Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs And Krauts

Formed by members of melodic pub stars Brinsley Schwarz (which had lost bassist Nick Lowe to a Stiff solo career) and guitarist Martin Belmont from the more boisterous Ducks Deluxe, the Rumour were a skilled and adaptable combo that backed Graham Parker, served as a Stiff house band and made records on its own. Despite the absence of a superlative songwriter, the Rumour made three albums of diverse rock and pop, well-played and imaginatively arranged. The band's Eurocentrically titled second album includes such catchy should-have-beens as "Emotional Traffic," "Frozen Years" and (not the Kinks') "Tired of Waiting."