Sex and Flags

Following rather behind their excellent 1998 reunion (of sorts) "Something for the Weekend" comes "Sex & Flags", a reissue (more or less) of an EP available from their website a few years back called "Lemon" - presumably from the original name of the band (Stackridge Lemon - shortened to Stackridge) in 1969. This album finds all of the original members minus drummer Billy Sparkle and violinist Mike Evans on the same album for the first time in years - Mutter Slater & Andy Davis were notably absent for SFTW. I must say, this is a really satisfying slice of almost everything Stackridgian: wonderful songs, cool production and a typically eclectic bunch of styles. Big Baby sounds like something from The White Album with hilarious lyrics, Charles Louis Dance sounds like something off Andy Davis' Clevedon Pier album, Beating A Path is an epic piece of music from Mutter Slater and Wonderful Day is a breezy number by Crun Walter. This also includes several songs from SFTW, as the EP was rather shorter - but they are all good to hear again! I play this for people who are amazed at why they never heard of this great band... I can't recommend this high enough. More than five stars, really. Do yourself a faver.

If the Fab Four were making music today, they might sound something like this. Stackridge has a long history of Beatle connections. George Martin produced their greatest album, "The Man in the Bowler Hat" in the 70s. One song on that album, "Dangerous Bacon," name checked "the boys in the Beatle boots." And singer Andy Davis backed John Lennon on the "Imagine" album. On this, their half-new album (which includes the best tunes from their 1999 album, "Something for the Weekend"), they revive their tribute song, "Something About the Beatles." The new songs on "Sex and Flags" are typical of this quirky, British band. "Big Baby" and "Wonderful Day" could have come off the "Abbey Road" album. "First Name of Love" sounds like an early Simon and Garfunkel ballad. It all culminates in a soft, moody, highly poetic tune by the elusive Mutter Slater ("Beating a Path"). Thrown into the mix is a string interlude and a 40's style dance hall tune, "Sliding Down the Razorblade of Love." They just don't make music like this anymore.

The last time that I heard Stackridge before buying this CD was about 30 years ago. I did have one of their albums, I can't remember what it was called, but I was never a big fan of theirs and never saw them play live. In truth, I had nearly forgotten all about them until I heard a friend talk about them recently and that rekindled memories of that album that I owned all those years ago and made me search this out.I'm glad I did for because, whilst it is not earth shattering, their music is melodic, catchy and fun! They often imbue their lyrics with a great humour: couple that to the Beatles-inspired music with folksy influences and what you have is a collection of songs well worth listening to. Picture yourself in the pub garden on a hot afternoon, the sun shining, your favourite tipple at hand, you are with friends and in good spirits - it's for that moment that Stackridge provide the perfect musical accompaniment. For those of you keen on niches, I am putting them into the folk-pop category (yes, folk-pop, not folk-rock)."Sex and Flags" is actually a compilation of recent Stackridge material - it includes the whole of a 2003 mini-album called "Lemon" with selected tracks from a 1999 release, "Something for the Weekend". My personal favourite song from the collection is the amusing "Wildebeeste" but the quality is consistent throughout the album.I think their back catalogue on CD is quite difficult to come by but, on the strength of "Sex and Flags", well worth pursuing further.

０５年発表。再結成の発起人でもあったマイク・エヴァンスが脱退（ゲストとして参加）し、アンディ・デイヴィス(g、k、vo)、ムッター・スレイター(g、k、fl、vo) らオリジナル組２人が復帰。ジェイムス・ウォーレン、クラムと合わせて正式メンバーは４人となったが、マイクも参加しているため、かなり初期スタックリッジに近いラインナップとなっている。前作にも参加していたティム・ロビンソン(dr) とリチャード・スタビングス(fl、k、g) の他、コーギスにも作品にも参加しているデヴイッド・ロード(k) など多数のゲストが迎えられている。ただし内容は復活作の『Something For The Weekend』からの再収録（同テイクだと思われる）が目立ち、１．３．８．１０．１１．１２．と６曲も含まれていて（１０．は０６年にコーギスでも再演されている）仕切り直し盤という印象も強い。２．はアコギによるフォーク調の佳曲（ビートルズの「ノルウェーの森」風）。バックに木管や弦などが非常に良いセンスで導入されている。４．は「アイ・アム・ザ・ウォルラス」風のピアノ、弦が導入されたこちらも佳曲。新曲は中期ビートルズを意識した曲が多く、田舎のビートルズの面目を立て直したかのような印象だ。原点回帰などとい大それたことではなく、素直にやりたい音楽をやったらこうなったという感じで聴いていても非常に楽しい。アコギの弾き語りにバックが付くかのようなフォーク・ロック調の曲に良質なものが目立つ。牧歌路線のビートルズ・ナンバーをやらせたら彼らの右に出る者はないということを再確認させてくれる名作である。