Radio One Sessions

AMG Review of Radio One Sessions

Brian Downing
All Music Guide

Some of the best music in ock history has been performed live for the BBC, and John Peel's show in particular. In fact, without the BBC, you would be without top quality and easily obtainable peak-year recordings by many seminal groups. This disc is no different, as it confirms that the Psychedelic Furs were a formidable live outfit, combining the best elements of the Sex Pistols and Roxy Music into a fresh post-punk statement. The 1979 Peel session is the best of the five sessions presented, containing such classics as "Imitation of Christ," "Sister Europe," and "We Love You." The next three sessions (from Peel and Richard Skinner's programs) from 1980 and 1981 are almost as good, as the songs are just different enough than their album counterparts to make it a fresh listen. The last session is from 1990, and while the band were definitely past their prime by that point, they did play an all-acoustic version of "Pretty in Pink" that is completely winning. This is basically a greatest-hits package of pristinely recorded, expertly performed songs, so you really can't go wrong.