By the time The Housemartins' second album was released in September 1987, the band had achieved a number one hit with an accapella version of The Isley Brothers "Caravan Of Love", and two top 20 singles had already been released from the LP.
I purchased the album almost immediately expect more of the same as "London 0 Hull 4" but at the time found the album to be slightly disappointing. There was still the trademark breezy pop songs, with good harmonies and backing vocals, and sharp/witty lyrics, but somehow if felt a little flat. Slicker production values seemed to have smoothed off some of the sharper edges of the indie-pop.
I played Side two a lot more often than Side one, as it contained the three hit singles, plus two up-tempo toe-tappers.
However, listening again over 35 years later, I was pleasantly surprised by how good the albums sounds now. I really didn't like Side One's opener "The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death" but now I think it is a great song. A critique of the Royal family "even when their kids were starving, they all thought the Queen was charming" it has a lively tempo, a high pitch vocal, brass and a fantastic harmonica solo.
"I Can't Put My Finger On It" follows with a slightly slower tempo, plucked guitar and great backing vocals for chorus. I really like the singing of "I can't put put put my finger on it, finger on it".
"The Light Is Always Green" is a slow ballad, mostly piano and organ and continues to grow on me. "Wherever there's a will, there's a motorway".
"The World's On Fire" is about a church burning down. It has a staccato guitar intro and a catchy chorus. "Now, I was told not to play with fire ( the world's on fire ), I said look out church, the flames grow higher".
The instrumental "Pirate's Aggro" is similar to "Reverend's Revenge" from first album but with organ and harmonica instead.
The side closes with "We're Not Going Back" which has another sing-a-long chorus, a motoring riff and a harmonica solo. "Don't backpedal down a broken track, I'm alright Jack its an easy trap"
Side Two begins with the blistering guitar intro to "Me And The Farmer" which remains one of my favourite Housemartins song. "All things bright and beautiful all creatures great and small. All we've got is London zoo, cos the farmer owns them all"
"Five Get Over Excited" is as the lyrics state, "Fun, Fun, Fun" but it is not the Beach Boys !
"Johannesburg" is quiet, slow and soulful, with just the vocal and acoustic guitar. It's my least favourite track on the album but the next song, "Bow Down" changes the mood with a jaunty piano, more brass, and surprisingly, school choir backing vocals.
"You Better Be Doubtful" is classic Housemartins. Jangly indie pop and more infectious backing vocals for the chorus. "You better be doubtful, you better beware, ware, ware"
The album finishes with "Build", which is probably the high point of this collection of songs. A slow piano ballad, with a liquid bass line and shared vocals, with Paul Heaton singing the verses and drummer Dave Hemmingway singing the chorus, and a long fade of just the organ riff. The biting lyrics include "From Meccano to Legoland, here they come a brick in their hands, men with heads filled up with sand, it's build" & "Whistling men in yellow vans, they came and drew us diagrams. Showed us how it all worked out, and wrote it down in case of doubt".
Overall, this album appears to have aged extremely well, and there isn't a bad song on it.
Track Listing :
Side One :
1. The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death
2. I Can't Put My Finger On It
3. The Light Is Always Green
4. The World's On Fire
5. Pirate's Aggro
6. We're Not Going Back
1. Me And The Farmer
2. Five Get Over Excited
3. Johannesburg
4. Bow Down
5. You Better Be Doubtful
6. Build
Released 1987
UK Chart Position : 6
Five Get Over Excited ( No 11 - 1987 )
Me And The Farmer ( No 15 - 1987 )
Build ( No 15 - 1987 )
