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"Performance and Cocktails is perfect on its own terms. You could spend days searching for a flaw (I have) and you’d never find one (I can’t). On the most basis of basic levels it’s the perfect length: 50 minutes, 13 songs – in my book that’s three to four listens a day long allowing just enough time for life’s more humdrum obligations (working, eating, sleeping etc.). On a marginally less basic level, it’s perfectly balanced: five upbeat killers, five woozy ballads, three mid paced epics. More than that, It’s wonderfully varied, never repetitive, never dreary…"
" These are thirteen perfect melodies, untainted by presentation, so pure they hurt. So utterly correct you’ll find yourself waking up humming them every damn morning for weeks"
" So Performance and Cocktails isn’t the best album ever made and I don’t suppose its even my favourite, but it’s possibly the purest album I’ve ever heard, the least pretentious, the least encumbered. A total triumph of message over medium. A total triumph, period."
Melody Maker: March 6 1999
Kelly on "Performance and Cocktails"
Most of it was written on the road unlike "Word Gets Around" a lot of the songs are based around first hand experiences, everything from a strange night in a New York club, to prostitutes in Hamburg, the plasticity of Hollywood, and even dreams that I've had.
The storytelling train-of-thought lyrics are still there, they're just not all based around Cwmaman. It's an album with a lot more contrasts. It starts off with loads of guitars and ends up with no guitars whatsoever. It definitely sounds like an album and not just a bunch of songs. We're really pleased with it.
Melody Maker: Feb 6 1999
The first record was me looking at things, relating funny or sad stories that I heard in the pub, it wasn't very personal. This time, It's my reactions to different things that I've seen for the first time
Melody Maker: Feb 13 1998
"...reliably guitar-laden tunes bomb along happily, their churny meaty sound is offset by Kelly Jones' jittery words....Grim, yes. But bearing it well."
Melody Maker: Sept 6 1997
"...much in the same way The Smiths sign posted Manchester, the 'Phonics catalogue a series of suicides, sexual assaults and glorious dreams collapsing beneath the weight of boozing sessions and emotionally bruising occasions..."
New Musical Express: August 23 1997
Ranked #25 on Melody Maker's list of 1997's "Albums Of The Year."
Melody Maker: Dec 20 1997
Included in Q Magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1997."
Q Magazine: Jan 1998
GREAT single, great sound, great lyrics, great voice, great B-sides, great band. I know a lot of people are saying this about Gay Dad, but all it takes is an open hearted listen to the Stereophonics to, well, get it. And plus points for avoiding the apostrophe most bands would have used to sully the word "Looking".
Melody Maker: Feb 27 1999
Kelly on the success of "The Bartender And The Thief"
All that crap on the radio like steps and B*Witched gave us an advantage really, our song had to be played, it was the only contrast to all the rubbish pop stuff. For once it worked in our favour.
Melody Maker: Feb 6 1999
Kelly on love
I want to make love gritty, uncomfortable and awkward, the way it really is
Melody Maker: Feb 13 1998
Kelly on success
The thing is now everyone knows every f***ing word to every song, so we have to try harder. At Cardiff Castle, we were so nervous, because we couldn't afford to mess up.
Melody Maker: Feb 13 1998
NME Poll 1998
Best Single - No. 18 Stereophonics - Local Boy In The Photograph (winners: Manics - If you tolerate..)
Best Band - No. 2 Stereophonics (winners: Manic Street Preachers)
Best Album - No. 10 Stereophonics - Word Gets Around (winners: Manics - This is My Truth..)
Most Desirable Person - No. 10 Kelly Jones (Stereophonics)
Melody Maker Darts League
Stereophonics 10th in the Darts Conference (out of 12) scoring 72 with 9 darts