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some creative stifling of his band members. This had the effect that many of his fellow musicians went on to create other projects and front their own bands with a similar individuality and creative flair and in doing so forming a whole community of like minded bands that are to this day striking out in all directions around the world.

The first three songs on the album are taken from the first album, the wonderfully named "Wicked Women, Wicked Men and Wicket Keepers", cricket, along with trains being a recurring reference point. "Stand Into Danger" sums up the bands ability to fuse ancient and modern in their lyrics. Sounding like a ballad recounting an old sea battle, it is actually a well disguised retelling of the night the band were booked to play the Thekla, a old light-ship, now a floating trendy bar, then an alternative music venue. There was friction between band and bookers and it all ended badly and the result, no gig that night but a damned good song. A cross between punk energy and sea shanty with typical harmonious choruses the album is up and running. "Hurling Time" is a waltz time document of social injustice. Guitars chug away as the sorry tale of Wat Tyler and his brush with Richard II is set to a punk dirge, if there is such a thing, there is probably a hidden agenda on this song too but I am yet to work it out. The first albums contribution is rounded off with "Its Probably Going To Rain" Here Porter is at his sneering best. While his voice is rich with the generous tones of the West Country and deep with the anger of the aggrieved, his lyrics brim over with every sort of fascinating twist, turn, allusion and bile. The spirit of punk grafted on to the pop-punk trappings that he now wears.

"The Barman and Other Stories" being their second album marks a slight change of direction. Some of the angst seems to have gone but the lyrics are no less clever and it shows that two years and a couple of changes in the line up can do a lot to the sound of a band. With a backdrop of the sixteenth and seventeenth century looming large behind their outpourings the contributions from this slice of history are an odd choice. "Hard Summer Long" is a beautiful vocal piece that is an exception to their normal sound, but it does lead into a punk version of "He Who Would Valiant Be" no less. "Chilterns" is based on the work of poet Robert Brooke and the only true Blyth song from this era is "Me and Mister Absolutely" which typifies the lack of bite that the band

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