Stereophonics: Band Review

By Samara Siviter

Formed in 1992 in Wales, Stereophonics are an alternative rock band, and in my opinion one of the best bands of the 1990s. Consisting of lead vocalist Kelly Jones, bass guitarist Richard Jones, backing vocalist Adam Zinzandi and drummer Jamie Morrison, the band have released eleven brilliant studio albums, with seven of them reaching the coveted number one spot within the UK charts, and have sold over ten million copies worldwide. 

Stereophonics released their debut album “Word Gets Around” in 1997, which reached Number Six within the UK albums chart, including two of my absolute favourite songs of theirs – “A Thousand Trees” and “Local Boy in The Photograph”. Poignant lyrics, balanced with terrific bass guitar and innovative drums, it was already evident that the band were going on to become the British rock icons that they are now. The year after their debut album was released, they won the esteemed Brit Award for best group and embarked on their first world tour shortly after. 

In November 1998, “The Bartender and The Thief”, the first single from their second album “Performance and Cocktails” was released, which claimed the number three spot on the UK Charts, with “Just Looking” coming out soon after. Within three weeks of the album’s release, it had already gone platinum, a remarkable achievement for a band who had only just been formed for six years. From here, their success began to grow, as they won over legions and legions of fans, with next year marking the release of their new album “Oochya!” – one that I’m very looking forward to listening to. 

If I had to choose three of my favourite songs of theirs then it would have to be “A Thousand Trees”, “Local Boy In The Photograph”, and “Just Looking”, as these all capture the components which make their songs as fantastic as they are. 

Overall, I have to say that I am a huge fan of these Welsh Legends and have been for several years, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to broaden their music taste.