A CD version was released in 1991 entitled Stupidity Dr. Only 20,000 copies of the first edition were released, making it a highly sought after album by collectors. On the vinyl record, side one was recorded at Sheffield City Hall 23rd May 1975, and side two recorded at Southend Kursaal 8th November 1975. We said bollocks to all that, this is how a live band really goes to work.” – Lee Brilleaux “Stupidity was the culmination of the revolution against the stack heel and platform shoes brigade, and everything that went with that. Unlike several live albums of the era, it is unadorned with any polished overdubs or editing. They also breath new life into a good dose of blues standards, including Bo Diddley’s I’m a Man, and Rufus Thomas’ Walking the Dog, and the album is swathed in powerhouse guitar, economic solos, and gruff kick-arse vocals. The unvarnished performances encapsulate what this great band were capable of distilling on stage, and the memorable short-sharp, Wilko-penned, rock songs are considerably more exciting than their studio-recorded counterparts. Feelgood’s live shows in front of boozed-up audiences demanding their rock ‘n roll be loud, fast, and delivered with commitment. ![]() Stupidity succeeds by perfectly capturing the stripped down, sweaty anarchy of Dr. In a live setting, the dynamic friction of Lee Brilleaux’s tough vocals and the terse choppiness of Wilko Johnson’s guitar lines, was palpable. He famously prowled the stage when he played, and on Stupidity, you can almost hear him zipping forward and back with his so-called ‘duck-walk’, his right hand chopping across the strings of his signature black telecaster in his own distinctive finger-picking, rhythm/lead guitar style. Sparks, drummer John Martin aka ‘The Big Figure’, and our hero on guitar and occasional lead vocals. Hailing from Canvey Island, near Southend, the original core of the band consisted of legendary lead vocalist and blistering harmonica player Lee Brilleaux, bassist John B. Feelgood as top-drawer practitioners of the live circuit. Johnson continues to do so he played a benefit for Pancreatic Cancer UK in London last week.While their first two albums, DOWN BY THE JETTY (1975) ★★★★★, and MALPRACTICE(1975) ★★★★½, sold respectably, it was their third album, the live STUPIDITY(1976) ★★★★★, that captured the band in their finest essence while consolidating their popularity, reaching #1 on the UK charts and announcing Dr. The glance in the rear-view that is Johnson's ballad Turned 21 is inevitably affecting, but much of Going Back Home chimes with Dylan Thomas's entreaty to "rage against the dying of the light". Lusty harmonica and Johnson's razor-wire Telecaster riffs distinguish raucous standouts such as the title track and I Keep it to Myself, and Daltrey thrives on the music's raw immediacy. Comprising 10 remakes of Johnson songs and a cover of Bob Dylan's Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window, the album is poignant though not sentimental. ![]() When Daltrey finished a world tour with The Who last year and a gap in his diary finally appeared, Johnson's illness ruled out further procrastination. The project was first mooted in 2010 when the pair bonded over their love for Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, rockers from the 1950s. The much-loved Dr Feelgood guitarist was diagnosed with cancer in January 2013, but happily he has fought on long enough to make this gutsy rhythm 'n' blues record with Daltrey. Going Back Home will almost certainly be Wilko Johnson's last album. Wilko Johnson & Roger Daltrey Going Back Home (Chess) ****
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