Stereophonics are one of those bands you never realise how incredible they really are (or were) until they bring out a âBest Ofâ¦â album and hit you with all their musical delights in just under a hour.
Best Of Stereophonics: Decade In The Sun opens with the delightful Dakota from Language. Sex. Violence. Other? which, for their newer fans is one of their most recognisable hits from the 2000âs onwards before we slip back to the days of The Bartender And The Thief for a bit of old-skool âphonics and the first single to be released back in 1998 from Performance And Cocktails.
The pace comes down a bit with Just Looking which was the follow-up to TBATT and which is my personal favourite Stereophonics track. Before we pick up the pace again with Have A Nice Day from the 2001 hit; Just Enough Education To Perform.
Then we head right back to the boysâ first single; Local Boy In The Photograph and you really see how far the band have progressed since those early days back in 1997. Then we slip effortlessly into the 2003 offering of Maybe Tomorrow which is one of those tracks that you can play to death but will never lose itâs edge.
Superman was a 2005 offering that only reached number 13; but listening to it now; itâs dark sound makes this quite a sexy song, Kellyâs voice really drives out the notes in a very seductive way. Yummy!
Pick A Part Thatâs New was the song that really propelled these lads from Wales into the limelight as the third single from Performance And Cocktails. Despite the previous tracks still scoring highly at numbers three and four in the charts, it was this recordâs airplay that made people sit up and take note.
My Own Worst Enemy showcases the bandâs latest sound and takes the Stereophonics sound to another level with a more rock & roll edge as well as Kellyâs voice being slightly reminiscent of (donât scream at me please!)â¦.Chad Kroeger; but in a good way! His voice sounds, gravely, sexy and, well just delicious⦠as if he could get any more edible!
We go back to the nineties with I Wouldnât Believe Your Radio before being flung back to now and their current release Youâre My Star⦠Iâm worried about getting jet lag with all this time travelling! But I guess itâs worth is as the track has a lovely intro and it seems like the Stereophonics first real love song - I can see Kelly serenading me with this one day⦠I think I have my head in the stars too!
Itâs hard to follow such a great new song but I think that Just Enough Education To Performâs Mr Writer does a pretty find job of it as Kellyâs droneful voice brings back all those terrifying memories of the deranged clowns speeding around in Miniâs in the accompanying music video.
Then from the same album we have the wonderfully acoustic-sounding Step On My Old Size Nines which I think was missed by the British public as it only reached number 16 despite being a lovely song to while away the hours on a Sunday afternoon whilst gazing at the clouds.; or is that just me?
I think I must have been living in a box when Devil came out in 2005 but I donât actually think I have heard it before now; despite the fact that it reached number 11 in the charts. However, I do remember the delightful It Means Nothing which totally reflected my state of mind during a messy break up back in September last year. God Bless Kelly Jones.
The album comes to a close with three songs from their first offering, Word Gets Around , A Thousand Trees, which, listening to it now has sort of Busted What I go To School For undertones⦠I always knew Charlie Simpson must have robbed his music from somewhere!
Then we have the beautiful Traffic, which is what it sayâs on the tin really; About traffic and people rushing around - despite itâs slow pace. Then the anthemic More life In A Tramps Vest which I can see the likes of Robbie Williams dancing around to before he heads out on stage.
The album comes to a close with their cover of Rod Stewartâs Handbags And Gladrags which my mum approves of, so itâs got to be good, as she plans to marry Rod one day⦠so me, her, Rod and Kelly can have a good old kneeâs up wedding and a karaoke bash at this song⦠heaven!
Back to reality now and overall I have to admit that this album makes you realise what a talented bunch Kelly Jones and Co are, and how they donât always get the recognition they deserve when they should be up there alongside the âepicâ British bands such as Oasis and Blur.
Skip To: Youâre My Star
Rating: 5/5 - An excellent showcase of one of Walesâ finest bands.
FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison