James Arden checks out the garage rockers latest album.
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After ten glorious years at the top of the British Rock scene, five number one albums and a multitude of hits under their belt, the Stereophonics could not have chosen a more apposite time to release their much anticipated ‘Best Of’ disk.
No doubt many fans will argue (myself included) that a CD of their greatest hits should include much, if not all, of their debut album ‘Word Gets Around’- which ironically was their only album not to land the number one spot - yet it is the fact that they have chosen a mix of tracks that span all 6 albums, and that neither of these is likely to tempt the listener to press the skip button, that I feel not only deserves credit but highlights the band’s ability to produce a range of songs matching quality and diversity in equal measure.
Rather than offering a 'phonics chronology, the album opens with the chart-topping hit ‘Dakota’, the single that won them acclaim in the US for the first time by reaching number 34 on the Billboard Modern Rock Track chart. The rest of the album takes the format where, excepting one or two songs, each track is taken from a different album to the one that precedes it, taking the listener on a journey from the band’s Britpop beginnings through to their current status as a recognized Rock outfit and back again.
The Stereophonics’ strength lies in their ability to blend the lyrical aptitude and husky vocals of Kelly Jones with an equally apt tune. Most of their earlier material conveys the band’s mastery at a depiction of the mundanity of work and life in insular communities such as ‘A Thousand Trees’ where the guitar riffs and drums complement the lyrics in suggesting the rapidity with which a whispered rumour can become common knowledge. Similarly, the rhythm and vocals to the dreary and almost whiney ‘Traffic’ evoke the tedium of being stuck in a traffic jam. You need not look far for the predominant feel-good vibe of ‘Performance and Cocktails’ and ‘Just Enough Education To Perform’, with the hits ‘Just Looking’ and ‘Have A Nice Day’ at three and four on the tracklisting.
What I like about this album is how it was the band’s decision (rather than an executive one) to release it, with the intention to ‘celebrate ten fantastic years’ as they themselves put it - a fact reflected in the choice of songs like ‘More Life In A Tramp’s Vest’, that despite not rating as high as certain omitted tracks, is nevertheless of sentimental value to the band, being their first single release. And by adding their latest single ‘You’re My Star’ to the list, they show no sign of relenting, but are rather choosing this moment in time to bask in the sunshine of their last ten years.
This CD is the perfect induction to the Stereophonics for anyone unfamiliar with their unique sound, but fans who disagree with the band’s enthusiasm for ‘lesser’ entries at the expense of other 'phonics classics will be pleased to know that the album is available in three formats: as a 20 single CD, a deluxe double disc or DVD, with the latter two boasting bonus tracks, ensuring that the ‘Best Of: Stereophonics’ does exactly what it says on the CD case.
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