They had a #1 hit and one of the most enduring (and controversial) hits of the 70s in Brother Louie the groundbreaking song about an interracial love affair recently heard (in a re-recorded version) as the theme song of Louis C.K. s hit TV series Louie but Stories have never had any kind of collection devoted to their work. One reason for that might be that the band had two distinct eras: the first two albums with Ian Lloyd and the Left Banke s Michael Brown as co-leaders of the band, and the third and final album with Lloyd as the sole frontman. Which we have kept in mind in putting together in this compilation, which features four single sides that have never been on CD. Stories Untold starts with the Two by Two (I m Losing You) / Love Songs in the Night single taken from the Ultra Violet s Hot Parts soundtrack that was purportedly recorded by the Left Banke but was credited to Steve Martin, who was a founding member of that group along with Brown. We also include the solo singles that Brown and Lloyd released on the Kama Sutra and Scotti Bros. labels, respectively. But at the heart of the collection are the songs the band released as Stories and Ian Lloyd & Stories the original hit single versions of Brother Louie, I m Coming Home, Darling, Mammy Blue and If It Feels Good, Do It, plus key album tracks, all remastered at Sony s Battery Studios in New York. Larry Watts notes untangle the story behind Stories. 19 tracks of superb progressive pop from the 70s!
D**D
Underrated Band & Ian Lloyd solo tracks
This is a very nice overview of a woefully underrated band, not to mention some solo material by one of their key members, Ian Lloyd. I have another CD by Stories (the 2-for-1 CD with their first album and "About Us"), so my biggest concern was ordering a CD that would duplicate tracks that I already have. Indeed, 7 songs on this collection are also on the other Stories CD that I have, but there are enough other good songs, plus the Ian Lloyd material, that I felt getting this compilation was worth purchasing.I won't go into much detail about the history of Stories, as Wayne Klein already did that in his excellent review. Needless to say, despite a handful of hit singles, they never seemed to get a lot of notice amongst rock critics or fans. All the more puzzling, because they had a copious treasure chest of great songs, vibrant rockers built on a solid pop foundation.Besides the fantastic Stories material, the big draw for me was getting these Ian Lloyd tracks. I used to have his "Goosebumps" album on vinyl back when it came out in 1979 and I loved it. It fused the new wave power-pop energy of that era with Lloyd's Stories roots. Three songs from "Goosebumps" are included on this CD, plus another solo song, "Do You Wanna Touch" (a Gary Glitter song that was also covered by Joan Jett that same year) from his "Third Wave Civilization" album. Great stuff, but it only makes me wish that "Goosebumps" itself was reissued as a CD!This CD comes with a 12-page booklet that has an essay about Stories and Ian Lloyd's solo career written by Larry R. Watts. The track listings include songwriting credits and original label and recording dates, but no song times.
M**B
a new story
very underated group from the seventies saw them in the early seventies at a amustment park thought they were special then cd has a lot of their best stuff good music and memories
D**O
THAT GROUP HAD SONG'S LIKE ( WALK AWAY RENEE / PRETTY BALLERINA ) I ...
YAA ..STORIES .... BROTHER LOUIE ... I REMEMBER THAT VARY WELL .... BACK IN 1973 ..... TWO OF THE MEMBER OF STORIES ARE FROM THE GROUP CALLED ( THE LEFT BANKE ) STEVE MARTIN AND MICHAEL BROWN .... THAT GROUP HAD SONG'S LIKE ( WALK AWAY RENEE / PRETTY BALLERINA ) I HAVE THE ( THERE 'S GONNA BE A STORM - 1966 - 1969 ) I HAVE JUST GOTTEN THE STORIES ( THE VARY BEST OF STORIES ) GOOD .
P**L
A++ For Sure
Excellent chronology of a group that was greatly overlooked in the states. This is truly the best compilation by these guys. One you really can't miss with!!! You will love it!
K**B
70's nostalgia at its finest
Great CD!! Brings back lots of memories from my youth.
D**S
Not bad, and has a few nice songs. (Would've been neat for under $10)
From my knothole... There are a few nice cuts on this album, such as "Brother Louie" (of course, unless you like Hot Chocolate's version better), a cover of Mammy Blue (although Los Pop Tops' original version was much better) and Ian's solo gem "Slip Away." Overall, though, you will probably see why Stories never hit it really big. And, comparatively, this collection is a bit too pricey.That said... if Stories' music really strikes your fancy, this should be an excellent, comprehensive collection for you.
S**Y
Great
Great CD has all their hits on it.
C**R
Five Stars
Excellent Compilation. Covers Every Aspect Of Ian Lloyd And The Group.
T**Y
Following the Left Banke trail!
Following the trail from all CDs linked to Left Banke to Montage to the two Stories albums to this "Best of" and now awaiting vinyl "Goosebumps" there are so many hidden gems here the journey has been brilliant. Amazing that artists can cope with so many great tracks going unnoticed and yet keep on! Take a bow!!
M**E
Mostly excellent selection from a very underrated band and singer
Mostly excellent selection from a very underrated band and singer. Personally I could do without the 3 "hits" but the triplet of tracks from Travelling Underground - Bridges, Stories Untold and Earthbound/Freefall - are standouts.
Trustpilot
2 months ago
2 weeks ago
