AMG Review of Peel Sessions Plus

Dave Thompson
All Music Guide

The 16 songs here cannot even begin to take in the full range of music that the Teardrop Explodes recorded for the BBC between October 1979 and July 1982: at least a dozen sessions for DJs across the corporation, and some of the most vibrant performances in the band's entire canon. But incompleteness does not dent the sheer power and beauty of this set, which kicks off with the still unknown group's debut for John Peel and killer versions of "Brave Boys Keep Their Promises," "Went Crazy," "Chance," and, best of all, "Ha-Ha I'm Drowning," then marches through the bulk of the gestating Kilimanjaro LP and onward to the band's low-key finale, the utterly apt farewell of "You Disappear from View." It is not an altogether easy listen; the band's own mid-career musical shift can certainly distract unwary ears. But persevere and it is clear to see how this band ascended to modern legend. There has never been another group like it.