Stimulus
was the debut from one of the slighter
British folk-rock
songwriters of the late '60s and early '70s.
Keith Christmas
absorbed some good traits -- you can hear bits of
Bob Dylan
,
Bert Jansch
Roy Harper
, and (in the vocal rather than the songwriting)
Ray Davies
, whether by intention or accident. Still, it's kind of a meager effort, imbued with some of the haunting melody and lyrical melancholy that were hallmarks of
(and a few more
country
-ish licks than was typical for the style), but not invested with nearly as much personality as the best exponents of the genre. He did seem a little more comfortable with full if mild
rock
arrangements than some other similar singer/songwriters, but his writing was a little unfocused, and his vocals on the thin side of both timbre and expressiveness. Like too many
folk-rock
and
folk
albums of the era, there was a regrettable venture into forced jolly
vaudeville
(
"Bedsit Two-Step"
), though very impressive
guitar picking was heard on
"Roundabout."
~ Richie Unterberger