The Stupids — Retard Picnic
The original album featured 16 tracks which for the most part didn’t go much above the 2 minute mark & these are speedy yet highly memorable tracks lined with bubblegum-tastic tuneful speedy punked hardcore and chugging guitar trash make outs, that are filled with boisterous, buoyant often chanted vocals. The tone never getting too Serious , nasty or politically unlike a lot of the bands around in the Uk hardcore/Grindcore at the same time i.e. Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror, Doom,Electro Hippies, Intense Degree. With even two all out comedy songs/ tracks which end either side of the original vinyl firstly there’s Hawaiian Vacation which is the band messing about over Hawaiian music and the other People in My Neighbourhood which follows the albums comic but un-PC artwork and title about a demented picnic for ‘Special people’.
There’s a bumper crop of extra tracks in all 26 to top off the original albums tracks. These consist of a few alternative takes of original album tracks, more fun tracks like the mock funk and punk vibe of Arthur C Clarke’s Army. And topping the disk off wonderfully is pumped up, shambolic live show from Washington in 1987, with the only disappointment been it would have be nice to have some footage from the show in the form of a DVD- but you really can’t complain with this superb reissue.
The Stupids were one of my favourite bands of my late teenage years- so when I saw this had come out I was egger to hear it. But slightly cautious too that I may have outgrown their humorous and hardcore charms since I listen to hardly anything like this these days. But it brought a big smile to lips and made me want to merryly slam dancing again for the first time in years. Really if you dig speedy, memorable guitar music with a distinct twist of humour and fun Retard Picnic is unmissble and surprisingly undated joy.