Joe Giddings - Stories With Guitars

 

I've been with Joe Giddings from the very beginning. I was introduced to the Star Collector debut album, Songs For The Whole Family, just after its 1999 release. It was beloved in Bucketful Of Brains circles. Just one album from them and then Giddings resurfaced on Not Lame (who else?) in 2002 with The JTG Implosion's All The People Some Of The Time.

Both are still played regularly at IDHAS Towers. I also gathered the 4 volumes of the self released download only All Themes Considered between 2012 - 2014. IDHAS started in 2016 after the release of his solo album, Better From Here, earlier in the year.

Joe Giddings made his debut here with the Kool Kat Reissue of Better From Here in 2020. You can read that review here. Keith Klingensmith's Futureman Records label has also done a fine job of keeping all things Giddings alive download wise.

So to 2025 and the excellent Stories With Guitars. All the trademark Giddings strengths are here and more. Often slotted into Power Pop, a genre that doesn't naturally fit as it doesn't with the likes of Cheap Trick, who Rock far more. Giddings strength as a Guitarist allows meatier fayre as well as an ability tread into AOR at times.

Buth there are traits of Jellyfishe her, particularly on You Are The Star and Song At The End Of The World. He also gets instrumentally into the territory of The Darkness on both My Riviera and Adrenalin. But vocal wise, there is ease with fast and slow and there is a real strength in the vocal harmonies.

Songs are written as stories at times and the strength of those vocal harmonies and the instrumentals overshadow how lyrically adept the man is. These 11 songs may be melodic overload, but they are never heads down.

Then there is David Stepanski, as good a Jangle Pop song that you will hear all year. The stand out for me is Pandora's Brand New Box, a Glam Rock gem, a genre that Giddings has also excelled at, that turns into a surprise jaunty Pop Rock sing along. Stories With Guitars is essential listening.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The CD is available on the Kool Kat label here.

..................

I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2020 : 11-20

It's been difficult to get these choices down to 100. I'm also not a believer in saying one album is better than another. Most of the time you are comparing Apples To Oranges. I'm not a List person, I just think what's the point.

However, for the last few years I have compiled annual Best Of 's because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. There is no meaning or judgement on an album that is Number 1, Number 100 or not on the list. Anything that I review on here, mention on Social Media or play on the Radio Show is as highly recommended.

I would also add that the Top 100 includes albums available as Download Only. To suggest that they are anything less than equal to a Physical release is grossly unfair, even more so in 2020 with all that has happened during the year. To qualify, an album has to be available for sale in any format.

For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to where you can find further details on how to listen or buy the album. 

No 11 : Nick Frater - Fast & Loose    IDHAS Review

No 12 : Joe Giddings - Better From Here      IDHAS Review








No 13 : Silver Sun - Switzerland     IDHAS Review

 

No 14 : Sparks - A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip          IDHAS Review

      

No 15 : Greg Pope - Wishing On A Dark Star    IDHAS Review

No 16 : Mason Summit - Negative Space       IDHAS Review




  



No 17 : The Foreign Films - Ocean Moon     IDHAS Review

No 18 :  Mooner - The Alternate Universe of Love    IDHAS Review

No 19 : Kiwi Jr. - Football Money   IDHAS Review

          

No 20 : Parsonsfield - Happy Hour On The Floor         IDHAS Review

.................

Joe Giddings - Better From Here (2020 Remaster)

 

Towards the end of the Nineties, I was recommended to the Star Collector album that had just been released. I was absolutely hooked and have attentively followed Joe Giddings career ever since. Songs For The Whole Family remains one of my favourite albums ever.

The excellent Futureman Records also released a collection of Unreleased songs, Demos and Live Tracks from the same period, Collected Stars. You can listen and buy that here. However I digress with all this fanboy stuff and should return to the matter in hand.

Kool Kat have released a remastered version of Joe's splendid solo album, Better From Here and it truly sounds amazing. There's a real sound clarity that has enhanced the original release. This is Pop Rock of the highest order from start to finish.

Lately, the Power Pop fraternity seem to have lost sight of what a difference the 90's Power Pop Revival made. Popular Music had been hammered by the Dance Revival and depressed by the self absorbed Grunge. Better From Here may have been recorded two decades later, but it has the feel of everything that was good about that revival. 

Big Choruses, Riffs aplenty, harmonies galore and break out Guitar Solos abound. Gone So Far is in Jellyfish territory, Rock And Roll is monster Glam Rock and Brand New Day is march along Monkees. Irrelevant is an absolute self effacing joy that romps along. 

Alone But As One is the anthem, Amity Horror nods towards Weezer while not forgetting it wants to be Cheap Trick. The title track sums up everything you need to know about the album, underlining how music can make the darkest days bright. Always Raining Somewhere is another cracker with a fab Steel Guitar accompaniment.

In a righteous world, Joe Giddings would be idolised, whilst counting the cash from his million sellers. The Hype and Lowest Common Denominator choices don't allow this. These days it takes 12 people to write a song that isn't half as good as the songs on display here. Highly Recommended!

You can buy the CD from Kool Kat here. The album is also available to listen to and download on Joe's Bandcamp site here, where you can tuck in to other goodies. I've embedded three songs to listen to from here, but I could have chosen any of the 12.

..........................................