Comments
There are three themes to Performance And Cocktails: slow, a bit faster and "hey, let's make a noise for a bit". The former, as heard on "Hurry Up And Wait", start off by making you feel like curling up into a little ball and wallowing, but too much repetition could get wearing, which is why the mid-tempo tunes fill the gaps in the middle with the prettier tunes, like "Just Looking". Yet it's the faster tracks, particularly "The Bartender And The Thief", that hold the most interest. Here, the band can pull themselves out of the mire and show off why they love AC/DC so much--because it's more fun bouncing around a bit than complaining all the time. Performance And Cocktails covers all bases so thoroughly that it's not surprising it catapulted the Stereophonics into the mainstream. --Emma Johnston
