Housemartins' London vs. The People: Which One Do You Like Better?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by everton, Dec 13, 2010.

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  1. hutlock

    hutlock Forever Breathing

    Location:
    Cleveland, OH, USA
    I am also interested in sound comparisons, as I've hesitated buying that Deluxe for a long time now -- but I have the original Elektra US CD already at least.
     
  2. Norm Apter

    Norm Apter Well-Known Member In Memoriam

    Location:
    Worcester, MA
    This band is as addictive as crack cocaine!

    First, The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death hooked me...after a very long abeyance (20 years), ordered Now Thats What I Call Quite Good, and I'm even more blow away by that one (maybe because its just 78 minutes of solid to the core great music and even maintains a great flow despite its eclectic foundation). Moreover, I last heard it about 9 hours ago and I still have a bunch (numerous) songs from the CD flowing through my head. If that's not a sign of catchiness I don't know what is...and I want to go back and listen to them...time for bed though.

    Feeding my addiction, last night I ordered the Deluxe of London 0 Hull 4. I imagine that eventually I'm just going to have to snatch everything up including the BBC sessions and then move on to Beautiful South...totally new territory

    I read through just about all of the threads on the Housemartins on SHTV forums last night (really...there aren't that many!) and I keep seeing references to/ hopes for a potential Deluxe treatment of The People cropping up.

    So, just for fun, can anybody think of any specific outtakes, b-sides, live or radio performances that could possibly appear on a The People Deluxe Edition (that haven't appeared elsewhere officially).

    For having such a short career, these guys certainly were prolific. Its really fun to go back and mine this stuff so many years later.
     
  3. DetroitDoomsayer

    DetroitDoomsayer Forum Middle Child

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    Some of these have appeared elsewhere, but the extras from the 'People Who...' period are:
    Caravan Of Love
    We Shall Not Be Moved
    When I First Met Jesus
    So Much In Love
    Heaven Help Us All
    So Glad
    Hopelessly Devoted To Them
    Rebel Without The Airplay
    He Will Find You Out
    Step Outside
    I Bit My Lip
    Paris In Flares
    Forwards And Backwards
    The Light Is Always Green (Cheap Version)
    There's Always Something There To Remind Me
    Get Up Off Our Knees (Live)
    Five Get Over Excited (Live)
    Johannesburg (Live)
     
  4. Norm Apter

    Norm Apter Well-Known Member In Memoriam

    Location:
    Worcester, MA
    Looks great to me! Whaddya say we get a petition going? :)

    Favorite song of late: There Is Always Something There To Remind Me

    Heard it for the first time in my life last week, but haven't been able to get this out of my head for the past 48 hours. And that's not a bad thing...
     
  5. theholygoof

    theholygoof Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madison, WI
    Took a $5 flyer on this today, and holy cats! This album is just rip roaring fun. Havent even hit side 2, but it's in the conversation for best five bucks ever spent. Yay!
     
    PH416156 likes this.
  6. veloso2

    veloso2 Forum Resident

    the first one!
     
  7. Andy Smith

    Andy Smith .....Like a good pinch of snuff......

    I've been playing 'Now That's What I Call Quite Good' in the car for two solid weeks now. Wish they'd reform for a few gigs. Much missed. Unlike an earlier poster, I never thought The Beautiful South lived up to the Housemartins. Apart from a few great singles, baton dropped.
     
    tmtomh likes this.
  8. Timjosephuk

    Timjosephuk Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hull, UK
    Have to go for the first album. Apart from wonderful tracks like "Build", which should have heralded a new more mature direction for them, I always feel there's too many Housemartins-by-numbers tracks on "People". I'm sure that part of Paul Heaton's frustration with the band was centred round Stan's unwillingnesss to deviate too much from the blueprint. Then again, Jimi Hendrix he was not!!

    Having said that, if anyone from Universal is reading, I'd like the People Deluxe Edition NOW!!!!!!!!!! Plus a definitive - i.e. COMPLETE! - BBC Sessions Box with DVD if you wouldn't mind :)
     
  9. candyflip69

    candyflip69 What's good?!

    Location:
    Melb, AUSTRALIA
    I have to go with 'Now That's What I Call Quite Good' - the best of everything.
    I could have done without all the god-fearing lyrics, but....

    Build, Sheep, Caravan... all gotta be together. :)
     
  10. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    I adore London. I think the trouble with People is that the lyrics at that point were so bitter and scathing it got in the way of the music. Not that there aren't a few joys on the lp--Bow Down in particular is a goodie, but London for me is almost like Abbey Road in the sense that I like practically every single song on the entire lp. I knew I was hearing some angry lyrics on Hull, but I was almost in awe of their incredible ability to write catchy melodies so effortlessly. I still remember my first impression of People was 'wow, there is a lot of raw hatred here'. The melodies didn't stick with me.
     
  11. Paul H

    Paul H The fool on the hill

    Location:
    Nottingham, UK
    People is my favourite of the two.
     
  12. OobuJoobu

    OobuJoobu Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, UK
    Which of the albums did you buy?
     
  13. Pavol Stromcek

    Pavol Stromcek Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    I'd vote for London - could never get into People.
     
    Joseph.McClure likes this.
  14. Pavol Stromcek

    Pavol Stromcek Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Happy Hour was played a lot on MTV's alternative music show 120 Minutes around the time it came out, and I know the college radio stations where I was living in San Francisco played that track a bit as well, so I suspect a lot of people in the US (who already had their ears to the ground for good music from the UK anyhow) might've gotten into them via that track. I know that London was released domestically in the US, too (and possibly People too?), so it's not like they were super obscure or anything.
     
  15. theholygoof

    theholygoof Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madison, WI
    Hey Oobi,
    Great question! I found The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death. And must admit I crumbled last night and picked up Now That's What I Call Quite Good on ebay after the accolades I read in this thread. And, side 2 was great, too! Looking forward to hearing "...Quite Good"!
     
  16. OobuJoobu

    OobuJoobu Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, UK
    Ah nice, you'll enjoy "Quite good...", there's some duplication on it of what you've already got, but it's a great compilation, featuring some single versions, live BBC versions, B sides etc. Be sure to read the CD booklet notes, they are quite funny!

    My own Housemartins story is that they were absolutely my favourite band of the mid 80s when I was in my important early teenage years. With them being officially a Hull based band, and me being a massive Hull City fan (even though they generally weren't), that was a big help.

    London 0 Hull 4 is one of only 2 albums of that era that has never really failed to get a regular airing from me at any point to this day (The other being Sunshine On Lieth by The Proclaimers).

    You know the old cliche about kids buying a record then having the trip home on the bus to devour the cover and the sleeve notes before getting to hear any of the music? "The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death" is my album to apply that theory to. I bought it as soon as Woolworths opened on its release day, then had to wait until I got home at 5pm before I could play it, by which time I must have known most of the lyrics and album credits off by heart!

    "Build" remains, to this day, the song I have fallen in love with on the very first listen more than any other in my life.

    I also like to think, but I've never been sure for certain, that my 1 time seeing them live (my first ever concert), in my home town, at the Bridlington Spa Royal Hall, was also their last ever gig. I've done about 7 or 8 gigs myself on that stage recently (another one due next month) and I LOVE standing on that stage looking out at where I was stood watching The Housemartins that time back in 1988.
     
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  17. thekid87

    thekid87 Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    Great story :)

    I like London-Hull the most. Sheep is one of my favorites and the deluxe version is great. Hope that someday People will be released as a deluxe version. Still a lot of b-sides that are not released on cd.
     
  18. theholygoof

    theholygoof Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madison, WI
    Hiya, Oobu,
    I agree with thekid, what a wonderful story, and one that any music lover our age can relate to. Thanks so much for taking the time to share that, it honestly makes me appreciate the album that much more. I'll keep my eyes peeled for the London/Hull LP, make no mistake I'll snatch it up when I see it. I'll try to remember to post here when I get "...Quite Good" so you can live vicariously through someone who's yet to hear it. Be well, Oob.

     
    OobuJoobu likes this.
  19. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    I always thought "Build" was sort of the blueprint for The Beautiful South. It doesn't have that "quirky" quality that was so evident on the "Hull" album; it has a more "lush", full sound, like what Heaton would expand on with the South. I'm not sure which Housemartins album I prefer; been quite awhile since I played 'em both. But I've been on a Heaton/South jag since the new release with Jacqui Abbott came out, so maybe I'll give 'em both a spin.

    Btw, I stumbled upon that illicit "Raise the Flag" compilation disc used about a year ago, and it certainly made a nice "filler" in my collection. Amazing how many non-album tracks Heaton & Co have produced over the years. I probably have 50+ Beautiful South cd-singles...
     
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  20. Steve Douglas

    Steve Douglas Forum Resident

    Location:
    London, England
    Love all three, but if I had to do without one of them it'd be 'People'. The debut is essential, as is 'Quite Good' for the single versions of Flag Day & Think For A Minute (plus 'Always Something There').

    Also, I never program the four bonus tracks on the cd for 'London', I feel they really spoil the flow of the 12 track album.
     
  21. OobuJoobu

    OobuJoobu Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, UK
    Worth mentioning also, for those who don't know, there is a very good "Live At the BBC" album available. Some great stuff on there from the "Fish City 5".
     
  22. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    Yes, not essential, but since they only put out two proper lps, that was manna for us hardcore fans.
     
  23. heliocentric

    heliocentric Forum Resident

    Location:
    Liverpool
    Do you reckon we'll ever see this.
     
  24. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    Nope. Who cares? Hell, look at this thread, only two pages.:shake:
     
  25. Andy Smith

    Andy Smith .....Like a good pinch of snuff......

    What we need is Heaton or the Fat Boy to say something disparaging about The Beatles. They'll be no getting rid of the rest of the buggers then....
     
    tmtomh likes this.
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