Just Enough Education to Perform

Stereophonics | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 17, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: V2 North America
• ASIN: B00005B1GY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,085 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Vegas Two Times

2. Lying in the Sun

3. Mr. Writer

4. Step on My Old Size Nines

5. Have a Nice Day

6. Nice to Be Out

7. Watch Them Fly Sundays

8. Everyday I Think of Money

9. Maybe

10. Caravan Holiday

11. Rooftop

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Three albums in, and Stereophonics have written their first truly mature work, Just Enough Education to Perform. While the Welsh trio's first two albums were blighted by the occasional spot of facile pub-rock tub-thumping, which served only to dilute Kelly Jones's emotive laments into ear candy, Just Enough Education to Perform evokes the ragged croak of early Rod Stewart or the world-weary country lament of Neil Young without feeling the need to unnecessarily embellish its content. It's not all good: the album's first single, "Mr. Writer"--a stab at dismissive music journalists--is, ironically, petulant and unwieldy, spoiled by Jones's clunky lyric: "You've just enough, in my own view, education to perform/ I'd like to shoot you all." Far more successful are the simple semi-acoustic readings of "Nice to Be Out", "Step on My Old Size Nines," and "Lying in the Sun," which prove that, stripped down, Jones can match most singer-songwriters of an alt-country persuasion without breaking into a sweat. By this time in their career, Oasis began losing themselves in bland bombast and a fog of hollow guitar solos; to their credit, on Just Enough Education to Perform, Stereophonics do not let fame cloud the clarity of the record's meaning. --Louis Pattison

Product Description

Import pressing of their 2001 album. V2. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic American Rock from Britain, October 10, 2002

By 

[e-mail] (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just Enough Education to Perform (Audio CD)

In February, 2002, a small group of us traveled to Ireland. Although Stereophonics hadn't been getting airplay in the U.S., I had heard a lot of them on a British Internet station, and liked what I heard. Once we arrived in Dublin, I soon realized how huge they were in the U.K. and Ireland. Several songs off their new album, 'Just Enough Education to Perform,' were being played alot on the radio over there.

As the end of our trip approached, I started scouring music stores, looking for the version of the CD with the bonus track (the terrific Rod Stewart ballad, 'Handbags and Gladrags'), since I doubted that I could get this version back in the states. Finally, I found a copy and brought it home to Boston with me.

What I can't understand is why this band hasn't been more of a success in the U.S. Even though the band is British, Stereophonics has a truly American sound. The opening track, 'Vegas Two Times,' is a crunching number that brings to mind The Black Crowes, while the beautiful 'Step on My Old Size Nines' is something you might hear while driving past the wheat fields on a warm summer night in the Midwest. One note: Don't miss the hidden track after 'Rooftop.' It is a soaring piece of guitar rock that is actually one of the best songs on the entire CD. The hook at the end of the song is truly memorable, and is a great way to end a great album.

Sure, there are a few forgettable tunes here, most of which are toward the end of the album. 'Everyday I Think of Money' and 'Maybe' are clearly not of the same quality as the first seven songs on the CD. Overall, though, this is an album that should alert American radio stations that rock is not dead; indeed, it is alive and well. You just have to fly across the pond to hear it.

-Marc Hurwitz

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different but as Solid as their other Albums, May 13, 2001

By 

Jeffrey Wolf "postgraduate" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just Enough Education to Perform (Audio CD)

J.E.E.P. is a softer, mellower album from the Sterophonics. Kelly Jones's voice is just as powerful--raspy in that earnest way of his--and the lyrics are, for the most part, just as compelling (except for the lyrics of "Mr. Writer" where Kelly says he wants to shoot all his critics--that was a bit much). I usually skip the first and last songs of the album and play the rest of it through. Particularly good are "Lying in the Sun", "Step on My Old Size Nines", "Nice to Be Out", "Everyday I think of Money" and "Caravan Holiday". Of course, that's almost the whole album right there!

Some people have been disappointed with this album because it doesn't have as much "energy and rawness" to it as their previous two. While that's true, these critics must think that any change is a bad one. I disagree. This is a slower more thoughtful album, and it shines because of it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than enough education to perform, January 11, 2002

By 

Enda (Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just Enough Education to Perform (Audio CD)

JEEP is, without doubt, the best effort yet from the Stereophonics. It's a gentler album than their previous one, "Performance And Cocktails", with the emphasis here more on melody than on the fairly boring hard rock that characterised PAC, (with the exception of "Just Looking" and the outstanding "Pick A Part That's New").

It doesn't open brightly, though. "Vegas Two Times" would've fitted quite nicely on "Performance And Cocktails", launching into a boring tune after a ridiculous 50 seconds of warming up sounds. Worst song on the album. "Have A Nice Day" should have been the opening track.
However, things start to look up quickly. "Lying In The Sun" is soft and beautiful, with exceptional lyrics from Kelly ("But you burn me up you paint my skin/In bad designs that ain't even in", etc.)
The first single, "Mr. Writer", has a pretty good chorus with cool backing vocals. The rest of it is just okay.
The third single, "Step On My Old Size Nines", is the second best song on the album. Great melody, lovely harmonica playing, a beautiful ending.
The highlight of JEEP is "Have A Nice Day", the second single. It's one of the best songs ever, no question. I don't care if people think it's sappy and that the cab driver in the song has nothing interesting to say, it's excellent!
"Nice To Be Out" is okay, "Watch Them Fly Sundays" is another of the album's strongest tracks, and the remaining ones are pretty good, except maybe for "Everyday I Think Of Money".

Overall, this is a solid recording from a great Welsh band, who have proved with this release that their music is maturing a great deal. Keep up the good work!