The Fat Lady Sings >> Hot Press Review
“The show was over prematurely for The Fat Lady Sings in 1994 when,
on the verge of an international breakthrough, they decided that life was
too precious to spend it all on a tour bus.
Compiled by mainman Nick Kelly, this long-overdue “Best Of…”
combines the ten singles they recorded for four different labels with 15
B-sides, outtakes and live versions, several of which have never been released
before.
While the latter part of their career saw them veering dangerously close
to Deacon Blue territory – they shared a producer in Steve Osborne
– early offerings like “Fear And Favour” and “Be
Still” are pure pop perfection. Ditto “Arclight”, “Dronning
Maud Land” and “Man Scared” which, with East West’s
considerable marketing muscle behind them, should have elevated the Dubliners
to their rightful place in the UK and American top tens. That they didn’t
is something that musicologists, and Kelly’s bank manager, will be
scratching their heads over for years to come.”