Extravaganza

by Christopher EvansAfter the lavishly produced The Man in the Bowler Hat, it seemed that Stackridge might have blown their best chance of a commercial breakthrough. Just to make sure they did so good and proper, however, they promptly embarked upon the first of a series of bitter internal disputes that meant any fans turning up to a gig did so wondering who'd be playing and who'd be sat at home nursing a grudge. Whichever way you look at it, though, Extravaganza was a pretty odd follow-up, and one that must have left their new label -- Elton John's Rocket Records -- seething with frustration. By now it must have been clear that expecting Stackridge to focus their energies on a single musical direction was an exercise in futility, and in any case totally contrary to the spirit of the band. But with Andy Davis now calling most of the shots, he and new members Rod Bowkett, Paul Karas, and Keith Gemmell (who replaced Mutter Slater, James Warren, and Mike Evans) set about cultivating a Zappa-ish tendency that, though it had been there from the very beginning, had never before dominated proceedings as it did here. Extravaganza contained no fewer than three (admittedly delightful) intricate jazz-rock instrumentals that recalled the heyday of Hot Rats. Hardly the thing to woo customers attracted by the more pop-friendly Bowler Hat. But of greater concern was the shortage of strong original songs. "The Volunteer" and "Happy in the Lord" (both sung by an uncredited Slater) are classic Stackridge -- warmly melodic and wryly humorous. But "No One's More Important Than the Earthworm" (written by ex-King Crimson member Gordon Haskell during a lightning-fast passage through the band's ranks), "Benjamin's Giant Onion," "Highbury Incident," and "Greasepaint Smiles" are pretty pedestrian fare. Small wonder, then, that for all its good points Extravaganza enjoys a reputation as Stackridge's most unloved -- and least frequently reissued -- album