Stereophonics

The Welsh band Stereophonics was formed by school friends Kelly Jones, Richard Jones and Stuart Cable. Initially, their outfit was called Blind Faith; later it was renamed to Tragic Love Company. The young musicians gave their first performances early in the nineties doing covers for songs of rock celebrities. Only in 1996, they took up the Stereophonics name. In November of the same year, V2 Records released the band’s debut single Looks Like Chaplin/More Life In A Tramp's Vest. The release was no sensation as this effort seemed to many just an attempt to copy Manic Street Preachers. The long player Word Gets Around had just the opposite response. The sophisticated and sometimes sarcastic lyrics along with Kelly’s incomparable voice ruined all parallels with whomever. Already in 1997, Stereophonics played over a hundred gigs, while their first album hit the UK Top 10. They were prized with BRIT Award as the Best New Group.

Stereophonics decided to cash in and delivered soon another album, Performance And Cocktails (1999). This one was even more respectable and received the platinum status in as short as three weeks. Such commercial success became possible primarily thank to the singles The Bartender And The Thief, and Just Looking, peaking third and forth respectively in the single chart. Unexpectedly, Stereophonics tarnished their reputation badly by playing the patriotic composition As Long As We Beat The English, taken by many nearly as a fascist statement. This incident was immediately speculated on heavily in press, which affected the band’s relations with journalists in the future. After a brief hiatus, caused by the initial activity and the packed tour schedule, Stereophonics released another album, Just Enough Education To Perform (2000).This was an impressive and proficient work with only one big flaw found by the critics. They disliked the single Mr. White, a bold song with criticizing lines against press. At the end of the year, Kelly Jones performed some of the band’s songs stripped during his solo acoustic concerts, making them sound new and more lyrical.

In January 2002, Stereophonics had to go to Japan without Stuart Cable. The band excused it with family matters, yet failed to avoid the rumors about the upcoming collapse. Stereophonics proved this word of mouth wrong by the summer 2003 release of the powerful rock-n-roll You Gotta Go There To Come Back. However, it was decided to part ways with Cable, who lacked responsibility regarding the affairs of the band he did not believe in any more. Kelly admitted the heaviness of sacking the guy he had been playing with since twelve, but he saw no other way out. With the new member, Javier Weyler, Stereophonics recorded Dakota, their first single to top the UK charts. In 2005 the group reestablished their top class with the release of the fourth studio work, Language. Sex. Violence. Other?. It was followed by the 2007 album, Pull The Pin. This CD topped the UK charts, although its twelve tracks included the single My Friends, the poorest single after More Life In A Tramp's Vest. November 2008 saw the release of the band’s hits compilation Decade In The Sun: Best Of Stereophonics. In 2009 the musicians released their new album Calm & Carry On. That record was performed in best traditions of Stereophonics, and there is no doubt that Keep Calm & Carry On will be enjoyed by Stereophonics old fans and admirers of the good music in general.