Choke - The Beautiful South

I got this album for Christmas in 1990, along with the sheet music. I was learning to play the guitar at the time and this helped me pick up the songs. I think I only got as far a learning the opening track 'Tonight I Fancy Myself', or at least that was the only song I properly learnt.
The Beautiful South are not everyone's cup of tea but they did for a while appeal to a wide audience. This was probably due to a heady mixture of pop, social comment and humour - continuing the great British tradition of writing acerbic lyrics and accompanying them with pop tunes. There are some great expels of this on this album perhaps none better than their No.1 hit 'A Little Time'. Beneath these songs are bitter and dark undercurrents.
They got too good at it and ended up forgetting to write the memorable tunes to go with the sharp lyrics; disbanding in 2007.