sore-spot for Heaton. Between the years of 1995 and 1998, the band saw three consecutive hit albums, numerous chart-topping singles, and were applauded as one of the most successful UK artists of all time. By the new millennium, The Beautiful South were convinced the world couldn't get enough of them, but their ambitious double-album Painting It Red was released in the year 2000 to an audience that had suddenly lost interest in them altogether - and seemingly overnight! The album sold poorly and produced only two singles, the catchy and rocking "Closer Than Most" and the molasses slow, and oddly chosen, "The River".

Ironically, the revolving theme in that 20 song collection was the reception of failure, and the realization you're "no longer painting it red". It was like a premonition, but certainly unexpected, and understandably troubling to Heaton.

What should have been another tell on his future success, was that when Paul Heaton attempted his first solo outing in 2001, while The Beautiful South were still together, the effort saw horribly disappointing sales - though, to its credit, it was critically acclaimed. Heaton publicly announced his refusal to release another album until Radio 1 started playing their songs again - but when 2003's Gaze finally did hit the shelves, it became abundantly clear that The Beautiful South had lost their steam. They "carried on regardless" (couldn't resist), however, and flailed out two more painfully desperate albums before Heaton threw in the towel. No one begrudged him, really - if hit songs and a fresh approach was what Heaton expected from his band, then it was more than time to call The Beautiful South quits.

This brings us back around to the quandary of why Heaton's voice remains the same? He's still preaching the same old gospel, but he's doing it now with a much less melodic, much more faceless, and quite honestly annoying, new band! Paul Heaton's social observations are as sarcastic and barbed as ever, but where The Beautiful South wrapped them in lush and memorable harmonies, his present accompaniment is nothing short of shrill and jagged. He's certainly not attracting any new fans (a little past his "sell by date" for that), and with each subsequent release that isn't The Beautiful South, he's disappointing the ones he already has. Sure, there will always be the loyal few who will consistently thumb up anything he records, but ultimately it's his former glory that's selling his latter albums.

For a real taste of Heaton's skill, and ample summary of everything he apparently has to say, check out these albums:

1. The Beautiful South - 0898 (1992, Elektra)
2. The Beautiful South - Blue Is The Colour (1996, Arc 21)
3. The Beautiful South - Quench (1998, Mercury)





1 comment:

  1. Mr. North- very well written and really gave me an inside look to the history of this band.. I find myself intriqued- I will be spinning a few of the albums you suggested. I am also now,interested in listening to the music recently recorded. Thanks!

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