To think The Beautiful South...

[RuudVanWrinkleBreath]

were...bloody amazing!?

AIBU to think this band might be the most underrated band in the UK...EVER!?

I have just blasted out their greatest hits whilst wrapping presents and had a nostalgic sing-along. So many wonderfully written songs, great singers too. Criminally underrated in my opinion.

AIBU?

I can't believe my thread has got so many comments and 202 votes😄loved reading through all the comments.

Very much a marmite band it would seem

Texas are band where for me the image doesn’t match up to the music. Sharleene S looks like a cool rock chic, but the music is mainly weak and she can’t sing for shit. Really reed thin voice.

I only really know "don't marry her" for some reason dh bought me a live version for Christmas years ago (I probably once said "oh I like this song") anyway they changed the words to fuck instead of have and it completely ruined it for me.
I real life it is one of my favourite words but it just ruined the song for me, so I haven't listened since.

Sharleen Spiteri swept my hair up off the floor when I was a teenager. She used to talk about all the big bands she met way back then.

They didn't change the words. Fuck was the original. Changed to marry for radio play.

Maybe what I think of as jingle jangle and you think of as jingle jangle are different things? Like many others on here I find them twee. I was at Glastonbury in the summer so I relustenef to a chunk as some people were excited about Paul Heaton and my opinion on them hadn’t changed in 40 years or whatever it’s been. We’re all different and that’s what’s supposed to make the world a beautiful place

It is fuck in the original. They had to change it to ‘have’ on the radio edit cos you can’t say fuck on the radio.

The album that's from, Miaow, is a masterpiece

Really good when I saw them live too

I honesty didn't know they were until now. I just thought everyone liked them...

There is an actual definition but never mind. It matters not. It's to do with the guitars.

They didn't change the words to fuck - they changed it FROM fuck to allow it to be played on the radio!

Agree - I saw Paul Heaton at Glastonbury and he was incredible. Voice still sounds great and the songs are brilliant.

Thank you I hadn't realised. Still don't like it.

Wow, that does sound bad, but must have been a one off.
I've seen them about 6 times and they have always been great.
I mean - they stand and sing, they aren't the sort of band to go all out on a "show", like Take That, but that's fine by me.
They also keep the prices of tickets reasonable in this world of extortionate ticket prices.

I am surprised they are so marmite, tbh, reading through the comments.

Annoying and twee, I agree.

Agreee! Their earlier stuff was far superior to the later albums. I love some of their B-Sides aswell (from back when B-Sides were still a thing). They introduced me to MG Greaves and Lonesome Too. Frank and Delores is still one of my all time favourite songs.

It's fine if people don't like them, that's allowed (even though those people are very, very wrong), but I am really not getting the 'twee' reference at all. They are the opposite of twee.

They are a good band but they are hardly 'underrated':

9 top 10 UK albums including a number 1 album

22 Top 40 hits including 6 top 10 hits, 2 number 2s and one number 1.

This is turning into a Mumsnet pet peeve of mine. By all means start a thread about a great band, but don't try to present bands that were hugely successful in their day as some niche interest that hardly anyone has heard of, because that's annoying and silly.

Errr think you got that back to front

Actually, on reflection I think 'cringe' fits the lyrics better than 'twee'.

oh okay, I didn’t know that I’m not a musical expert🤣

Haven’t read the thread but I’m sure someone has mentioned it but if not - tickets go on sale tomorrow for Deacon Blue’s 2025 tour! I bought presale tickets earlier for Wembley Arena!

Ah I'm off to see Paul Heaton tomorrow for the millionth time! Outstanding songwriter

I love them. I saw them live in 1999 and they were brilliant

I play the CD in the car and DD 16 hates it