Q Magazine, February, 1993
THE WEDDING PRESENT
Hit Parade Part II
RCA 74321 12775
A feat of dedication to a perfectly piffling idea was The Wedding Present's Elvis-equaling 12 Top 30 singles in a year. However, by the time this album has gathered together both sides of the last half dozen singles, then added a "bonus" compilation of the A-sides in versions taken from various radio sessions, the band's tottering, peg-legged punkiness has outstayed its welcome. The most recent hitette, No Christmas, is the best track - an orgy of dynamics taking the indie-guitar-cacophony-versus-shy-retiring-vocal strategy to an extreme. But that only emphasises chief prankster David Gedge's failure to come up with one memorable song. Even the covers are quirky crap, with the oddly convincing exception of Theme From Shaft. An engaging scam all the same. **
Phil Sutcliffe