Crooked Calypso

Crooked Calypso
Studio album by
Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott
Released21 July 2017 (2017-07-21)
StudioThe Chairworks, Castleford[1]
Genre
Length46:30 (standard edition)
71:52 (deluxe edition)
Label
ProducerJohn Owen Williams
Paul Heaton chronology
Wisdom, Laughter and Lines
(2015) 		Crooked Calypso
(2017) 		The Last King of Pop
(2018)
Jacqui Abbott chronology
Wisdom, Laughter and Lines
(2015) 		Crooked Calypso
(2017) 		Manchester Calling
(2020)
Singles from Crooked Calypso
  1. "I Gotta Praise"
    Released: 16 June 2017
  2. "She Got the Garden"
    Released: 25 August 2017

Crooked Calypso is the third studio album by Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott, both formerly members of the Beautiful South. The album was released in the UK on 21 July 2017 by Virgin EMI.

When writing the lyrics for the album, Heaton again retreated to the Netherlands, while the music was written in Gran Canaria together with guitarist Jonny Lexus.[1][2] The photography for the album was by Sean Welch, the bassist for The Beautiful South.[1]

A deluxe edition was also available upon the album's release, which included a DVD of a live performance recorded at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on 5 August 2016.[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The Guardian[4]

Crooked Calypso attracted mainly positive reviews upon release. Writing for The Guardian, Rachel Aroesti comments how Heaton delivers "observations about British society's ironies and inequalities" with "gusto, his droll lyricism drilling into subject matter from obesity... and the cavernous divide between rich and poor... over a backing of the kind of jaunty pop that can take in folk, disco and blues without ever breaking its buoyant stride."[4]

In a review for AllMusic, Timothy Monger wrote, "There's something refreshingly organic about their big productions, which layer strings and horns over a whip-tight rock combo that sways nimbly between Motown, R&B, and old-fashioned rock & roll within the breadth of just a few notes."[3]

Track listing

Crooked Calypso track listing
No.TitleLength
1."I Gotta Praise"2:37
2."He Wants To"3:48
3."If I May"4:03
4."She Got the Garden"3:20
5."People Like Us"4:43
6."Blackwater Banks"3:53
7."The Lord Is a White Con"4:20
8."Silence Is"4:00
9."Love Makes You Happy"4:22
10."The Fat Man"3:46
11."Your Bit of Stuff"2:46
12."He Can't Marry Her"4:52
Crooked Calypso – Deluxe edition (bonus tracks)
No.TitleLength
13."Market Street"9:09
14."Since My Dearest Husband"4:25
15."The Future Mrs Heaton"6:37
16."The Dice"5:16

Charts

Chart performance for Crooked Calypso
Chart (2017) Peak
position
Irish Albums (IRMA)[5] 10
Scottish Albums (OCC)[6] 1
UK Albums (OCC)[7] 2

Certifications

Certification for Crooked Calypso
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[8] Silver 60,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Crooked Calypso liner notes
  2. ^ "Paul Heaton + Jacqui Abbott - Crooked Calypso - LP Liner Notes". Discogs. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  3. ^ a b Monger, Timothy (21 July 2017). "Crooked Calypso - Paul Heaton, Jacqui Abbott | Songes, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". All Media Network. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b Aroesti, Rachel (20 July 2017). "Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott: Crooked Calypso review – wise, witty and weighty". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  5. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Paul Heaton". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  7. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  8. ^ "British album certifications – Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott – Crooked Calypso". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 September 2020.