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Product Description
Review
Finally throwing in the hat with the Beautiful South in 2007 has seen Paul Heaton really have a proper think about a solo career it seems. Whereas his previous album under the Biscuit Boy (a.k.a. Crackerman) alias suffered from a lack of focus (and too many producers) Cross Eyed Rambler has no such problems. The album can only be described as displaying Heaton in rude health. Following the faintly creepy 78 crackle of the title track opener, I Do bursts out of the traps like a band led by someone half his age. Maybe he's finally getting sick of all these Northern whelps stealing the thunder he raised back in the good old real days of indie.
Sure, there''s a hint of nostalgia fitting to his increasing years (the a capella days of The Housemartins gets a little reprise on the chorus of The Pub), but overall the new band (and it is a band, called The Sound Of Paul Heaton) of Tom Chapman, Brian Edwards and Steve Trafford makes Cross Eyed Rambler a boisterous bag of real rock. It may not be the 'new direction' that many have talked of - it's still jaunty enough to avoid any full-on Stooges comparisons here - but it's certainly ballsier than we had any right to expect.
There was always a touch of young fogyism to Heaton's work. Here it's given full throat on the loping Everything Is Everything. A suitably grumpy coda to a fine record. Elsewhere, subject-wise, Heaton's not straying from the things close to his spiritual heart. Small town attitudes (A Good Old Fashioned Town), political leftism (God Bless Texas) and love in the REAL world (The Ring From Your Hand), but buoyed up by such irrepressible grooves it's all very palatable. Not only does it signal a proper fighting chance for a solo career for 46-year-old Heaton, but it's also good news for those who found The Beautiful South's material a little too sweet and soft round the edges. And while there's even room for a south-of-the-border twang and torch on Deckchair Collapsed, in the end this is local music for local people: Intelligent, humorous and adult but ultimately quintessentially English. And all the better for it too. --Chris Jones
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
As someone who was barely satisfied with what could be The Beautiful South's last ever studio album, 'Superbi', I am more than pleased that Paul Heaton's second solo album is a far more raucous and memorable affair than many of the recent Beautiful South efforts. This is an album which, unlike 'Superbi', you will want to replay again and again. It has life, warmth, caustic wit and humour. It also has plenty of great memorable tunes (the single 'Mermaids And Slaves' is certainly as good as, if not better than, anything The Beautiful South have released this decade) and is packed full of brilliant lyrics which deal, often cynically and near-brutally, with the modern world and its often less than consistent inhabitants;
"Let's fool and coerce/The singer of verse/Died of insufferable pain,
Let's fuel the dream/Every Buckley or Dean/Was genius, misjudged or insane"
('Mermaids And Slaves')
"When someone starts a sentence/With 'I'm not racist but'
You know that the sentence is bound to end/With where they think they should be put
So next time you hear them singing/Of A land so free and brave
You know the place they hang their flag/Is where they hung their slave"
('A Good Old Fashioned Town')
"And the thin are getting thinner/The big are getting bigger
Till 5 and 75 year olds/Worry 'bout their figure
The big are getting bigger/The thin are getting thinner
Till everyone's looking (everyone's cooking)/At everyone else's dinner"
('Everything Is Everything')
I don't want to pull this album apart, track-by-track, because I really don't want to give too much away, but I believe that the content and style will be recognisable to every fan of The Housemartins, The Beautiful South and solo Heaton. All I can really say is that this is one of Paul's most enjoyable albums, with or without his bandmates and creative collaborators, and that nearly every fan of the man will be delighted with the excellent 'Cross Eyed Rambler', which is - in my opinion - twice the album of his solo debut.
"Let's fool and coerce/The singer of verse/Died of insufferable pain,
Let's fuel the dream/Every Buckley or Dean/Was genius, misjudged or insane"
('Mermaids And Slaves')
"When someone starts a sentence/With 'I'm not racist but'
You know that the sentence is bound to end/With where they think they should be put
So next time you hear them singing/Of A land so free and brave
You know the place they hang their flag/Is where they hung their slave"
('A Good Old Fashioned Town')
"And the thin are getting thinner/The big are getting bigger
Till 5 and 75 year olds/Worry 'bout their figure
The big are getting bigger/The thin are getting thinner
Till everyone's looking (everyone's cooking)/At everyone else's dinner"
('Everything Is Everything')
I don't want to pull this album apart, track-by-track, because I really don't want to give too much away, but I believe that the content and style will be recognisable to every fan of The Housemartins, The Beautiful South and solo Heaton. All I can really say is that this is one of Paul's most enjoyable albums, with or without his bandmates and creative collaborators, and that nearly every fan of the man will be delighted with the excellent 'Cross Eyed Rambler', which is - in my opinion - twice the album of his solo debut.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was very sad to hear the demise of the Beautiful South, but having already got Paul's previous album 'Fat Chance', the new album was a must. It has arrived and I am not disappointed, it is excellent. Lyrical as is all Paul's work with loads of catchy songs. Many of these tracks hark back to the 'Housemartins' with a much more basic sound and lots of energy. Much of the 'Beautiful South's' work was very melodic and carefully structured, this album seems to be a lot more basic, and I think is really good for that reason.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Although I enjoyed the final Beautiful South offering 'Superbi', it's not the one I'll be listening to frequently over the course of time. I think that I was kind of expecting Paul Heaton's 'Cross Eyed Rambler' to end up sounding reprocessed and lacking any life or originality. I am astonishingly blown away. I'm still in awe thinking....how could he still be writing such incredible music after so many years!'. One would think the creative well would run dry at one point but I can honestly say, it seems his creative well is far far from dry. This cd just reminds me of a perfect blend of his entire career, there's a hint and dash from the Housemartins, and really from every Beautiful South disc. Lyrically, he is still as brilliant and witty as ever. Cheers to this incredible new release, I'm grinning from ear to ear, grateful and well, I know what will be on constant rotation for a long time to come.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not what i expected
My opinion is, it is the worst album ive heard from Heaton.
I didnt like, one single song.
I only bought it because of my love for Beautiful south. Read more
I didnt like, one single song.
I only bought it because of my love for Beautiful south. Read more
Published 24 months ago
A Phd in pop (or should that be PdH?)
Firstly, ignore the 1 star review. This is subversive pop with great, catchy, memorable harmonies at its best. Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2010 by Mr. A. Johnson
The cross eyed rambler
This item was purchased as a present for my son, and he loved it.
Thanks
Kathy
Thanks
Kathy
Published on 22 Jun 2009 by K. M. Cosgrove
A simply great piece of work
I was never a Beautiful South afficionado. I have always admired some of Paul Heaton's work but could not say I was a fan. I did like a lot of Housemartins stuff though. Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2009 by Fridomeister
with a backing harmony from paul young
Oh deary me, whatever were you thinking of. I cant believe that this album was penned by the same man who gave us Choke, Welcome to the Beautiful South and 0898. Read more
Published on 30 Dec 2008 by Peter Lehany
Worth the Wait
All hail the mighty Paul Heaton!
Lyrical genius and musician - you need to add this album to your collection immediately!
Lyrical genius and musician - you need to add this album to your collection immediately!
Published on 22 Oct 2008 by Weremadog
Lyrical genius shares his genius with us all
Paul Heaton has delivered a record of originality and energy. He has stripped back the layers of The Beautiful South and created a raw sound of guitar, bass, and drums. Read more
Published on 11 July 2008 by Richard Smith
Salt and vinegar
Biscuit Boy's back. Well he's not as such and nor's Crackerman. He's just Heaton Paul.
Nice work in the main. Read more
Nice work in the main. Read more
Published on 10 July 2008 by Merry Terry
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