London 0 Hull 4

Rating

Album: London 0 Hull 4
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Happy Hour	More Info...	2:25
2)	Get Up Off Our Knees	More Info...	3:22
3)	Flag Day	More Info...	5:25
4)	Anxious	More Info...	2:21
5)	Reverends Revenge	More Info...	1:27
6)	Sitting On A Fence	More Info...	2:58
7)	Sheep	More Info...	2:17
8)	Over There	More Info...	2:58
9)	Think For A Minute	More Info...	3:30
10)	We're Not Deep	More Info...	2:15
11)	Lean On Me	More Info...	4:29
12)	Freedom	More Info...	3:20
13)	I'll Be Your Shelter (Just Like A Shelter)	More Info...	4:53
14)	People Get Ready	More Info...	1:41
15)	The Mighty Ship	More Info...	1:55
16)	He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother	More Info...	2:09
2)	Get Up Off Our Knees	More Info...	0:03
3)	Flag Day	More Info...	0:05
4)	Anxious	More Info...	0:02
5)	Reverends Revenge	More Info...	0:01
6)	Sitting On a Fence	More Info...	0:03
7)	Sheep	More Info...	0:02
8)	Over There	More Info...	0:03
9)	Think for a Minute	More Info...	0:03
10)	We're Not Deep	More Info...	0:02
11)	Lean On Me	More Info...	0:04
12)	Freedom	More Info...	0:03
13)	I'll Be Your Shelter (Just Like a Shelter)	More Info...	0:05
14)	People Get Ready	More Info...	0:01
15)	The Mighty Ship	More Info...	0:02
16)	He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother	More Info...	0:02

Album: London 0 Hull 4
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Happy Hour	More Info...	2:25
2)	Get Up Off Our Knees	More Info...	3:22
3)	Flag Day	More Info...	5:25
4)	Anxious	More Info...	2:21
5)	Reverends Revenge	More Info...	1:27
6)	Sitting On A Fence	More Info...	2:58
7)	Sheep	More Info...	2:17
8)	Over There	More Info...	2:58
9)	Think For A Minute	More Info...	3:30
10)	We're Not Deep	More Info...	2:15
11)	Lean On Me	More Info...	4:29
12)	Freedom	More Info...	3:20
13)	I'll Be Your Shelter (Just Like A Shelter)	More Info...	4:53
14)	People Get Ready	More Info...	1:41
15)	The Mighty Ship	More Info...	1:55
16)	He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother	More Info...	2:09
2)	Get Up Off Our Knees	More Info...	0:03
3)	Flag Day	More Info...	0:05
4)	Anxious	More Info...	0:02
5)	Reverends Revenge	More Info...	0:01
6)	Sitting On a Fence	More Info...	0:03
7)	Sheep	More Info...	0:02
8)	Over There	More Info...	0:03
9)	Think for a Minute	More Info...	0:03
10)	We're Not Deep	More Info...	0:02
11)	Lean On Me	More Info...	0:04
12)	Freedom	More Info...	0:03
13)	I'll Be Your Shelter (Just Like a Shelter)	More Info...	0:05
14)	People Get Ready	More Info...	0:01
15)	The Mighty Ship	More Info...	0:02
16)	He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother	More Info...	0:02

Tracks

1. Happy Hour

2. Get Up Off Your Knees

3. Flag Day

4. Anxious

5. Reverends Revenge

6. Sitting On A Fence

7. Sheep

8. Over There

9. Think For A Minute

10. We're Not Deep

11. Lean On Me

12. Freedom

13. I'll Be Your Shelter (Just Like A Shelter)

14. People Get Ready

15. The Mighty Ship

16. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

Performer Notes

With their music far too rooted in R&B, the Housemartins were never "officially" part of the C86 movement (named after a British music magazine's influential 1986 compilation album that featured the Wedding Present, Wolfhounds, Primal Scream, and others). But their jangling guitars, the social criticism of their lyrics, and their gleefully cynical outlook were fully in line with the C86-ers. The debut LONDON 0 HULL 4 (1986) is chock-full of catchy tunes, great lyrics, and Paul Heaton's exceptional vocals. This is one of the great records of the '80s.
Standouts include the chipper "Get up off Our Knees," carried on a bright acoustic-guitar line and choral-type backing vocals, "Think For a Minute," a wistful track featuring Heaton's falsetto vocals, the percussion-and-bass-driven "We're Not Deep" (complete with sing-along "ba ba baba ba"s), and "The Mighty Ship," a hyper harmonica instrumental. The album's trio of gospel standards is also of note. A staggeringly brilliant take on Luther Ingram's "I'll Be Your Shelter" features Heaton's voice, alternately growling and soaring, a barreling piano, and a full-on choral backing. Start to finish, this record is a masterpiece.

Professional Reviews

Magnet (p.110) - "[T]he Housemartins combined hyper-kinetic pop, blue-eyed soul and four-part gospel harmonies on their debut.'

Q (Magazine) (p.137) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[The album] remains a surprisingly deft combination of faux-gospel, skiffle, indie jangling and lyrics of depth and hushed anger that were already setting Paul Heaton apart from his peers."

Record Collector (magazine) (p.90) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Their 1986 debut bristled with melodic catchiness....The adolescent rush of these songs still retains many thrills..."