Word Gets Around

1997年リリース、ケリー・ジョーンズ、リチャード・ジョーンズ、スチュアート・ケーブルにより結成されたステレオフォニックスの記念すべき1stアルバム。イギリスのバンドながらもアメリカン・ロックを思わせるスケール感溢れるロックを展開し話題となり、当時UKアルバム・チャート6位を記録。いまやUKロックの中でも名作のひとつと呼ばれる1枚。

Melody Maker - "...reliably guitar-laden tunes bomb along happily, their churny meaty sound is offset by Kelly Jones' jittery words....Grim, yes. but bearing it well." Q - Included in Q Magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1997." NME - "...much in the same way The Smiths signposted Manchester, the 'Phonics catalogue a series of suicides, sexual assaults and glorious dreams collapsing beneath the weight of boozing sessions and emotionally bruising occasions..." Q - Ranked #37 in Q's "Best 50 Albums of Q's Lifetime" Melody Maker - Ranked #25 on Melody Maker's list of 1997's "Albums Of The Year." Q (10/01, p.50) - Ranked #37 in Q's "Best 50 Albums of Q's Lifetime" Q (1/98, p.114) - Included in Q Magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1997." Melody Maker (12/20-27/97, pp.66-67) - Ranked #25 on Melody Maker's list of 1997's "Albums Of The Year." Melody Maker (9/6/97, p.42) - "...reliably guitar-laden tunes bomb along happily, their churny meaty sound is offset by Kelly Jones' jittery words....Grim, yes. but bearing it well." NME (8/23/97, p.55) - "...much in the same way The Smiths signposted Manchester, the 'Phonics catalogue a series of suicides, sexual assaults and glorious dreams collapsing beneath the weight of boozing sessions and emotionally bruising occasions..."

The Welsh trio's debut album containing the singles 'Local Boy In The Photograph' and 'More Life In A Tramp's Vest'. This album is made up of short, sharp melodic anthems with the band sticking to a more poppier sound for the most part, though deviating to the occasional ballad (e.g 'A Thousand Trees'). This radio friendly debut led to the band gaining a BRIT for best new band.|

In the late '90s, a rash of Welsh rock bands emerged, among them Catatonia, Super Furry Animals, 60 Ft. Dolls, and the Stereophonics. On the surface, the Stereophonics' gritty rock & roll seems relatively uninspired, but upon close listen Word Gets Around proves to be a very accomplished debut. Vocalist/guitarist Kelly Jones' vocals are raw and rip the songs apart, as his loud, arena-ready guitar assault gives every track a gritty edge. Jones' lyrics are also of note; highly poetic and meaningful, he writes about the underbelly of a small town. The anthemic opener, the outrageously catchy "A Thousand Trees," details how a respected high school athletic coach ruined his career through a lurid sexual encounter with a female student, and the quick, jagged "More Life in a Tramp's Vest" displays the view of the world through the eyes of a supermarket bag boy. Word Gets Around isn't all about hard rockers, though; the hit "Traffic" is a beautifully constructed ballad that works marvelously when a juxtaposition is made between the music and Jones' rough vocal styling. While Word Gets Around occasionally suffers from blandness, it is a remarkably accomplished debut LP. ~ Jason Damas