Performer Notes

Black Grape: Shaun Ryder, Paul "Kermit" Leveridge (vocals); Paul "Wags" Wagstaff (guitar); Ged Lynch (drums, percussion); Bez "Bez" Bez.
Additional personnel: Danny Saber (guitar, Hammond organ, keyboards, bass, programming); Stephen Lironi (slide guitar, Hammond organ, keyboards, programming); Nik Nicholl (slide guitar); Dahni Birihani (sitar); Bledynn Richards (harmonica); Martin Slattery (saxophone); Anthony Guarderas (bass); Michael Scherchen (programming); Emma Day, Helen Vigneau, Psycho (background vocals).
Producers: Danny Saber, Stephen Lironi, Shaun Ryder.
Engineers include: Phil Ault, Danny Saber, Jim Spencer.
Recorded at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales; Chapel Studios, Alford, Linconshire, England; Boundary Row, London, England.
Personnel: Psycho , Paul "Kermit" Leverage, Shaun Ryder (vocals); Paul "Wags" Wagstaff (guitar); Stephen Lironi (slide guitar, keyboards, programming); Martin Slattery (saxophone); Danny Saber (keyboards, programming); Ged Lynch (drums, percussion); Bez (maracas); Michael Scherchen (programming); Helen Vigneau (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Tom Lord-Alge.
Recording information: Boundary Row, London, England; Chapel Studios, Alford, Lincolnshire, England; Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales.
Photographer: Pat Carroll.
Unknown Contributor Role: Tom Lord-Alge.
Few could have been expecting great things from ex-Happy Monday Shaun Ryder, last seen drug-addled and artistically barren when that group fizzled out unceremoniously. However, his return was glorious - harnessing the remixing talents of Danny Saber and the croaky rapping of Kermit, It's Great... offered an instant high for party people. Ryder's slurred rantings and nonsense lyrics seemed more at home than ever: 'A Big Day In The North' most clearly recalled the Mondays sound, but the mighty 'Reverend Black Grape', 'Kelly's Heroes' and the irresistible invitation to 'Shake Your Money' defined the funky, in-yer-face Black Grape sound.

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (11/16/95, p.111) - 3 Stars - Good - "...With his shady background and Northern England working-class accent, Ryder is a surreal street-beat poet whose raucous authenticity masks a careful lyrical craft..."

Q (2/96, p.64) - Included in Q's 50 Best Albums of 1995.

Q (9/95, p.113) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...In Kermit, Shaun Ryder has found probably his perfect musical foil, in that he is now happily half of a wonderfully demented rap duo..."

Melody Maker (12/23-30/95, pp.66-67) - Ranked #4 on Melody Maker's list of 1995's 'Albums Of The Year.'

Melody Maker (8/5/95, p.33) - Recommended - "...represents the most impressive resurrection ever of a dead artist (metaphorically speaking, of course).... Shaun Ryder is once again the charismatic focus of a busy, brilliant music scene and Manchester is re-established as Britain's centre of diseased intelligence..."

NME (Magazine) (12/23-30/95, pp.22-23) - Ranked #3 in NME's 'Top 50 Albums Of The Year' for 1995.

NME (Magazine) (8/5/95, p.43) - 10 (out of 10) - "...could've blown the [Happy] Mondays' PILLS'N'THRILLS AND BELLYACHES out of the water....Every song's a potential hit single yet it works brilliantly as a whole album. It's the British equivalent of the last two Beastie Boys' albums rolled into one....[a] bleeding classic..."

Album: It's Great When You're Straight ... Yeah
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Reverend Black Grape	More Info...	5:14
2)	In The Name Of The Father	More Info...	4:22
3)	Tramazi Parti	More Info...	4:45
4)	Kelly's Heroes	More Info...	4:23
5)	Yeah Yeah Brother	More Info...	4:10
6)	A Big Day In The North	More Info...	4:10
7)	Shake Well Before Opening	More Info...	5:41
8)	Submarine	More Info...	3:51
9)	Shake Your Money	More Info...	4:14
10)	Little Bob	More Info...	5:34

Album: It's Great When You're Straight ... Yeah
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Reverend Black Grape	More Info...	5:14
2)	In The Name Of The Father	More Info...	4:22
3)	Tramazi Parti	More Info...	4:45
4)	Kelly's Heroes	More Info...	4:23
5)	Yeah Yeah Brother	More Info...	4:10
6)	A Big Day In The North	More Info...	4:10
7)	Shake Well Before Opening	More Info...	5:41
8)	Submarine	More Info...	3:51
9)	Shake Your Money	More Info...	4:14
10)	Little Bob	More Info...	5:34