Stereophonics' extras are well worth it

THESE first two albums by the Welsh rockers, dating from 1997 and 1999, are widely acknowledged to be their best.

Word ... contained songs of the calibre of A Thousand Tress, More Life In A Tramp's Vest and Traffic, but it's the extras which makes this reissue – available as a 2CD or 3CD set – worth it.

B-sides Carrot Cake And Wine and Tie Me Up Tie Me Down are as good as anything they've written, and there's eight unreleased songs, including three from a Newcastle University show.

Performance ... was their first No1, propelled by the success of The Bartender And The Thief and Just Looking.

There's deluxe or super-deluxe versions here too, comprising B-sides, BBC sessions and live tracks, with a version of The Kinks' Sunny Afternoon among the highlights. 8/10 each. GW