FABRICLIVE07: John Peel [Live]

This CD encapsulates the essence of Peel. Classic moments from The Fall, The Undertones and New Order make appearences on the mix, this sits along side some bizarre country and western covers of classic punk tracks, crazy hardcore, proper ragga drum & bass and thunderous techno. Its a mix that puts all other 'eclectic' DJs to shame. Plus the veteran doesn't do a bad job of mixing it all together, certainly better than what the likes of Howie B mashed together on his Fabric mix!

The mix is full of personal touches, the little snippets of classic Liverpool european excursions, the Kop crowd and just the spirit of a man who loved music oozing throughout the track selections. It would expose any Ministry compilation as the soulless marketed guff that it truely is any day.

The packaging is nifty, the recordings timeless, this is one collection for you to own. Once owned, go pick up all those Peel Session CDs that you can find out there (I can thoroughly recommend the Autechre, Boards Of Canada, Plaid/Black Dog and Orb ones ... tasty, and a testament to a man who would push 'different' acts to a mainstream audience).

As to the music, most of the album is very enjoyable, but a bit crazy - if you listen to John's radio shows you should have a fair idea of what to expect. I'll be honest and admit that I only knew a few of the songs before buying the album (I bought it because I like John Peel and I liked the metal CD case!) but it was great 'discovering' a few new things. A few of the tracks annoy me - the Smith and Selway one definitely drags on too long. But I particularly like 'Elementz of Noise' and 'Break 'Em On Down', and 'Teenage Kicks' is simply a classic.

This album has such a variety of types of music that it really doesn't fit into any category, and I can't really say 'if you like so-and-so you'll love this'. But if you have an open mind and want something a bit different, I definitely recommnend it!

Listening to the album again (it fully repays repeat listens), its impossible not to smile at the obvious joy that Peel would have found in contriving such bizarre juxtapositions of musical styles on one album. Opening with a piece drenched in lush strings and intercut with commentary from a Liverpool Champion's League match, it then summersaults into a piece of grinding dirty blues, followed by a reggae blast, a pulsating drum and bass track and then a hopelessly infectious piece of 60's American girl group doo-wap, itself tumbling into a bluegrass cover of 'Lust For Life'. And this is just the first few tracks. The rest of the album continues in a similarly vivid and playful way.

It even has a 40-second snatch of a morris dance shanty, until that gives way under the weight of pounding trance beats. Indeed, so audacious is the sequencing that its difficult to know whether to be amused by Peel's mischievious enthusiasm, or gasp at the sheer range of sounds that he's assembled. Either way, its rather like the aural equivalent of finding yourself with a huge plate of cheeses in the biggest wine cellar you can imagine. There are some pretty sublime combinations to be had.

Few compilation albums can lay claim to being works of art in their own right, but this is exactly what Peel's Fabriclive mix album can boast. Not only for the characteristic ecleticism of it's curator, but for his childlike enthusiasm for cutting and pasting the contradictory styles together. There can't be many albums that would be as brave as to segue a piece of soul-infused American disco-funk with the majestic arrival of Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' (itself shot through with more snatches of Liverpool football commentary), yet somehow, amazingly it just works.

A truly magnificent album in it's own right. As it was before he died, it remains a wonderful tribute to the unique specialness of John Peel's massive contribution to his country's cultural life. Highly recommended, and definitely one of those albums you'd want to save first in the event of a fire. In fact the only thing thats missing is Peel's endearing voice informing you that he's accidentally put one of the tunes on at the wrong speed.