Which is your favourite So & So album?

Oh I do like these poll thingies of forums

It has to be Sugarstealer for me - it's still early days yet, but it feels more diverse to me musically. The lyrics are exceptionally strong this time out, and I admit that the 'concept'/story is intriguing, too - I'm still figuring it all out, mind! It's also - to my mind, at least - the best produced So & So album.

To be honest, I think every album is better than the one before it - a sure sign of a band growing in confidence and ability over time...

Sugarstealer for me too, though I should point out that Compendium was one of the albums that helped me re-discover prog in the mid 90s, so it holds a special place in my heart. Infact, I haven't played it for ages, so I'm going to later on. So there....

Compendium was a great period in the bands life. We were still relatively young and growing up in each others pockets, as such all we did all day was play, write and arrange. All Mr. So & So albums are quite a big process in comparison to other bands. We are uber meticulous with the arrangements and we will only ever go into the studio to record it when we know we have maximised that piece, it's arrangement, chords, parts, solo's, lyrics, vocals and production ideas. That's what primarily held up Sugarstealer, we wanted the samples to convey the story and sitting back listening to it I'm glad we did. A good example of this is Closet Skeletons. That song was so difficult to write and yet a joy at the same time (Shaun's lyrics in Closet Skeletons are fantastic). I wouldn't be surprised if there are about fifty different arrangements of that song on old rehearsal tapes. Plus, we do like to let the song's grow up a little bit, if you play a song for over a year it naturally develops. Second albums for any band are good, it's when you really start to gel.

The Overlap was in contrast quite traumatic for the band. As we got older and we acquired commitments outside of the band, we started to slowly drift away from each other and by the time we got in the studio with Mike Stobbie we were prepared in terms of songs and playing but not mentally. Aside from that, working with Mike was really difficult and he tore our songs to bits in pre-production, which we'd never had before. Somewhere in The Racket Club are the pre-production tapes that we did, I'd love to hear those tapes again.

Sugarstealer has been brilliant to record, we found a great engineer who made it a good laugh for us, which we do consider really important. Back to what you said in another thread Dave that we look like we are enjoying ourselves Well you're right, we are and we consider it tantamount to being in a band, take the social element away and then it becomes a chore. This time around we had better gear too and our "newbies" brought a really nice freshness to the whole process.

Hopefully the wait for the next album (we have discussed it and yes we have another concept) won't be as long as Sugarstealer but I know it won't be next year.

I'm biased so i voted for Sugarstealer!!!!!

I feel a bit bad now because I actually think Paraphernalia is an awesome album as Circus is one of my all time faves, but then came along Bleak Hill, which blew me away completely (especially as I still remember the initial "riff" in our old house!).
Sugarstealer IS an outstanding album. Big headphones a good hour and no disruptions is the best way to listen to it!!!
Well done to the So & So's xxx

I'm not gonna vote on this for obvious reasons but....
I love the following tracks with Leon on the recordings;
The hypnotic, its so powerful.
Sixes and sevens for that riff... erm actually there are a few cool riffs in there and the lyrics are really good.
The Overlap, again the lyrics are excellent and the music is beautiful.
Metaphor is the first track I heard by So & So when Ant got a cd to me (although I was sure I'd heard the chorus of Tick a Box somewhere before) and I thought it was incredible, and still do. Its great to play live to hear Dave's solo on it.
Coup de Grace live for Chazzers vocal bits.
and Tick a Box is totally fun to play live.
Bacca

I voted Sugarstealer, but there are some wonderful tracks on Overlap, it was close, but I really love Sugarstealer.

Luckily I have been with the past and present band that Is Mr So & So. I joined the band whilst they were recording Compendium and I have very very fond memories of it....
Shaun (Magoo) Charlotte, for starters I would like to you to sing this overlapping part with a mad melody and it's in 5'sssssss... I was a wee nipper fresh in music college and the thought addled my mind... hahaaa but, I did it and with success (if I'm allowed to say)
I have however voted for Sugarstealer as this is the proudest I have been about my own performance (selfish I know) and truly feel we all have far more balls and umph in our songs ( I love a bit of crunch). Just wait till the next one with our relatively new boy Andy on keys!!! That is sure to be a corcker!
Please keep voting y'all
xx xx

"we all have far more balls and umph in our songs ( I love a bit of crunch). "

Charlotte, the above statement just makes me nervously uneasy somehow. (crosses legs for protection)

Magoo wrote:

"we all have far more balls and umph in our songs ( I love a bit of crunch). "

Charlotte, the above statement just makes me nervously uneasy somehow. (crosses legs for protection)

Somehow I doubted I was the only one wincing reading that...

What was that about the next album again?

Errrrr next album!!! I'm sure there WILL be another....
Got a shed loads of gigs to sort first Getting busier for us So n So's Start of next year will hopefully see a string of dates we will call a 'tour' hehehe x

I chose sugarstealer. I don't know Paraphernalia,which seems very good, I like the overlap. Compendium is a little bit more difficult, because of the way of singing (Sorry, Magoo, it's not always my style in this album, but thongs have changed since then.). But I really like the melodies

I really changed my mind. Your voice in compendium is unusual, but really good.