Raise your hand if you prefer Gang of Four's Peel Sessions to any studio album version of the songs

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(Except "To Hell with Poverty")

And why is this?

― PB, Friday, 22 July 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

I once interviewed Dave Allen and he scolded me for not owning the Peel Sessions, saying it was his favorite.

― Rob Upt1ght, Friday, 22 July 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

***Hand Raised***
It's because they're a fucking punk band for crissakes. raw nervous energy rarely translates as well in the studio as it does on stage in front of a live audience.

― Fetchboy (Felcher), Friday, 22 July 2005 23:10 (twenty years ago)

*Hands Raised*

I'm not going to lie, but "Entertainment!" get's a little boring now and then. The Peel Sessions I always liked because it made me vision being there, standing around or something.

― Horrid Monsta (That One Guy), Friday, 22 July 2005 23:12 (twenty years ago)

I'm raising my hand too. So much more forceful and direct.

― Douglas (Douglas), Friday, 22 July 2005 23:21 (twenty years ago)

Nope. Entertainment! wins. Most of the PS versions are noticeably slower than their Entertainment! counterparts, and not to their benefit IMHO. "To Hell With Poverty!" at about two-thirds speed is not a patch on the studio version (which of course is not on E!, but anyway). Also the vocals on PS often sound more deliberately sung and less like, what was the delightful phrase in Stylus, "grad-school poli-sci TAs scaring students with their lateness policies," a quality I favored. And as a huge fan of the dry/sterile production on E!, I don't find that the extra spaciousness of the PS versions, with hints of the dreaded "warmth," adds anything I want added. Finally, this isn't to do with versions, but E! has "Anthrax" and "Contract" and PS does not.

In Peel Sessions' favor, the bass does sound fantastic on it (no mystery why it's Dave Allen's pick) and "Guns Before Butter" kicks vast tracts of ass. I'd still take Entertainment! any day.

― zero, Saturday, 23 July 2005 03:31 (twenty years ago)

You want some forceful and direct, get Anthrax Marxists (Germany 1980) or any of the l979 boots from America in circulation.

― zero, Saturday, 23 July 2005 03:38 (twenty years ago)

I feel terrible guilt because even though I was so incredulous when I finally chanced upon the CD of the Peel Sessions in probably the most unlikely place ever, I must admit I haven't actually played it very much since then. Maybe I'm due for a re-listen.

― Hydrochloric Shaved Weirds (Bimble...), Saturday, 23 July 2005 03:43 (twenty years ago)

Wonderful except for the Hell with Poverty track which loses all of its punch (as mentioned earlier).

Somebody should make more Peel sessions threads as the current ones don't cover the based like I'd hope.

― Cunga (Cunga), Saturday, 23 July 2005 03:57 (twenty years ago)

The Go4 Peel Sessions actually sound to me like they were trying not to screw up, while some of those ancient bootlegs are just crazed -- a group barely in control but never losing it. Infinitely preferable AFAIC, crap sound and all. I'd YSI some but I'm on dialup here. It's all on 5lsk anyway.

― zero, Saturday, 23 July 2005 04:47 (twenty years ago)

Sometimes you realize that if you had to get whiplash in your life and there was no avoiding it, and you had to choose a song for this to happen to, then likely the Peel session of "Natural's Not In It" would qualify.

― Hydrochloric Shaved Weirds (Bimble...), Saturday, 23 July 2005 07:16 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

HI DERE.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 September 2006 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

Hi dere! This conversation seems to have taken place before the release of Return The Gift. I'll take the Peel Sessions versions over those ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, but otherwise Entertainment! owns (with the exception of "Guns Before Butter") as far as I'm concerned, as patiently explained above. :)

― xero (xero), Thursday, 7 September 2006 17:46 (nineteen years ago)

Confession: I've had the Peel Sessions since I was 18, but have never owned Entertainment. Hearing the actual record seems weird and non-definitive to me now.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 7 September 2006 17:52 (nineteen years ago)

I'm with you, Nabisco.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 September 2006 17:53 (nineteen years ago)

I guess I can see why people might prefer the Peel versions, though I never will, since I got Entertainment! when I was 18 (i.e., a very long time ago) and it has become, for me, one of those fiercely cathected items about which I am probably not quite able to be 100% rational. Peace.

― xero (xero), Thursday, 7 September 2006 17:58 (nineteen years ago)

*raises hand*

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 7 September 2006 18:07 (nineteen years ago)

that gang of four stuff on the mutant pop comp is all i really need. i listen to shriekback more anyway cuz my spine is the bassline.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 7 September 2006 18:13 (nineteen years ago)

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