Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Between the mid '80s and early '90s this zany bunch from Cheltenham were mainstays of the live circuit and Greenbelt festivals. They played a startling mixture of gospel and skiffle which could be called goffle or was it punk and skiffle? Hmmm. that might be piffle! Their live shows were packed with fun songs about teenage werewolves, wives hovering heads or red telephone boxes as well as more serious songs about injustice and faith. It was a lethal combination and they were well loved. The comic songs helped the band connect with an audience and then they skilfully communicated their more serious side. This long-deleted album from 1987 is an absolute classic and captures everything that made the band great. From entertaining crowd-pleasers like "Born To Be A Brownie", "Dirtville Werewolf" and "Trainspotters" to more pointed message songs like "Proud", "Dictator" and "Freedom Is A Sweet Word", Fat And Frantic still sound a lot of fun hearing this album almost 25 years later.

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