The current HMHB line-up still has Neil on the bass (after a brief stint on guitar, for Some Call It Godcore) and Nigel singing and playing guitar. They're now joined by lead guitarist Ken Hancock and drummer Carl Henry.
Many of the old-guard Biscuit fans are stuck on the band's first album, but newer efforts, particularly the superb Some Call It Godcore are far more rewarding.
The lyrics remain as biting and accurate as ever they were, though still largely sticking to the traditional HMHB themes (football; crap celebrities; a dash of politics.) The recent A Country Practice (from Four Lads Who Shook The Wirral) is a particularly startling satire on New Labour.
Although they ain't virtuosos, the music always feels right, from the recent experiments of A Shropshire Lad through to folky singalongs like Bad Review. Not forgetting, of course, tunes 'borrowed' from the obscurest of places (Recent releases have referenced Agadoo, If I Were A Rich Man, These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things, and even the Outhere Brothers)
A Half Man Half Biscuit album, one review said, "is like baked beans on toast, a recipe in no need of overhaul," and I rather agree. Like that student diet staple, it's satisfying, down to earth, and you miss it when it's gone. Music to enjoy.