Performance and Cocktails

1	Roll up and Shine 3:57
2	The Bartender and the Thief 2:54
3	Hurry up and Wait 4:40
4	Pick a Part That's New 3:33
5	Just Lookin' 4:13
6	Half the Lies You Tell Ain't True 2:54
7	I Wouldn't Believe Your Radio 3:50
8	T-Shirt Sun Tan 4:04
9	Is Yesterday, Tomorrow, Today? 4:02
10	A Minute Longer 3:46
11	She Takes Her Clothes Off 3:55
12	Plastic California 4:30
13	I Stopped to Fill My Car Up 4:31

Barnes & Noble

Yup, Welsh shining stars Stereophonics are another one of those outfits that became huge in the UK seemingly overnight. The band's second album, PERFORMANCE AND COCKTAILS, has already sold more than a million copies overseas, and the group recently had the Black Crowes open for them at London's Wembley Stadium. Of course, Stereophonics would go unnoticed in a police lineup on these shores, but that may soon change. The band has just the right balance of grit and glimmer to appeal to fans of Oasis, the London Suede, and even the Rolling Stones, while the overdriven guitars and pulse-pounding beats should endear them to aficionados of Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses. Vocalist Kelly Jones delivers small-town narratives in a melodic rasp reminiscent of Rod Stewart's, perfectly complementing both the band's folksy blues laments and its barnstorming rockers. Toss in some of the catchiest hooks since the last Smash Mouth record, and you're left with a performance that should keep Stereophonics stocked with cocktails for a long time to come. Jon Wiederhorn

All Music Guide

In December 1998, the Stereophonics released the single "The Bartender and the Thief," which became an unexpected explosion on the charts, peaking at number three in the U.K. In March 1999, the band's sophomore effort, Performance and Cocktails, was released to impressive sales -- it was reportedly outselling Blur's 13 when that album was released. A second single, "Just Looking," also peaked within the U.K. Top Ten, making the first half of 1999 a very unexpectedly busy time for the Stereophonics. Never a favorite to become a hugely successful Brit-pop band, their noisy, raw hard rock came into favor after the more produced and calculated sound of Brit-pop had become passe. Unfortunately, however, this disc isn't quite as consistent as the debut. Part of the reason why Word Gets Around was so appealing is that there was a sense of urgency that, on this release, seems to have disappeared. There are more ballads than before, and some of the rockers don't burn with the intensity that they did on the last album. This doesn't make Performance and Cocktails a bad album, though; fans will be very pleased that the Stereophonics have released another slab of indie-flavored hard rock. Some highlights include "T Shirt Suntan," the acoustic "She Takes Her Clothes Off," and the poppy "Pick a Part That's New." (Japanese versions of this album include three live tracks, but the quality is mediocre and the performances are unspectacular, making this version of the release for hardcore fans only.) Jason Damas