I am a sucker for radio sessions. For the fan for whom official releases are never enough, sessions provided/provide that bit extra. In the UK, John Peel led the way with this format whereby bands would turn up to a studio and bang out three or four tracks in super quick time. This on the fly aspect only adds to the charm of session tracks. Funny thing is that despite the breakneck rate at which tracks have to be laid down.... one take and your done, for many fans and musicians alike session versions of songs can sometimes become the definative version. It is not unknown for a track that has been recorded in a matter of hours to knock spots of the 'official' version that was slavishly recorded over days in the studio! Maybe it is that urgency, that immediacy that makes all the difference... and perhaps more so from bands coming out of the punk era, a getting back to basics kind of thing.
Of the session itself, there is more in the info file included in the download. As mentioned this was a promotional session for the 'Buzzcocks' album, a fine album it is too. Of the two songs from the album, 'Jerk' and 'Lester Sands', only the former was new for 2003. The latter was more contemporaneous with 'Breakdown'. An early track and a thinly veiled attack on American music critic Lester Bangs...
'Lester Sands is a stupid fucker/Lester Sands will stay that way'.
So, having ackowledged my love of radio sessions, this one is to remember Pete Shelley who left us at the age of just 63. I don't get too overly emotional when a musician I like dies, maybe I am just hard hearted. The Stranglers got me, Bowie did too, not to mention Terry Hall and Pete Shelley was right up there. I was numb when the news came through.
I note that this is available elsewhere online. I think that I got this from Dime, so thanks to the originaluploader, thebasement67.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-isEKMhdShR
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-LYmxhGJxxR
No comments:
Post a Comment