Reviews

Artist:Various Artists
Album:The Big Stiff Box Set
Label:Salvo
Tracks:98 (4CD)
Rating: ****
Contact:www.salvo-music.co.uk

Looking back from the naughties it's difficult to remember what an influential record label Stiff was and is. In many people's minds, the label was associated with the start of punk and new wave, with the famous advert tag oine, "If It Ain't Stiff, It Ain't Worth A F", well you know the rest. There was more, much more than that.
A tour through this 98 track four cd collection confirms that. Yes it features the big hitters, the top tenners, the finest moments, the different musical styles, but it also provides the context, the bands that sat alongside and who didn't make the same impact on the public perception, but who made a valuable contribution to the feel of the time. The supports, the warm ups
Regardless of genre, Stiff were always capable of pulling off the unexpected. One of their most surprising releases was the Ronald Reagan album "The Wit & Wisdom Of Ronald Reagan", an album that caused quite a stir at the time, but has faded a bit from the public consciousness in recent years. An extract is the sign off track on CD4. One listen will tell you all you need to know about both the album and Stiff Records
With very few exceptions, Stiff acts had one thing in common, they knew the power of songs and knew how to perform them. That was as true of the punk/new wavers as it was of the pub rockers, the ska bands, the pop acts, the countryfied singer songwriters, the bands that just defied classificfation all knew how to deliver a song.
What they might not have been able to do was deliver an entire album, a number of bands were signed on short term single only deals. A sort of suck it and see approach. Some went on to sign full deals, others walked in to recording contracts elsewhere and some enjoyed their fifteen minutes of fame before disappearing back into the primordial musical swamp.
Many of the names on The Big Stiff Box are household names, Madness, The Pogues, Tracey Ullman, Kirsty MacColl, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Elvis Costello, to name just a few, others brought not a single flicker of memory, when I read the names, or indeed listened to the tracks, artists like Ruefrex, The Yachts, Tommy Chase artists that brought the reaction of who.
There was also a sense of avant garde about many of the releases, Ian Dury came from the left field, but no one expected the old musical hall and strange walker Max Wall to come in from that same wing with an absolutely fantastic track "England's Glory", his first single at the ripe old age of sixty nine.
This 4CD 98 track set also comes with a 68 page booklet that explores Stiff Records and the acts that appeared on it. Penned by Ian Peel it's a delightful exploration of the bands that provided the music. It answered many of the questions I thought about as I listened to the music. Ian's contribution is as great as the artists that appear on the cds and completes a really great box set, one that I have no hestitation in recommending.

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