Thursday at Pooch's Place - Nebula- BBC Peel Sessions

We don't really need to elaborate on the legacy of BBC DJ John Peel or his legendary Peel Sessions - they really do speak for themselves. It is awe-inspiring, though, just how many acts have passed through the coveted halls of Radio 1, and while somebody could go insane reading the list of Peel Session bands on Wikipedia, it's probably far from a complete list. We say over and over again around here that it's all about bringing it live, but the rough, recorded-in-one-day ethic of the Peel Sessions is really the next best thing. Plus, the wide range of genres covered and the surprisingly high-quality output (CARCASS, anyone?) can fuel hundreds of years of conversation.

Eddie Glass and his stoner rock freedom force NEBULA did three Peel Sessions between 2001 and 2004, and they're all here on this CD. Simply put, this is one band that really embraces the Peel Sessions concept, as the opening line of "Radio 1/Clearlight" ("Radio 1 / You make the girls cum") can attest. Stylistically, everything is the right amount of loose, and sound-wise this is a far better venue for capturing that retro-70s spirit than a re-reprocessed Pro Tools product. And oh, the variety! Of course, it helps that each session is recorded by an entirely different band, the only constants being Mr. Glass and long-time drummer Ruben Romano, in addition to different production teams. As such, each session has a different feel: Tracks 6 thru 9 were done with a second guitarist (and therefore have a much fuller, melodic sound); tracks 1, 2 and 10 were done with just Glass, Romano and bassist Dennis Wilson (and are thereby more stripped-down); and the rest of the tracks sound somewhere in between. Then of course there's the impressive selection of songs from the band's catalog represented, from the locomotive action of "Carpe Diem" to the deceptively deep "So It Goes" to the excruciating "All the Way" to the gargantuan PENTAGRAM-worthy jam "Strange Human." Wrapping up the action on a somber note is "Fin," the jam that also ended the "Atomic Ritual" album with its keyboard plinks and soulful blues guitar. Just try listening to that at home and not raising your lighter to that one!

The end result of this CD makes one wonder why more albums, not just those in the stoner rock field, aren't recorded like this. As far as these ears are concerned, this album should be approved by the FDA for the treatment of acute exposure to overly-produced digitized rubbish. Until then, though, anyone who digs NEBULA, stoner rock, anything with the name Peel Sessions or has even a faint pulse should consider this CD an immediate must-buy.