You don't have to know who "the boys in the river" are (one of many obscure
Jobson lyrical references) for this album to work for you. You don't even have to care. Musically,
the Skids were branching out and writing some illustrious pop tunes. Admittedly, the ensemble chanting in "Woman in Winter" presaged
Adamson's future career in
Big Country, but the real joy here is the single "Circus Games." The production by
Mick Glossop is razor-sharp too; it's absolute silliness, granted, but great fun if you can overlook the band's much-cited pretensions. However, the band deserves no prizes for calling the bonus disc which was originally issued with the album Strength Through Joy -- a stupid move given the Nazi accusations
Jobson had already faced down. ~ Alex Ogg