Street Rats

A&M, 1975

Four years, 21 tours, three US hit albums – and at the end of it they were broke. It wasn’t just the crazy lifestyle. It was also the suits and cigars that ‘handled’ their money. Marriott left to make a solo album at the same as recording a side project with Ridley. But another US tour was booked anyway and another album was needed to promote it. So the label and management simply stole the tapes from Marriott’s home studio and turned it into one last Pie album. Although any album on which Marriott sings only five of its 11 tracks, and only three are co-written by him, cannot really be classed as such. Amazingly, some of it is still enjoyable.