The band where signed to John Peels Dandelion Records, and really stood as the most raucous, noisy, and nasty band to appear on the label- which is often known more for it’s folk/ hippy/trippy focus. Stack Waddy came from Timperley(also home of Frank Sidebottom!), Manchester, and  they where the epitome of spit, beer, sweat & fag ash covered Blues Rock.

The three disc set comes in a similar package to that of  fellow Dandelion band Principal Edwards Magic Theatre box set (also on Cherry Red). Featuring a slim line card folder, which takes in the three discs, each in their own card sleeve, plus a twenty-page colour booklet.

For the main two albums- 1971’s Self Titled & 1972’s Bugger off. The bands line-up for these two albums was John Knail - vocals, harmonica, Steve Revell - drums, percussion, Mick Stott - electric guitar, and Stuart Banham - bass guitar.

So first up we have the bands self-titled debut, and the reproduced vinyl artwork features lo-if monochrome almost photo copy like shots of the band, which of course prefect fits the rough & ready feel of the release it’s self. The album takes in ten tracks, and a thirty five minute playtime. Opening proceedings we have “Road Runner”- a self penned track which sounds like the slurred, dirty, and grimy garage blues rock take on theme song from Uk’s 90’s violent slapstick comedy Bottom. As we move on we get the wailing ‘n’ raucous guitar & harmonica groove of “Mothballs”- which features singer John Knail roughly crooning like he’s just crawled from under a bar table. On to the slurred ‘n’ dirty blues  guitar chug of  “Rolling Stone”. All in all Stack Waddy is certainly a nonsense/ no-fills debut release- showing the band in all it’s raw blues rock power.

Next up of course we have the  bands second album, the wonderfully titled Bugger Off. And this is a twelve track affair that really pushes the bands sound even further into raw & un-produced. The albums title actually comes from a response the band gave to John Peel, when he asked them to do more than one take.  For this album we get a mixture covers & self penned tracks, and some of the highlights come in the form of their cover of the Beefheart/ zappa "Willy The Pimp", which is wonderful sleazed, crude, and haphazard. Onto face-slamming proto metal/ punk stomp of "I'm Your Hoochie-Coochie Man". Or sleazy 'n' sloppy guitar chug & manic harmonica honking groove of "Repossion Boogie".

Both of the first two discs just feature the bare-bones albums, as they where originally released. So all extra/ bonus tracks come on the third disc which is entitled Hunt The Stag. This takes in a selection of outtakes, live recordings & rarities- in all we get fourteen tracks, and just over an hour playing time. And this gives us more of the bands crude & noisy blues rock sound, as well as a few slightly more controlled examples of the genre. As a extra disc it has it’s interesting moments, but I think the over hour length doesn’t help it’s cause- as really Stack Waddy need to be felt in shorter/ sharper doses, and of course as this is an odds & end collection the song writing quality is a little varied.

The set is topped off with the twenty page inlay booklet- this features a new eleven page write-up about the band. A selection of poster/ single art work, fittingly crude live pics. Reproduction of John Peels liner notes from the Bugger Off album &  typewriter write-up entitled “tales of Stack Waddy” from 1972.

Kudos must go to Cherry Red for uncovering & reissuing the work of Stack Waddy, and their raw & raucous take on the blues rock genre. For fans of lo-fi pub rock, the place between the blues & proto metal, and generally sloppy & noisy 70’s rock.