Martin Stannard

Martin's last book was "A Hundred of Happiness and Other Poems" from

Smith/Doorstop in 1995. This month Stride has just published "Conversations

with Myself", selected reviews and notes from 1984-1999. He can be

reached at martin.stannard@talk21.com.

MY FAVOURITE POP GROUPS NOT IN ANY SPECIAL ORDER

Two Girls And An Umbrella – Some Much Younger – The Wild Eyebrows

– The People From Over The Road – Caution Horses – The Fondly Recalled

– The Family Of Brothers – Rachmaninov’s Nightshirt – The Whites of Their

Eyes – The Potato Graders – The As If We Cared – The Silence Is Finally

At An End – Translated From The English – The Pity Me’s – The 4th World War

– A Race Apart From That – The Water Carers – Five Different People Each

With A Part To Play – The Slowly Descending Stares – Decline and Decline Some

More – The In Love Again – The Emily Dickinsons – Backwards Over Falling

– The Chances Of Things Getting Better Are Not Very Goods – The What?

– The Expectations Of Men Are Always Confounded – The Life Of Sigmund

Freud – The Wittering On – Slow Trains – My Fucking Valentine – The Surprise

Phone Call – Our Friend Jennings – The Half-Full Metal Jackets – The There’s

Something Here But I Don’t Know Whats – The Concord Buttons – Pearl and

Orbis – The Religion Of Family – Happiness Guaranteed – For Love Nor Money

– Angels By Day – The Sky Looks So Special – The Wallow – Exotic Jasmine -

Architectural Boys and Urban Babes – The 5th of July – Everything You Know

– The Things That Have To Be Said – La La La La La La La La La La – My

Sailboat Glide – A Little Bit Of Courage – The Dukeries – The Hollow Men

– Connie Francis Fan Club - Stop Doing That – Plus – The Something Or Others

– Dear Ruth – The Day For Action – The Three Most Widely Recognised Men Who

Cannot Be Trusted – Gorillas – The White Cascading Water – Cup and Mail

– She Pin – The Slight Damage Never Mind – Who The Why – Forty-Seven

And No Longer Counting – The World To Me – Leaf – The Back They Laugh Behind

– The Especial Moments – Why I Had To Do It – Your Smile On My Face – The

End Of Things – Watching For Opportunity – The Useless Advice – The

Not Relevants - The Waste Landers – Because I’m Fucked Up

(MORE OF) MY FAVOURITE POP GROUPS NOT IN ANY SPECIAL ORDER

Vow Of Celibacy Gang – The Villanelles – Pauline Smith’s Worst Nightmare

– A Cat – Three People All Of Whom Are Over Six Foot Four – We’re Not

Very Good But We’re Triers – Or – A Broken Dream – As If Alone – The Sad

Violins – The Very Gods – The Lucky Girls – The Heavenly City Of The

Eighteenth Century Philosophers featuring DJ Sex Groove – The Happiness

– Indelibubble – The Sheep In Shadow – We’re Against Stuff – The Day

Lady Died – The Silver Spectacles – Facing The Wind – The Back Of Your Head

– Open Mouths – The Lives – The Coast Of Africa – Devils By Night – The Line,

It’s Been Reached – Doing Fine – The Acapulco Girl Band – Notorious Birds

– The Shooting Is Over – The Other Side Of Town – The Bracelets – The Mothers

And The Fathers – Spain – Me Cry – Spa Town Cloth Cap Gamblers – The Sighs

– The Surrender – Ruby O Ruby – Trial And The Tribulations – The Electricians

– Older Men – Love No More – The Real Answer – The Beatles – The Comfort Zone

– Pie City – The World To Me – Che Guevara’s Mates – Shark Waters – A Slice

Of Life – Upon Truth – The Wilkinsons – The Lakes – Always Be There – The Men

From Ma’s – Four Franks – The Big Stiff Pricks - Ear Clip Symbolists

– Shapelessness – The Poet Laureates – Dome – Karl Marx and Diana Spencer

– The Loop – The Shepherds – Flock By Night – The Squalor – Shipping Out

– The Bards – Sequential Stress – Comperes Of Chaos – The Bank Statements

– Explaining Things To Ruby – Yes We Will – Everything Must Change

– The Donovans – File Edit View – Rocking Horse Manure – La Derbyshire

– The Heavier Than Thous – Pin Top Saxophonists – The O’Angels – The Cups

Of Tea – That Which Silently Approaches – You Had Your Chance – Girls

Discussing Girls – We Are Us

The Unashamed – Okay – The Takings – All Of The Alphabet – Spendthrifty

– All Of The Gamblers – Sheridan Group Tombola – Crickety Crick

– The Answering – Cuddle Thunder – The No Mads - The Mouse Alhambras

– The Doncasters – Works – Another 6% - The Bath Waters – Things Could

Not Be Better – Huh!! – The River Thames – My Only Childhood – Violins And

Violins – The Yeats – Radio Video – The Borings – Mr. Grumpy – The Peter

Schmiechels – The Scarlet Pimpernells – Shallo – O, I Don’t Know And I Don’t

Care – Shop Shop – A Boy A Girl – The Wolverhampton Wanderers – Excuse Me

– You’re Going To Have A Wonderful Time – Name That Tune – The Bob Monkhouse

Band – Unacknowledged Legislators Of The Estate – The Money – Advancing Years

– The Europeans – There’s Nobody Here – Ponies Or Horses – The Suspended

Animals – O Toes – Garden Peace – You Sounded Different – But You Weren’t

– Cello Army – The Arsenal – Ground – A Telescopic View – The Defensives

– A Nice Bloke Or Two – The Unwelcome Advances – You Sound Like Me – The

Befores And Afters – No More Of That – Tired And Tried – The Lifes – The Wide

Open Cunts – The Sudden Lapse Of Taste - The Chess Club – Shush – The Phils

– Ask No More – The Lost Cause – Complete Finished – The Lisas – The Over-

weights – I Do This – Our Dad- The Sunshines – The Bandages On My Arm – The

Cantos - ! Oh Alright Then – The Nearly Dones – Shape And Shop – The Road

To Eakring Is Fraught With Desire – The Impalables – Squashed – Various

Subjects – The Attachments – Chinese Lanterns – The Kitchens – Pencil Tips

– Can’t – Special Mentions – The Sevens Of Nine – I Was Wondering – The

Jasmines – The Johns – Palimpsest Concourse Gang – The Imitators – More

Successful Than You – Confounded Grammarians – Wine Arias – The I Love This

– The Beethovens – The Extracts – Something By George Harrison

– The Unconditional – Is This The End? – The Yes Mads – Extradition – Swiss

Maids – Les Embarrassments – Fred Table And The Chairs – The Parting Remarks

– The Crassly Commercials – The Forgotten Greats – The Necks – Pulling Ourself

Together – Hitting The Ground – The Eye Witnesses – Monique’s Panties

– The Important Utterances – Two Weeks Running – The Morning After – Say Yes

To Stress

Martin Stannard