Government Commissions is an essential Mogwai purchase. The CD comprises all their BBC recordings except for the Peel session version of My Father, My King, which is absent owing to time constraints. It is a really nice touch on the part of the band to leave Sir John Peel's introduction at the start of Hunted By a Freak, and it complements a beautiful rendition of the track itself. Next up is an instrumental version of R U Still in 2 it, which doesn't sound quite right without Aidan on the first listen but really grows on you. Helicon II sounds as fantastic as the single version, whilst Kappa and Cody are light years ahead of the studio versions. Free of Dave Fridmann's over-compressed production and the slightly irritating NFL commentary on the CODY lp, Kappa is the slow building epic it should be whereas Cody is much more delicate with a stronger vocal performance. Secret Pint is probably the weakest track here - it's a decent enough performance but not quite as memorable as the other tunes on show (then again this is a subjective view as Rock Action is my least favourite `gwai lp). The final 3 tracks (Superheroes of BMX, Helicon I & Stop Coming to my House) again continue the trend of rivalling the studio versions, with Helicon I being especially spectacular when Stuart & John stamp on various pedals.
However, everything on this disc is in the shadow of track 6 - the 18:32 overture that is Like Herod. Blimey. Even if you know the Young Team version off by heart, NOTHING prepares you for this. Taking the quiet/loud dynamic to its extremes, this version fades away to near silence before exploding into an absolute meltdown, then goes serene again before another armageddon impression. Play this to the uninitiated and ask them whether the last 10 minutes is; a) a recording of the world collapsing in on itself in a fiery apocalypse, or b) 4 blokes from Glasgow in a BBC studio and they'll be hard pressed to know which is more likely. It has to be heard to be believed.
