Stealers Wheel are obviously best known for their wonderful
one hit “Stuck in the Middle with You”, a breezy shuffle delivered in a Dylan
whine that went top-ten in 1973, but their pedigree is stronger than that of
your usual one-hit wonder. Core member Gerry Rafferty went on to a long career
of his own, which kicked into gear with the lovely and sad “Baker Street” in 1977.
Rock and Roll’s pioneering dynamic duo Leiber and Stoller produced Stealers
Wheels’ first two albums. And most important of all, those two albums are very good
beyond the hit on the first one.
The band’s eponymous debut finds them toying with soul
(“Late Again”), Move-style metal (“I Get By”), calypso (“Another Meaning”), and
even power balladry (“You Put Something Better Inside Me”) with consistent
success and bubbly personality. Steelers
Wheel is a collection of poppy, pleasant, well-crafted music with a sort of
underlying “White Album” vibe, though without any of The Beatles’ exciting weirdness.
On Ferguslie Park,
the songwriting and production are not quite as sharp. Even the heavier tracks
sound airy due to Rafferty and cohort Joe Egan’s ethereal harmonies and Leiber
and Stoller’s soft production. The album also lacks a major hit to anchor it,
though the McCartney-esque “Star”, which did go top thirty, the glammy “What
More Could You Want”, and the light metal “Back on My Feet Again” are all
excellent tracks, as are the haunting “Who Cares” and “Everything Will Turn Out
Fine”, which feels a bit like “Stuck in the Middle with You Again”. The Kinky
social commentary that drives through a lot of these songs can be too blunt at
times (see “Good Businessman” and even “Star”), but it contributes to the
album’s unified feel.
The vinyl reissues of Stealers
Wheel and Ferguslie Park
Intervention Records issued last year were created in accordance with that
label’s 100% analog philosophy and really shine as a result. The softness of Ferguslie Park could have turned into
mush with improper mastering, by Intervention keeps it clear and textured.
