This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
“I’d like to shoot you all,” says Stereophonics singer-guitarist Kelly Jones to music critics on Mr. Writer, one of the many acid-tongued ballads on his group’s third album Just Enough Education to Perform (the title itself is another dig at us lowly scribes).
When you think about it, Jones’ little dis is a clever tactic — he’ll likely goad some critics into giving positive reviews to avoid looking spiteful, and he’ll have a ready-made told-ya-so response for the ones who slag him off. And it’s a trick that might come in handy with this moody, lacklustre album. Just as 1999’s Performance and Cocktails rocked less than their ’97 debut Word Gets Around, Just Enough … is another step toward mopery. Aside from the Mandatory Opening Rocker™ Vegas Two Times, none of these 11 cuts cooks with the fury of their old fare. Instead, Jones strums his acoustic guitar, gets all introspective and tells us what’s wrong with the world while the lads provide polite, restrained accompaniment. Yes, Kelly, life is a drag sometimes. That doesn’t mean your album has to be. Yeah, I said it. So shoot me.
