The Housemartins: The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death - 1987
This, from 1987, was the second and last album from The Housemartins before they went their separate ways to other projects. It is less Smiths-influenced than their debut album and more Motown-esque in its bassy, rhythmic catchiness. Paul Heaton always loved classic soul/pop.
The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death is a vitriolic jibe against the Royal Family hidden behind the group's usual catchy poppiness. I find this a bit sour, to be honest - despite my left-wing politics and punk youth I've actually never bothered much about the Royals. I quite like the history of it all, so there you go - I'm as contradictory a character as Paul Heaton.
The breezy pop of I Can't Put My Finger On It has a delicious, deep bass line and a better sound quality the one was used to on Housemartins recordings. The Light Is Still Green is a solid slowish ecologically-motivated number with a wonderful line in "wherever there's a will there's a motorway...". Paul Heaton, despite some shortcomings, was always a great lyricist, and indeed still is.
The World's On Fire is more chunky and riffy than many Housemartins tracks before it breaks out into a typical chorus. Pirate Aggro is a short organ-driven instrumental. We're Not Going Back is a solid riffy rocker enhanced by some bluesy harmonica. Me And The Farmer is irresistible from beginning to end with a fine guitar solo in the middle too.
Five Get Over Excited is delightful, upbeat bit of cynical Beach Boys meet the late eighties fun. It is full of great lyrics - too many to keep quoting.
Johannesburg is a slow acoustic ballad whose lyrics and meaning I have to say I don't really get. It is one of Heaton's more cryptic numbers. Is it about South Africa? If so, where? If where, what does it mean? Heaton was often a perplexing lyricist.
Bow Down returns to the archetypal Housemartins thumping and brassy pop sound. You Better Be Doubtful has a warm, bassy and melodic beat and another of those nasal but strangely evocative Heaton vocals. Build is a sad, baleful goodbye from this short-lived but actually quite ground-breaking and quietly influential group.
