Fat Chance

The result is a sound that's altogether brighter, jauntier and looser than that of the Beautiful South, but with lyrics that touch upon the familiar themes of the loves, lives and dramas of the over-30 set. So on "Mitch", he backs the story of a bachelor facing the prospect of dying alone with a thoroughly modern and catchy arrangement, including scratching and somehow makes it work (i.e., he doesn't sound like a sad, middle-aged man "doing it for the kids"). "If", meanwhile, is a danceable, sing-along attack on hypocritical do-gooders. Fat Chance is pop of the highest order, the perfect companion piece to the best work of the Beautiful South. --Robert Burrow

Having said all this the songs really are catchy, with some good rhythms and grow on you a great deal after a few playings. Mitch and Barstool are the highlights for me. I'm not so keen on the Anti- Christian 'If' or 'Poems'. Heaton likes a girl to sing with him and has three in this album, the one on Perfect Couple being very distinctive, but i'm not sure i like it.

The songs Last day blues and Real Blues are very good tracks, with Heatons trademark style. 10 lessons in love is a 'Closer than Most' style song.

Heatons voice is more often than not played through a synthesizer or other electronic device, maybe this was to disgiuse him when the album was originally released under the name Bisciut Boy. However Heatons voice is good enough to not need this treatment.

Only buy this if you're a real fan of BS, you won't be too dissapointed as it grows on you a lot. If you're more of a casual fan, you may want to litsen before buying this.


I'm really sorry but...   November 2, 2002
 6 out of 15 found this review helpful

For alot of people, Paul Heaton is like marmite, you either love him or you hate him. For me, he's more akin to peanut butter, leaving you incapable of speech for undeterminable periods. So why Fat Chance has ravaged his vocal so incessently is beyond me, yes it's an acquired taste, but most of his target demographic aquired it along with student cards so why the weighty production? It's not without its charm, Perfect Couple is melodious and entertaining if nothing else while 10 Lessons In Love has suspicously more groove than was ever donated by the Fatboy. the edge is still there (When they sang walk on with hope in your heart, how come we were stood on the pier?) but the music's gone to pot. Despite wise-cracking music hacks crying 'Gorillaz for yer dad' this is nothing like a direction change. If you don't already own it, for pete's sake buy 0898 or any pre-1996 Beautiful South, this is them minus Jacqui Abbott, and we all know how tough that'll be.


Perfect   July 18, 2002
 17 out of 18 found this review helpful

The best album I own. And I own lots of albums. PDH's first solo album gets a welcome re-release. After fifteen years and thirty hit singles in the charts, it is perhaps surprising that Paul hasn't really compromised his principles, and still produces the stuff he believes in - just it seems to get better every time. This album is definitely a solo one, not quite Beautiful South and not at all Housemartins, but is a wonderfully bluesy look at everything he is known for - only it's a kind of pop-blues that draws you in and keeps you listening. The NME called Paul "best soul singer in Britain", and it's a name not mistakenly given.

The best track of the disc has been released as a single: "The Perfect Couple", a magnificent look at the life of a couple played by Paul Heaton and Sharon Eusebe as they duet back and forward, reciting many famous song-titles to describe their feelings. "Poems" is a lovely ballad about the songwriter's art, in which Paul laments (quite rightly) that the Beautiful South never quite got the recognition they deserved ("never been classed as a work of art / unlikely with the slowest of starts"). "If" is a splendidly listen to-able guitar-led rant against the vagaries of the modern church ("New roof for church whilst new houses not built / Does it rack you with guilt?"), and "Ten Lessons In Love" is a gloriously punch-the-air happy insight into one-night stands.

I really can't stress how marvellous this album is - you'll be listening to the best tracks again and again, and the very worst one is great. The best album I own - what more can I say?


PDH - Carries on Regardless!!!   July 8, 2002
 14 out of 14 found this review helpful

This is a re-release. Why? Because this album deserved better than it's low key reception last year (probably because of the Biscuit Boy alias). Now, rightfully released as a Paul (d.) Heaton album, the hope is that it'll receive critical acclaim - and it really should.

One could question whether it's really a solo album - three of the 11 songs are duets! But some of Paul's best work comes out here - especially the incredibly personal POEMS -(don't sit by river, aren't there to be picked up by poets who find them on banks). This song is a real masterpiece!

Other highlights are 10 Lessons in Love, the Christian battering "If" and the catchy pop hook that is Mitch.

That fifth star was held back because the middle of the album could have been arranged better - the most similar songs are bunched together (this doesn't do those songs justice!).

But overall - if you didn't buy Fat Chance last year because you didn't know who Biscuit Boy was - It's Paul Heaton - BUY IT!