Stuck in a rut (Stereophonics) (LP192 - 195)

Stereophonics Language. Sex. Violence. Other? (CD - V2 Music, 2005) ***
Stereophonics Pull The Pin (CD - V2 Music, 2007) **
Stereophonics Keep Calm and Carry On (CD - V2 Music, 2009) ***
Stereophonics Graffiti On The Train (CD - V2 Music, 2013) ***

Genre:  Welsh pop/rock

Places I remember: Language...Fives (Leigh-on-sea); Pull.../Keep Calm...The Warehouse (New Plymouth); Graffiti...the Warehouse (Hastings)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Dakota




Gear costume: Graffiti On The Train

Active compensatory factors: Most definitely, I own way too many Stereophonics albums. 

This lot comprises a late period 'Phonics wrap up.

The things is - when they stow the bombast and put in some effort they create some great songs. Like Dakota. So, I persist. Plus they usually end up in the sale racks at The Warehouse eventually. So, there's that.

Which means: I hang in there.

Language. Sex. Violence. Other? has a good song (Superman) and one great one (Dakota).

Pull The Pin has a few good songs (It Means Nothing, Stone) but no great ones.

Keep Calm and Carry On has a few good songs (Could You Be The One?) but no great ones. Still, it's a cut above the previous album - less bombast and some variety of approach see to that.

Graffiti On The Train wins its three stars for trying something different at times (the title track frinstance).

Stuck in a rut? The verdict? Well, yes. Based on the evidence of these albums.

Thing of it is - Kelly Jones and his band are capable of a four star album but mostly there's only the likelihood of a 2 star or at best a 3 star album emerging from the ruck in the future.

Where do they all belong? That's it. I'm going to do my best not to buy any more (I haven't bought the last two and the latest got a 2 star rating in Mojo), but, you know, if they are on sale, and there's always that thought: maybe, just maybe, it could contain a Dakota... 

So maybe tomorrow I'll find my way home (Stereophonics) (LP 159 - 162)

Stereophonics Word Gets Around (CD - V2, 1997) ***
Stereophonics Performance and Cocktails (CD - V2, 1999) **
Stereophonics Just Enough Education To Perform (CD - V2, 2001) ***
Stereophonics You Gotta Go There To Come Back (CD - V2, 2003) ***

Genre: Welsh pop/rock 

Places I remember: Record shop Central World Plaza in Bangkok, Fives (Leigh-on-sea) and HMV (Edinburgh and Oxford Street)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Maybe Tomorrow




Gear costume: Traffic (Word Gets Around); Local Boy In The Photograph (WGA);

Active compensatory factors: We were living in Essex in 2004 and I had back catalogued from 2003's You Gotta Go There To Come Back, which I'd bought in Bangkok on the way to my first ever visit to the UK the year before. Which is why I've lumped the first four Stereophonics albums together. Keeping up in the back?

At the time (2003), the title struck me as being particularly prescient, and I'd heard Local Boy In A Photograph on a compilation, and liked it a lot. So I took a punt. 
  
The song Maybe Tomorrow is responsible. I listened to YGGTTCB a lot on the plane ride from Bangkok to London to help quell my nerves.

It had the right kind of melancholy longing and haunted wistfulness that matched my mood. In the end I was going home (to Rochdale) but that was fleeting and, as it turned out, unsustainable.

Although it's not brilliant, when I got sorted in Leigh-on-sea I dug around and picked up the back catalogue. None are classics but there are enough individual brilliant songs scattered among each one to make me keep coming back for more.

While Word Gets Around is a really good debut, Performance and Cocktails, for me, suffers from classic second album syndrome (most of the time, Kelly Jones tries too hard).

Third album Just Enough Education To Perform hits the mark with some classic pop and a more varied approach - Mr Writer and especially Have A Nice Day distinguish themselves.

Which brings us back to where I started with Maybe Tomorrow.

Where do they all belong? A swag of post YGGTTCB albums to come. 

I been in my mind, it's such a fine mind (Neil Young) #536 - 539

Stereophonics Have A Nice Day/ Surprise/  Piano For A Stripper/ Heart Of Gold (live)/ Have A Nice Day (live)  (V2, 2001)
Stereophonics Step On My Old Size Nines (live)/ Everyday I Think Of Money (live)/ Just Looking (live)/ Caravan Holiday (live)/ Everyday I Think Of Money (live/ video)  (V2, 2001)
Stereophonics Mr Writer (live)/ Hurry Up And Wait (live)/  Don't Let Me Down (live)  (V2, 2001)
Stereophonics Moviestar (live)/ The Bartender And The Thief (live)/  Help Me (She's Out Of Her Mind) (live)/ Behind the scenes (tour video)  (V2, 2004)

Part two of the Stereophonics CD experience kicks off (and peaks early) with the sublime Have a Nice Day then it's a live, largely acoustic, trip through the other A sides.

They are fine, especially the sentimental tinge to Size Nines but Have a Nice Day stands out - great singalong material with Kelly Jones in fine form.

Hidden gems: Again, it's the covers that provide the real gold here. My favourite Beatles song - Don't Let Me Down is given an acoustic treatment which strips the song to a heartfelt plea and kinda accentuates Lennon's double entendre of she done me good: the sexual and the intangible idea that 'she did me a lot of good'.

Neil Young's Heart Of Gold is given a carbon copy treatment cos it's such a great song. Again, it's Kelly Jones' vocals that provide the point of difference.

Ever seen a young girl growing old, trying to make herself a bride? (Mike D'Abo) #532 - 535

Stereophonics Pick A Part That's New/ Nice To Be Out/ Positively 4th Street/ Pick A Part That's New (video)  (V2, 1999)
Stereophonics Just Looking/ Local Boy In A Photograph (live)/ Same Size Feet (live)  (V2, 1999)
Stereophonics I Wouldn't Believe Your Radio/ The Bartender And The Thief/ The Old Laughing Lady  (V2, 1999)
Stereophonics Handbags And Gladrags/ First Time Ever I Saw Your Face/ How/ Caravan Holiday (live)/ Nice To Be Out (live)  (V2, 2001)

Welcome to the first part of a mini Stereophonic-a-thon: this lot comes from around the first flush of the Welsh band's career.

Given they contain interesting covers and/or acoustic versions and/or different interpretations of their songs and/or non album tracks, the CD singles form a nice alternative universe to the parent albums.

All of the A sides are worthy (I tend to like the sing-along football terrace style guitar driven Faces like approach) but I especially love Handbags and Gladrags. For one it's a peculiar song that I've always loved, for another Kelly Jones' voice is a perfect match!

I've included three versions below: Mike D'Abo's original from 1970, Rod Stewart who had a hit with it, then Kelly Jones' version with all round great guy Jools Holland. Hmmm - Kelly does a great job, does he not!

Hidden gems: The covers are where it's really at here: Dylan's Positively 4th Street, Lennon's How and Roberta Flack's First Time are all gems.

She sells sanctuary (The Cult)

After those pastoral album covers it's natural that we introduce a human component into the frame/garden of delights, as seen in the following best of relationship covers.

Let's be clear - sex sells! The Scorpions' and Ohio Players' covers prove that on their loansome.

Placebo - Sleeping with ghosts

Eight arms to hold you

Here's a few more recommended texts for Christine and other students of fine music. I left you last time with the Kooks. This post highlights another 8 greats from Great Britain. This time I've included a few older things but all are post millennium and all should appeal to pop fans. So, without any dilly dally - the story continues...

The Lighthouse Family 'Whatever Gets You Through The Day'. I could not let this list forget the great voice of Tunde. I know - it's not very fashionable to love the Lighthouse Family but for me they are a great marriage of modern production/beats and voice. This one is their last unfortunately. Tunde's solo album shows how much he needs the pop nuance of Paul Tucker. Each of the songs add to a cohesive whole and it contains the stone cold classic - '(I wish I Knew How it Would Feel To be) Free/One'. I love the video of this and by the magic of youtube - here it is:






Elbow 'Cast of Thousands'. All aboard for melancholy city. I kinda think of The Doves and Elbow as being similar in many ways but for me Elbow shades it. Not sure why - maybe the singing is a little more assured and distinctive, the variey level is maybe more positive and the songs are slightly more memorable. Moody mood music. It's interesting, isn't it, how much of my preferences are grouped under the 'alternative' tag in shop displays (you remember shop displays don't you?). I don't really see how this stuff is 'alternative'. It's just good pop music.

Travis 'The Boy With No Name'. This is the first album of theirs I've enjoyed since their break through smasharama 'The Man Who...' The albums inbetween have tried to veer away from that success but without the tunes. I'm sure they didn't sit around and think - okay how do we alienate our fanbase? But in effect that's what they've done until this album. It's back to melodies and lovely acoustic guitars and warm vocals. I bought each of the intervening albums but flicked them on pretty quickly. This one is a keep and a slow grower. It's songs, I suspect, will reveal more as time and repeated listenings go by.


Turin Brakes 'Dark On Fire'. More of the same from Turin Brakes (ie see Travis above, and earlier Turin Brakes efforts). The difference this time around are some stunning songs and much more confidence in their delivery. I got the first album from my friend, Roger Marbeck, and I've not grown tired of it yet. Every once in a while I need something with some soothing otherness as my soundtrack and now both Turin Brakes albums fill that need. The other one is called 'The Optimist'.




Oasis 'Heathen Chemistry'. I couldn't make a list of great British albums of recent times without some sort of representation from Oasis. The trouble is the last couple have not set the world on fire. And truth be told neither did Heathen Chemistry. I don't actually know why because it's a great set of songs, it sounds like classic Oasis, and it contains 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out'. An undervalued, overlooked pleasure of an Oasis album.





Stereophonics 'Language.Sex.Violence.Other'. This Welsh group have had some big hits and some real turkeys but LSVO is a fantastic collection of songs that display the group in its best, most unstodgy light. The guitar playing is razor sharp and the variety is welcome. Often the 'phonics get into a meat and potatoes grind but this one has a dynamic feel to it.






Snow Patrol 'Eyes Open'. For me their best album (and I have them all). Mr Lightbody's vocals are perfect and the melancholy is balanced with wide eyed presence. Contains the classic 'Chasing Cars' that everyone knows, but each of the songs is worthy. When I lived in the UK this album was massive and, fittingly, I bought it from the local Morrisons supermarket. That just seemed appropriate really. Gary Lightbody's vocals are so warm/comfortable. It's a great package.




Teenage Fanclub 'Four Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-Six Seconds'. I'm cheating slightly with this one cos it's a compilation but I love their guitar pop. They write really infectious hooks and play well. What's not to like with that combination.