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Ogdens Inside Flap.jpgThere are other bits and pieces thrown into that reissue, but let's stick to the original, shall we?

Setting the packaging to one side, it's the music that counts, and the music's very much a tale of two sides. From the opening instrumental title track, the Tin Soldier-clone Afterglow, Ian McLagan's Long Ago and Worlds Apart you've got an interesting collection of styles before you hit the Cockney docklands knees up of Rene (the dockers' delight, nudge, nudge), the proto-heavy Song of a Baker and the hit single in Lazy Sunday to round off the side. It's an impressive array of songs over a range of genres that ticks all the boxes when it comes to impressing the audience and your peers with impress your peer group with quality of writing, instrumental chops and vocal dynamics, with great R&B tinged vocals from Marriott, charming efforts from Lane and McLagan,

As a collection of songs it's a match for just about anything that came out around the same period.

But when you're looking for something that stands out from the pack, Side Two, subtitled Happiness Stan definitely does that, thanks to the inter-track vocal gobbledegook from 'Professor' Stanley Unwin after the band's original choice, Spike Milligan, was ruled out by his agent. As far as the actual songs were concerned, much of the side was written on hired cabin cruiser excursions on the Thames with wives, guitars and tape recorders to keep track of the writing.

As a period piece, Happiness Stan and his quest for the other half of the moon and dangly could have got pretty tired rather quickly, but provided you don't play the hell out of it, Unwin's verbal contortions continue to please. They've got their own charm, provided you don't overdo it. 

As far as the songs are concerned, Happiness Stan introduces us to the protagonist, disturbed by the waxing and waning of the moon (the other half of the moon and dangly) and determined to do something about it. Tell everybody I'm gonna find it/There ain't nothing gonna stop me is Rollin'Over's statement of intent. The Hungry Intruder delivers the means to investigate the mystery, the fly who knows someone who'll explain the mystery if only he was big enough to take Stan there. 

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© Ian Hughes 2015