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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great introduction to Stereophonics, November 18, 2008
Stereophonics have been churning out albums (and singles) pretty much like clockwork since their 1997 debut album: every 2 years fans get a new album, and after 6 studio albums (and one live album), the band finally gets the greatest hits treatment.
"Decade In the Sun: Best of Stereophonics" (20 tracks; 79 min.) brings the greatest hits of the band, and rightfully, this compilation focuses on the first 3 studio albums. The very promising 1997 debut "Word Gets Around" has 4 tracks on here (Local Boy in a Photograph; Thousand Trees; Traffic; More Life in a Tramps Vest). The band's best album ever, 1999's "Performance & Cocktails" also gets 4 tracks (Bartender and the Thief; Just Looking; Pick a Part that's New; I Wouldn't Believe Your Radio). And 2001's "Just Enough Education to Perform" also gets 4 tracks (Have a Nice Day; Mr. Writer; Step On My Old Size Nines; Vegas Two Times), plus this includes the non-album single from the same sessions, the Rod Stewart-cover "Handbags and Gladrags". The rest of is filled out by singles from the last 3 albums, with the 2005 "Language" album getting 3 tracks (including "Dakota", the band's biggest UK charting single ever). 2003's "You Gotta Go There To Come Back" is represented by "Maybe Tomorrow", and 2007's "Pull the Pin" features "It Means Nothing". There are also 2 new tracks, the so-so "My Own Worst Enemy" and the much better "You're My Star".
In all, this is a very generous serving of Stereophonics' greatest hits (and they've had plenty of hits in the UK). I don't like the sequencing of the tracks, to be honest. There is no rhyme or reason to it. A chronological sequencing would have served the listening experience better. While the band's output after "J.E.E.P." never equalled their first three albums, they did put out a lot of great music in the late 90s/early 2000s, and this compilation is proof of it. I had the good fortune of seeing the band live a couple of times on the "J.E.E.P." tour, and they were outstanding in those days.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Choice of material?, November 2, 2009
While I am a fan of Stereophonics and was glad to see the band finally get a greatest hits CD, I have to question half of the songs that made it to the list. Being not really known much here in America, I would have to assume most of these were probably chosen by the amount of airtime they received overseas. But come on, really? I have to certainly disagree with several of the choices made here. What happened to gems like "Hurry up and wait", "Rewind", "Lolita", "Nothing precious at all", "Getaway", "Pass the Buck" or "Lying in the Sun"? Songs like these really show the complexity of the band, and their craftiness for being able to create very catchy & intriguing melodies. While I realize that everyone has their own idea as to what should have been considered a 'hit', I just don't think this compilation is a very good representation of what this band is completely capable of. "Vegas two times" also has to be one of the most horrendous songs I have ever heard before and should never have made the label of being a 'greatest hit' (or maybe I just missed something). But, alas, this is simply my opinion, and I am still very much looking forward to their forthcoming 2009 release.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Decade in the Sun: Best os Stereophonics, October 19, 2009
I just love this cd, it really has alot of great music. This is my kind of music. I can listen to it over and over, never get tired of it.
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