Eugenius: Eugene Kelly (vocals, guitar); Gordon Keen (guitar); Raymond Boyle (bass); Roy Lawrence (drums).
Additional personnel: Cassell Webb.
Recorded at Chipping Norton Recording Studios, Oxon, England; Britannia Row Studios, London, England.
All songs written by Eugene Kelly.
Personnel: Eugene Kelly (vocals, guitar); Gordon Keen (guitar); Cassell Webb (keyboards, background vocals); Raymond Boyle (bass guitar); Roy Lawrence (drums).
Originally released in 1994, MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS was the second effort by Scottish power popsters Eugenius. Given substantial indie cred in the early 1990s from Kurt Cobain, who was an outspoken fan of both Eugenius and the Vaselines (the first band of Eugenius leader Eugene Kelly), the Scottish outfit created a fair bit of buzz.
Although Eugenius's debut, OOMALAMA, proved to have a bit more staying power, MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS is still packed chock-a-block with Kelly's sweet, dewy-eyed pop charm. Like those of the Vaselines, Eugenius's tunes are na‹ve, hooky, lovely, and highly melodic; though they offer a fuller sound with more guitar crunch. For those who appreciate classic power pop, MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS is certainly worth a spin.
