Name: Manchester Calling by Paul Heaton, Jacqui Abbott
Brand: Paul Heaton
SKU: 602435374895
Price: 9.9 USD
Availability: OnlineOnly
Rating: 3.5 (175 reviews)

ALBUM Explicit

Volume 1

Volume 2

#

Title

Lyrics

FAV.

Pop.

Time

Options
1

Christmas (And Dad Wants Her Back)

Paul Heaton

03:02

Popularity 1/10

03:02

Play Preview
Buy
View Credits Recommendations
2

Nearly Once

Paul Heaton

03:00

Popularity 1/10

03:00

Play Preview
Buy
View Credits Recommendations
3

Higher Hopes Explicit

Paul Heaton

05:06

Popularity 0/10

05:06

Play Preview
Buy
View Credits Recommendations
4

That’ll Be Us

Paul Heaton

03:20

Popularity 0/10

03:20

Play Preview
Buy
View Credits Recommendations
5

Gotta Give It Up

Paul Heaton

03:52

Lyrics available

Synced lyrics available

Lyrics available

Synced lyrics available

Popularity 0/10

03:52

Play Preview
Buy
View Credits View Lyrics Recommendations
6

Wanted For Murder

Paul Heaton

04:27

Popularity 0/10

04:27

Play Preview
Buy
View Credits Recommendations
7

It Ain’t Yours Anymore

Paul Heaton

04:17

Popularity 0/10

04:17

Play Preview
Buy
View Credits Recommendations
8

I Know The Man

Paul Heaton

03:14

Popularity 1/10

03:14

Play Preview
Buy
View Credits Recommendations
9

Christmas

Paul Heaton

03:36

Lyrics available

Lyrics available

Popularity 0/10

03:36

Play Preview
Buy
View Credits View Lyrics Recommendations

After hitting the U.K. Top Five with all three of their prior duo albums, the Beautiful South's Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott return with a generous 16-track set. A tip of the hat to the Clash's double album London Calling, Manchester Calling verifies that Heaton can indeed churn out enough bouncy earworms and playfully acerbic verses to fill the more ambitious length, though it's likely thanks, at least in part, to the three-year gap between records, their longest yet. Opening track "The Only Exercise I Get Is You" is a prime example of an uptempo, clap-along ditty paired with deceptively affectionate lyrics that are volleyed between the couple. The song's listing of alternately snide and self-depreciating exceptions to inactivity include the opening lines "Apart from at the supermarket, walking down the aisle/Apart from when you're angry and I'm trying not to smile…" Later, "A Good Day Is Hard to Find" is another upbeat entry, replete with harmonized vocals, jaunty piano, and a brass section. The reggae rhythms of "If You Could See Your Faults" see Abbott turning self-examination outward, while the country-rock-infused "You and Me (Were Meant to Be Together)" is a humorous feel-good track full of appreciation ("Like cotton wool and tube of superglue/Inspector Morse or Sherlock Holmes to clue/You and me were meant to be together"). The very few more-wistful entries include "Fat of the Land," a piano song that straddles classic country ballad and cabaret, and "The Outskirts of the Dancefloor," which is closer to Bacharach than to anything fit for the clubs. For something completely different, "MCR Calling" examines Heaton's adopted city with nods to hip-hop on a dramatic, sample-filled spoken word track ("They’re pulling down the last building anybody actually liked"). Despite a few poignant moments, Manchester Calling is dominated by lively, playful songs, and though the track list might have been improved by cutting a handful of the more similar ones, the couple can't be justly accused of allowing any filler.

Manchester Calling

Product information

Release options

Volume 1

Volume 2

Volume 1

1. The Only Exercise I Get Is You

2. If You Could See Your Faults

3. Somebody’s Superhero

4. Big News In A Little World

5. You And Me (Were Meant To Be Together)

6. The Outskirts Of The Dancefloor

7. So Happy

8. A Good Day Is Hard To Find

9. Fat Of The Land

10. All Of My Friends

11. The Prison

12. House Party 2

13. He’s Got What I Had

14. New York Ivy

15. MCR Calling

16. My Legal High

Volume 2

1. Christmas (And Dad Wants Her Back)

2. Nearly Once

3. Higher Hopes

4. That’ll Be Us

5. Gotta Give It Up

6. Wanted For Murder

7. It Ain’t Yours Anymore

8. I Know The Man

9. Christmas

Technical Specifications