Customer Reviews

Stories / About Us (2-For-1) (Reis)

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Oh, the comparisons with The Left Banke! Fans (or should I say fanatics) of The Left Banke enjoy putting down Stories, the second major band founded by Left Banke mastermind Michael Brown. Well, here's one fellow who loves BOTH The Left Banke and Stories (yes, it is possible.) "Stories" contains the Top 50 single "I'm Coming Home" as well as the sublime "Take Cover" (which should have been issued as the followup, but there was no followup single from the album.) Lead singer Ian Lloyd's vocals are exciting and strong; he is a powerhouse singer who can handle very delicate tunes equally well. The second album, "About Us", is Stories' classic, with great tunes such as the rousing opener "Darling", the wistful "Love Is In Motion" (with its gorgeous harmonies), and the rocking "Top Of The City". But the album's centerpiece is the magnificent "Please Please", which peaks and valleys so often you might think you're on a roller coaster. Brilliant pop.

After reading the previous review of this cd,I dont know what hes talking about.He said that on the second album Michael Browns presence is not found.With the exception of Brother Louie,which was thrown on after Michael left you can hear him and his keyboards on every track.I totally love both these albums,though I feel the second one is better produced.Listen to tracks like Darling,Love is in motion,Please please,circles,words and What comes after ,and tell me you cant tell how wonderful of a keyboard player he is.As for Ian Lloyds singing I think he does a fantastic job on these songs.On Brother Louie it was obvious to me that Michael wasnt on it since its not his style.I have played these albums to death and was thriiled to see the released of this cd.

There is no question that the music by The Stories is solid, first wave power-pop. If you are here on this page, you probably already know that. On the surface the package looks great as an affordable twofer, including a fairly scare track only previously released as a vinyl single. However the sound quality of this particular package is poor.

Vocals and guitars have distortion where there should be none. The high end is not crisp and the low end is not solid, while mids glare. It's actually a fairly annoying listen. Pity, as the music is A+ and you'd think the band's legacy would merit better.

Unfortunately it seems this is the only place these two complete albums are available. The tracks from About Us seem to sound the worst with minor but audible distortion present on most songs. The self titled album fairs a bit better but is still muddy. The bonus track seems to have the best sound, but it's just one song and probably has limited appeal (a tale of bisexuality!).

If you only need the killer hit single, Brother Louie, I'd still recommend Rhino's Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day 10. It's 20 years old at this point, but still sounds pretty good. And Brother Louie is accompanied by other big (and equally charming) hits of the same time period.

Otherwise you can pay collector prices for an out of print CD copy of About Us. I've not heard it, but the pics posted with the Amazon description suggest the album has been remastered.

The self titled album has never been otherwise available on CD in its entirety. There is a collection by The Stories on the See For Miles label called Walk Away From the Left Banke. That includes just 4 songs from the first self titled album.

It's odd that these records have seen such limited reissue. But until somebody does a better job, looks like I'll stand by my old vinyl copies...

This import from Australia is a wondrous collection of the first two LP's from Stories along with rare, non-album single, "Another Love" that marked the final release from Stories. The piano-heavy, baroque influenced pop/rock songs, (Excluding the Hot Chocolate remake, "Brother Louie"), are infectious with tinges of melancholy that interweaves throughout the track selection. The included booklet is surprisingly informative with a brief synopsis of the history of Stories and track-by-track song descriptions with select early promotion photos not seen since the 1970's. This compilation is a must-have for fans of early progressive rock or those who've had to make do with bad vinyl mp3 rips of these albums.

A wide-range of songs and styles with a pleasing original sound. High-range lead male vocal with pleasant clear voice.

This entire album is packed with gems that will give both your ears and a good sound system a workout.

I'll have to wait until the CD arrives to determine things like stage, punch, tonal quality etc. I still listen to the cassette I recorded off of the album 30 years ago which was very clean and beautifully mastered for the day.

Brother Louie is the best know song on the CD, but IMHO by no means the best and is played in a style different than the rest of the tracks.

I was born a few years after Stories broke up so I discoevered their music years later(in the early 90s to be exact). I heard "Brother Louie" on the radio and found their 3 LPs at the local swap meet. Those albums have been the soundtrack of my life ever since. Stories is one of my favorite groups of all time! Therefore, I was thrilled when my girlfriend told me that the first 2 lps were on one cd. It's all here from the bands early efforts on Stories to their masterpiece About Us. Fans of mid-Beatles, The Left Banke(of course), Badfinger, the Raspberries, and the Faces should love this! Hopefully, Raven will rerelease Ian Lloyd's early solo efforts on cd soon.

Does anyone who has heard this CD know if the first album has been transferred from vinyl or a tape source? The Japanese CD of the self-titled album issued in the 90's was transferred from vinyl and the fidelity and pitch suffered. The American CD of "About Us" (also issued in the '90s) was from a tape source and sounded fine from what I recall. AU is the far superior album of the two here - a vastly underrated power pop gem well worth hearing again.

I ordered this product as a gift and was told they were very staisfied with the product.

After departing from The Left Banke after their debut album, composer/keyboardist Michael Brown recorded with the short-lived Montage before forming Stories with vocalist Ian Brown. Ironically, he'd once again depart after the band's debut. The band would produce their second album with his songs, but without his physical presence. So while both albums gathered here feature his compositional fingerprints, the debut is more notable for the inclusion of his keyboard figures. Those longing for more music in the vein of the Left Banke will be disappointed. Ian Lloyd's voice isn't nearly the vocal fit for Brown's music as was the Banke's Steve Martin, and the supporting musical cast is more in touch with the sounds of turn-of-the-70s rock than 1960s baroque pop. You can listen past Lloyd's raspy voice to hear the compositional genius, but nothing here haunts one's memories like the Left Banke, nor does this music make the lasting impression of fellow-70s-travelers like Badfinger. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]