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When a long-defunct band you loved in your youth opts to give fame and fortune one last shot 20 years later, though your heart leaps at the prospect, your brain urges caution. Most listeners have sat through middle-aged reunion albums with their spirits steadily sinking, as turgid laments for the environment give way to bitter attacks on faithless ex-wives and ex-bandmembers, and current bandmembers relentlessly demonstrate their familiarity with the very latest synthesizers. But 21 years after what everyone assumed to be their final album, reconvened - several key members light, as usual - and delivered one of their finest albums. This time the band was under the direction of, who left in 1973 after to subsequently enjoy considerably greater commercial success as a member of (briefly alongside his old oppo ). And certainly there's a degree of -style polish about many of the songs included here, while another key influence is openly acknowledged in the anthemic 'Something About the Beatles.'
Was always the band's premier melodist, however, and though would have certainly benefited from the presence of key members and, it boasts a consistency that was all too lacking in the band's last two (-free) albums. Any fears that a commitment to polished soft rock might dilute the band's more endearingly eccentric tendencies, though, are dispelled by the splendidly surreal 'Wildebeeste' and the irresistible '30s-style 'Sliding Down the Razorblade of Love,' not to mention the equally delightful 'Grooving Along on the Highway on a Monday Morning Once' - the kind of instantly memorable melody that would have killed for in 1997. A further plus point comes in the return of, whose superb fiddling and occasional deadpan vocals were always a key ingredient of the classic 1970-1973 lineup. Newcomer also proved a valuable addition, both as a multi-instrumentalist and co-composer. All told, you're left feeling that this is the album with which should have capitalized on the momentum generated by 's lavish production of.
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Instead, this most affably English of groups embarked on two decades of squabbling and hoping the fans liked their new direction. And guess what? Just a few years after this album was released, they fell out all over again.
In the immortal words of, what a waste.
Using a bizarre mixture of dustbin lids and rhubarb stalks as stage props, Stackridge were once acclaimed as the West Country Beatles and enjoyed a brief vogue in the early 70s. The group was formed in Bristol in 1969 as Stackridge Lemon by Jim Crun Walter (bass) and Andy Davis (Andrew Cresswell-Davis; vocals, guitar, keyboards) who recruited James Warren (guitar/vocals) and Billy Bent aka Billy Sparkle (drums) through a newspaper advertisement. Lead singer and flautist Mike Mutter Slater had been in a local folk duo. Adding violinist Mike Evans, they developed an idiosyncratic folk rock style with whimsical lyrics on songs like Dora The Female Explorer, their debut single for MCA Records in 1971. Over the next three years, Stackridge toured throughout Europe and appeared at the 1972 Reading Festival with a troupe of St.
Trinians-style dancers. Slater invented a dance craze, Do The Stanley but left the band shortly before the release of the George Martin -produced The Man In The Bowler Hat.
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Stackridge added session player Rod Bowkett (keyboards) and former Audience and Sammy member Keith Gemmell on saxophone and flute. They changed labels to Elton Johns Rocket in 1974 but despite Slaters return for Mr. Mick, lack of commercial success caused the band to split in 1976. While Slater left the music business, Evans toured with visiting country stars and later played in the trio at Bath Pump Room. Davis played guitar on two albums by ex-String Driven Thing vocalist Kimberley Beacon and in 1979 formed the Korgis with Warren. The latter went on to issue the 1987 solo set Burning Questions while Davis toured with Tears For Fears before recording the new age-style Clevedon Pier for MMC, the label owned by Peter Van Hooke, who had played drums with Stackridge in the mid-70s. Warren, Walters and Evans re-formed Stackridge in the late 90s, recording Something For The Weekend with new members John Miller (keyboards/vocals), Richard Stubbings (flute, accordion, guitar) and Tim Robinson (drums).
A slew of archive releases followed on the bands own DAP Records label alongside new recordings featuring original vocalist Mutter Slater. Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.