Black Grape
Stupid Stupid Stupid

THE REVIEW

Black Grape, chapter 2/2.
Several months ago, I took the liberty of officially introducing this collective at DeBasio, and today I complete its brief discographic cycle with this album.

To cut a long story short, Black Grape was formed in 1993, shortly after the dissolution of the Happy Mondays, precisely by Shaun Ryder and Bez (members of the latter), joined by other members of the lesser-known Ruthless Rap Assassins.
In 1995, they released a fantastic album that was a real surprise, titled "It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah" (you already know the artwork, as it is also the avatar of the good Carlos), which offered a fresh and eclectic blend of Britpop, Hip Hop, Funk Rock, Alternative Dance, and more.

"Stupid Stupid Stupid" was released in 1997 and, alas, there were no repetitions... at least, commercially speaking.

Looking at the album overall, it's noticeable that the group seems relatively dull and listless on more than one occasion: the exuberant personality seen and heard in the previous album is missing. It's inevitable to make the comparison, as the thread it follows is exactly identical to the debut, in a drier and more lackluster version for the most part.
The production is simpler, with the abandonment of several exotic instruments that had characterized them (sitar and harmonica, among others) to make way for more Hip Hop tracks, with beats that undoubtedly leave much to be desired (examples are "Rubber Band" and "Tell Me Something"). Many tracks probably already existed during the recording of "It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah" and without too much effort, they recycled material for the aforementioned album.
It does, however, find strong points in its first part, with the captivating and hypnotic opener "Get Higher", a sort of tribute to soft drugs, "Squeaky" and its bold and drunken riffs, but above all "Dadi Waz A Badi", the most satisfying result of this effort, which creates a frenzy between Funk and Hip Hop bringing an excellent burst of enthusiasm.
Also worth mentioning is "Lonely", which is nothing more than a cover of "I've Been Lonely For So Long" by Frederick Knight, a certainly decent, genuine and easy-going attempt, where hints of a slightly different sound can finally be heard, with horns (saxophones, in particular) finding space.
In the end, it's a good album that's easy to listen to light-heartedly, but perhaps I'm a bit biased (in fact, I've rounded up the score). If you want to approach this group, I absolutely recommend the debut.

Given the halfway flop achieved and the increase in financial (Bez) and personal problems in general, shortly thereafter Ryder fired the rest of the members while they were on a promotional tour in 1998, only to reconcile for an occasion in 2010 and again in 2015 seemingly returning to activity.
The original artwork is very amusing, which included the addition of the so-called googly eyes.