The Wonder Stuff - Escape from Rubbish Island Posted by AlMachine on Monday, October 18, 2004 Its taken over ten years for the stuffies to reform and record something new. They got back together in 2000 for a few christmas shows, and it kinda took off from there. But something happened over the last year, and now the stuffies are only Milo and Malc. What happened? heres what the two Martins have to say: --- It may not have escaped your notice that there is a band out there purporting to be "The Wonder Stuff" who are touring in October. As we see it, we feel that you are owed an explanation. This band is releasing a solo album by Miles Hunt provisionally titled, "Escape From Rubbish Island" and has re-branded it under the name of "The Wonder Stuff" (to be released on IRL recordings, an independent label associated with Spirit Music & Media, Miles' management company). However, we feel it is only right to point out that Martin Gilks & Martin Bell, along with Stuart Quinnell and Peter Whitaker, have nothing whatsoever to do with either this tour or the recording. We perceive this as merely a marketing ploy by Hunt & IRL. It appears that Malcom Treece will be making an appearance with this group, although we have had no confirmation from Malcom at this time. We would like to thank everyone who has supported us since the reformation concerts in December 2000 and are sorry that things have ended up the way they have. But this situation is not of our making. Martin Bell & Martin Gilks. --- Rumour is they fell out over last years over-ambitious christmas dates (massive venues and massive cost) which didn't go nearly as well as planned. But who knows? Does anybody care? (i do). For this album, Milo recruited former Radical Dance Faction Bassist Mark McCarthy. Who is possibly the nearest he could get to the long-departed Bass Thing (RIP Bob). Finishing the new lineup (on the album at least) is former AMEN drummer Luke Johnson. Although live, it seems to be Andres Karu (of miles hunt club and amazing meet project fame) filling in on drums. Okay, is it a wonder stuff album or not? the answer is yes. kind of. This album hasn't left my stereo since it arrived in the post. It's beautiful. But after a few listens, you can tell the difference in the lineup. No fiddles for a start. Make of that what you will, some people hated Fiddly's work on a lot fo the songs. Me? I thought it was overkill on some songs, but other tunes required it. "ten trenches deep" will never be the same again when they play it live. For obsessive stuffies/miles hunt fans, its easy to tell this is really a Miles Hunt solo album that has been rebranded as the stuffies. In no way is this a bad thing, it's just a shame that they have fallen out again. So. On to the actual album. Right from the start, you can tell it is going to be something of beauty. Title track (and opener) "escape from rubbish island" is a classic song in the style of construction-era wonder Stuff. It shows Miles' desire to get out of this shithole called England... "Just get me off this sinking ship... Yeah I may be a rat, but i can live with that... Only some place else"... as he says in an interview "I'd rather be a guest in someone else's country that feel like I bear any of the responsibilities of how our government treats Britains population". And current single "Better get ready for a fist fight" shows that Milo still has that anger and energy that made the early stuffies albums such works of art, as do "another comic tragedy", "back to work", and "love's LTD". Other tracks on the album seem more at home amongst Milo's last album "The Miles Hunt Club". Either way, it's all fantastic stuff, and a lot of people won't really be able to tell the difference betwenn a true group effort, and this rebadged solo effort. Any output from Milo/the stuffies has to be a good thing, and this most definitely is a wonderful thing. Just a shame its at the expense of the friendship of the rest of the original band. This makes me sad. But It's hard to stay too mad at Miles from coming up with such a beautiful album. Wanye