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Product Description
Review
He’s never seriously troubled chart compilers, arena tour promoters or the mainstream media, but over the last couple of decades Boo Hewerdine has quietly established himself as one of Britain’s most consistently accomplished songwriters.
The closest he ever came to conventional stardom was in the 1980s as the unfeasibly tall singer with the excellent band The Bible, but the cultured quality of his songs has certainly been recognized by his peers. Natalie Imbruglia, Mel C, Suggs and k.d. lang are among those who’ve benefited from his pen and he’s been an influential collaborator with others, notably Eddi Reader, for whom he produced the highly successful Sings the Songs of Robert Burns.
On his first band album for over a decade, we find his finely crafted songs and gently assured voice surrounded by a strong supporting cast, including John McCusker on fiddle, Alan Kelly on accordion, Ewen Vernal on double bass, Stephen Douglas on drums, the amazing Gustaf Ljunggren on keyboards, lap steel and woodwind and Heidi Talbot on backing vocals. Together they contrive a suitably delicate backdrop for Hewerdine’s smoothly shaped material without ever swamping him, resulting in an album of unusual class and sensitivity.
Don’t expect tub-thumping mantras. These are classic, melody-driven love songs which would have been gobbled up by Tin Pan Alley in another era but now, draped in sympathetic, subtle arrangements, offer a soothing antidote to the frantic madness of modern times. Not unlike Richard Hawley’s bittersweet portrayals of Sheffield, Hewerdine paints his scenarios with beguiling attention to detail. “Lying in bed with her the first time I heard Graceland play,” he sings, poignantly reflecting on the perils of long-distance love on Geography; and whether it’s the war-time lovers who search for one other on In Paris After the War or the familiar rituals of self-examination and rebirth of New Year’s Eve, he generally rises above the cascade of sentiment that occasionally threatens to tip into pathos to apply proper emotional values.
A jazzy undercurrent here, a folkie adornment there, but these are timeless songs for all seasons. --Colin Irwin
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Sunday Express - ****
One-time leader of critically-acclaimed 80s band The Bible, Hewerdine is one of Britain's best-kept singer-songwriter secrets. Well it's high time everyone knew about him, and this beautifully crafted album could do
the trick. Recorded in Glasgow earlier this year, effortlessly simple folk-tinged tracks like torch song Rags and love letter Geography beguile and charm.
the trick. Recorded in Glasgow earlier this year, effortlessly simple folk-tinged tracks like torch song Rags and love letter Geography beguile and charm.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Boo Hewerdine should officially be declared a national treasure. He has been writing and performing wonderful music for decades now and has still managed to somehow stay very much under the radar. Most people who I've enthused about this album to don't seem to have heard of Boo - until I mention that he wrote "Patience Of Angels" and then a spark of recognition comes across their face. Sometimes, not always. Seems to be a crying shame that someone with such a brilliant songwriting talent is largely unrecognised by the world.
"God Bless The Pretty Things" is such a beautiful piece of work. A gentle, beguiling collection of melodic, acoustic songs, all of which have poignant and touching lyrics. The musicianship behind this work is impeccable and Boo's voice makes your soul feel as if it is being massaged. There isn't a bad (or even average) track on this album, but my favourites would have to be "Muddy Water", a touching and fragile song which, lyrically, I'm still not completely sure what it is exactly about, "Rags", a commentary about how the hardest of times can happen to anybody, and "Sleeping Lions", a unconventional love song which is possibly one of the most gorgeous songs I've heard. Other highlights include the "It's A Beautiful Night" and "Silver Wings", as well as "New Year's Eve", perhaps the best song about December 31st ever written. In fact, my only regret with "God Bless The Pretty Things" is that "I Almost Said Goodbye" is too short - the was a lot more potential in that ditty which wasn't quite realised - in my humble opinion, of course.
I'd offer the cliché that this is a perfect album for a Sunday morning, but I wouldn't want to pigeon-hole it. It's a perfect album for any time you want to listen to it - and if you buy this album, you will want to listen to it often. A finer, more beautiful album hasn't graced the virtual shelves of amazon since Eddi Reader's "Love Is The Way" earlier this year... and, oddly enough, that album also featured Boo Hewerdine. Coincidence? I think not. In this era of disposable, downloadable music, this one is a keeper. God Bless The Pretty Things, indeed.
"God Bless The Pretty Things" is such a beautiful piece of work. A gentle, beguiling collection of melodic, acoustic songs, all of which have poignant and touching lyrics. The musicianship behind this work is impeccable and Boo's voice makes your soul feel as if it is being massaged. There isn't a bad (or even average) track on this album, but my favourites would have to be "Muddy Water", a touching and fragile song which, lyrically, I'm still not completely sure what it is exactly about, "Rags", a commentary about how the hardest of times can happen to anybody, and "Sleeping Lions", a unconventional love song which is possibly one of the most gorgeous songs I've heard. Other highlights include the "It's A Beautiful Night" and "Silver Wings", as well as "New Year's Eve", perhaps the best song about December 31st ever written. In fact, my only regret with "God Bless The Pretty Things" is that "I Almost Said Goodbye" is too short - the was a lot more potential in that ditty which wasn't quite realised - in my humble opinion, of course.
I'd offer the cliché that this is a perfect album for a Sunday morning, but I wouldn't want to pigeon-hole it. It's a perfect album for any time you want to listen to it - and if you buy this album, you will want to listen to it often. A finer, more beautiful album hasn't graced the virtual shelves of amazon since Eddi Reader's "Love Is The Way" earlier this year... and, oddly enough, that album also featured Boo Hewerdine. Coincidence? I think not. In this era of disposable, downloadable music, this one is a keeper. God Bless The Pretty Things, indeed.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The songs are just beautiful. Everything combines to make a CD that you can listen to over and over - melody, lyrics, orchestration, harmonies, Boo's amazing voice... Even the 'backing' musicians are incredibly talented! My personal favourite is New Year's Eve which is a remarkable and touching song.
Buy this album. You'll like it.
Buy this album. You'll like it.
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Went to see him play with Eddi Reader at burns supper in Alloway. Great easy listening album. He has written some great tracks for other artists, Patience of Angels By Eddi Reader is my fave song!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An album of rare beauty
I stumbled across Boo's work after seeing him performing with Chris Difford and Justin Currie. This album is a rare treat - beautiful words and music, with a timeless feel that... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Eastcoastbonzo
God Bless The Boo Hewerdine Thing
Surely the most underated living songwriter working in Britain today. Boo Hewerdine creates beautiful songs which are consistently melodic yet on this album he has managed to... Read more
Published on 2 Mar 2010 by Mike C
Just perfect......
I rediscovered Boo Hewerdine 20 years after The Bible through Chris Diffords last album and live performance. Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2010 by Phil George
Boo Who?
Another excellent album from one of the best singer/songwriters in the world.
Boo is relatively unknown (Just ask anyone if they have heard of him)but he consistently... Read more
Boo is relatively unknown (Just ask anyone if they have heard of him)but he consistently... Read more
Published on 2 Jan 2010 by John Potts
Wonderful new album
People often talk about his song writing but what I really love about Boo Hewerdine is his sweet singing voice. With this new album you must agree with me. Read more
Published on 20 Oct 2009 by Yoko Nozaki
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