It's an interesting image that is conjured up when trying to decide what John, Paul, Ringo, and George would have looked and sounded like if the crazy gin and drug fueled exploits of Hunter Thompson had been an overwhelming influence on the fab four from Liverpool. However, images of alcohol fueled orgies, long hair, and make up aside it is a pretty damn fine description of The Wonder Stuff.It was pointed out earlier on that if the writer Hunter S. Thompson had been the presiding influence over The Beatles, then they might have looked and sounded like The Wonder Stuff.
A musical career that last eight years, produced four albums and a trail of singles that you probably don't know that you know is compiled neatly into If the Beatles Had Ever Read Hunter... providing a superb retrospective of the career of one of the most upbeat bands ever to be spawned by the dark shores of Britain - and I don't mean upbeat in a Madness sense...that would be bad.
This album was released in 1994 and I've had it since about 1998 but for some reason this morning after a gap of at least a year since I last listened to it I decided I needed some Wonder Stuff to make my day seem that little bit brighter. The second that Welcome To The Cheap Seats came on I had a great big old smile on my face. Working its way through classics like The Size of A Cow, Dizzy (featuring the musical stylings of Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer), Who Wants To Be The Disco King?, and Full of Life (Happy Now) my smile just got bigger and bigger.
If you've never heard of the Wonder Stuff then there's a good chance that you're wrong. Providing you're over 18 then I'm guessing that you will know at least a couple of their songs. For those of you that really haven't heard them then there is no better place to start than with this album. They were never the most talented band in the world but they were certainly one of the funnest (is that even a word?).
Me, I'd like to think life is like a drink,
and I'm hoping that it tastes like bourbon.
You know that I've been drunk a thousand times,
and these should be the best days of my life.
