Każda z czterech, tematycznych części 'At The BBC' zawiera 120-minutowy, moim zdaniem kapitalny materiał zarejestrowany przez poszczególnych wykonawców na żywo (jedynie z bardzo nielicznymi dogrywkami) podczas kilkugodzinnych sesji w studiach Maida Vale w Londynie. W BBC zatrudnieni byli najlepsi, brytyjscy realizatorzy dźwięku i przez to niemal każdy nagrywający tam zespół brzmiał rewelacyjnie - częstokroć lepiej, bardziej dynamicznie niż na płytach! Poza tym wiele z nich grało utwory nigdy nie wydane na winylu albo czasem bardzo zaskakujące przeróbki nagrań ('covery') innych artystów. Jakość dźwięku jest fantastyczna - po prostu perfekcyjna! Jedynie w kilkunastu przypadkach (na blisko 130 nagrań) użyto fragmentów o nieco gorszej, ale zdecydowanie akceptowalnej jakości. Uwaga! Niemal wszystkie nagrania nigdy przedtem nie ukazały się na winylach a jedynie nieliczne ukazały się na płytach CD i z reguły z dźwiękiem w znacznie gorszej jakości! Zdecydowana większość utworów pochodziła z bardzo rzadkich, promocyjnych płyt przeznaczonych dla zagranicznych rozglośni. Kawałki tam zawarte wzbogacone zostały krotkimi, emocjonalnymi zapowiedziami genialnego DJ Briana Matthew a który autentycznie dodawal swoistego kolorytu tych nagraniom! Jestem jego wielkim fanem! W mojej opinii obłędne, rozkładane okładki z cudownymi projektami z końca lat 70. autorstwa Rodneya Matthewsa zawierają wszelkie detale dotyczące poszczególnych nagrań: dokładne daty rejestracji, akuratne zdjęcia oraz składy wszystkich zespołów a nawet przyporządkowane do każdego kawałka krótkie, jednozdaniowe i naprawdę trafne komentarze. Proszę mi wierzyć - nie można się od tych płyt oderwać! Proszę się tylko nie sugerować, że to są 'jakieś składanki' albo produkty pośledniej jakości! Pewnie mało kto mi uwierzy, ale jako wielki fan (i zbieracz) nagrań z archiwów BBC z ręką na sercu uważam te 4 tytuły (a zwłaszcza Psychedelic Rock i British Rock) za najlepsze, winylowe reedycje ostatnich 10 czy 15 lat! ABSOLUTNY MUS!!! NOWA, ZAFOLIOWANA. ....................................... Poniższy, angielski tekst otrzymałem od wydawcy. Jest może mało czytelny, ale przy pewnym skupieniu naprawdę bardzo pomocny! Polecam zwłaszcza te krótkie komentarze! ........................ Limited to 500 copies, double black vinyl edition released in beautiful cover with cool pictures and line ups of ALL bands inside the gatefold. This splendid, 120 minute/34 tracks collection (a real labour of love) not only offers an exeptional and often superior renditions of a tracks familiar through the band's original vinyl output, but also a plenty of cracking performances that they never recorded outside the BBC Maida Vale studios. During the 60s and early 70s the BBC was committed to air a substantial amount of live music within its radio broadcasting and as a result, hundreds of popular or less-known British artists were employed to fill that standards. BBC Transcription Service used some of these sessions for promotional-only albums pressed on a weekly basis (supposedly in a quantity of 100 copies) and destined for radio stations all over the world. It was a vinyl LP with yellow-green record labels, housed in a rather plain, yellow sleeve and filled with paper sheets with song titles, time durations and a running order for the show. Most of the tracks included on this release came from long-running 'Top Of The Pops' compilation series (unconnected to the popular TV show) and short-lived 'Pick Up The Pops For Your D.J.’ LP releases, which took radio performances mostly from the prime pop shows of the time like 'Top Gear', 'Saturday Club', 'Sounds Of The Seveties', that aired live and specifically recorded music. All tracks were also adorned with a fresh commentary from (now legendary) DJ Brian Matthew. Aside from BBC promotional discs, in a very few, fully justified cases an unique, home taped, off-air recordings (expertly remastered and restored and marked below as *) were used. The inner gatefold features a band photos and specific line ups. ALMOST ALL TRACKS PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON VINYL!.... SIDE 1: (29:38) 1. Eric Burdon & The Animals - Monterey 4.15 (Burdon/Briggs/Weider/McCulloch/Jenkins) Recorded on 20th December 1967. Perfectly produced, very dynamic version of a classic single by the "new" Animals. 2. Jeff Beck - (I Know) I'm Losing You 2.15 (Grant/Holland/Whitfield) Recorded on 7th March 1967. An unique radio broadcast of very heavy remake of classic The Temptations song. 3. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich - Hold Tight 2.50 (Howard/Blaikley) Recorded on 16th May 1967. Fantastic radio performance with a lot of heavy fuzz guitar! Better than a 7" single! 4. Procol Harum - Morning Dew 3.19 (Dobson/Rose) Recorded on 14th June 1967. An exclusive, great R'n'B version of a Tim Rose song done by an original line up. 5. Jeff Beck - Tallyman 2.52 (Gouldman) Recorded on 4th July 1967. Rare radio version of hard rock/pop single sung by Beck himself. Great guitar work! 6. Traffic - Paper Sun 3.04 (Winwood/Capaldi/Mason/Wood) Recorded on 27th September 1967. Unique BBC version of a great psychedelic debut single by Stevie Winwood & Co. 7. Eric Burdon & The Animals - Connection 2.25 (Jagger/Richards) Recorded on 30th January 1967. The Rolling Stones cover. An exclusive performance never released on vinyl record. 8. Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity - This Wheel's On Fire 3.31 (Dylan) Recorded on 8th April 1968. Rare version with a new arrangement - with Hammond organ in a place of mellotron. 9. The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Fire 2.27 (Brown/Crane) Recorded on 8th April 1968. Unreleased, rare radio version (with brass) of that haunted, psychedelic masterpiece. 10. Simon Dupree & The Big Sound - Beg, Borrow Or Steal 2.54 (McNally/Chesterton) Recorded on 16th October 1968. A kind of heavy boogie rock with good guitars. In 1970 they turned into Gentle Giant. SIDE 2: (29:09) 1. Joe Cocker & The Grease Band - Can't Be So Bad 4.12 (Miller) Recorded on 4th October 1968. Crazed-out heavy boogie. Truly fantastic, devastating version of Moby Grape classic. 2. Love Sculpture - Sabre Dance 4.05 (Khachaturian) Recorded on 16th November 1968. Completely unknown, 2nd BBC version with additional piano. Heavier than on 7-inch! 3. Strawbs - The Battle 6.08 (Cousins) Recorded on 10th December 1968. An early, spirited and truly wonderful version of an epic tale. Rick Wakeman on organ! 4. Ten Years After - Crossroads 2.18 (Johnson) Recorded on 13th December 1968. Rare session with rather conservative performance of Robert Johnson's blues classic. 5. Love Sculpture - Farandole 3.52 (Bizet) Recorded on 28th January 1969. Another superb rendition of a classical work. Some says it's better than 'Sabre Dance'! 6. Status Quo - The Price Of Love 2.56 (D. & P. Everly) Recorded on 31st March 1969. The Everly Brothers cover. It was a band's true, killer first step into heavy rock territory. 7. Elton John - Lady Samantha 3.05 (John/Taupin) Recorded on 7th July 1969. One of the earliest and best Elton's songs performed here with a help from Hookfoot band. 8. Trapeze - Another Day 2.32 (Galley/Hughes/Jones) Recorded on 30th December 1969. Much improved radio version (with mellotron) of 'Beatles-inspired' song from their 1st LP. SIDE 3: (29:47) 1. 'Top Of The Pops' Trailer From July 1969 0.55 A funny piece with DJ Brian Matthew recorded by the BBC just after moon landing. 2. Humble Pie - Desperation 4.19 (Kay) Recorded on 17th August 1969. Steppenwolf cover. A superb, early heavy rock track which opened the band's 1st album. 3. Fairport Convention - Sir Patrick Spens 3.44 (Traditional) Recorded on 23rd September 1969. An unique BBC version of beautiful English traditional song with Sandy Denny on vocal. 4. Juicy Lucy - Who Do You Love 3.43 (McDaniel) Recorded on 29th December 1969. Bo Diddley cover. Fast, driving and heavy radio version with incredible steel guitar parts. 5. Honeybus - Story 3.19 (Cane) Recorded on 18th February 1970. Radio version of beautiful, McCartney-like ballad which opened the band's only album. 6. Sweet - The Juicer 2.52 (Stewart) Recorded on 11th February 1970. A superb driving hard rock track. Originally a single B-side but this one is much better. 7. Faces - Flying 4.07 (Stewart/Wood/Lane) Recorded on 10th March 1970. Nicely produced, unique BBC performance of beautiful song from the band's debut LP. 8. Mott The Hoople - Thunderbuck Ram 3.41 (Ralphs) Recorded on 3rd February 1970. Unique radio version of probably the best and heaviest song that band ever recorded! 9. Taste - Morning Sun 3.11 (Gallagher) Recorded on 2nd July 1970. Unreleased radio broadcast - much heavier than studio version on their 2nd LP. SIDE 4: (29:20) 1. C.C.S. - Whole Lotta Love 3.14 (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham) Recorded on 19th October 1970. Led Zeppelin cover. Fantastic heavy-rock-jazz instrumental with flute and brass parts. 2. Sweet - Paperback Writer 2.18 (Lennon/McCartney) Recorded on 16th February 1971. Very dynamic and well executed radio version of The Beatles' psychedelic classic. 3. Humble Pie - Four Day Creep 3.17 (Cox) Recorded on 1st March 1971. Unique, radio version of excellent heavy rock killer never released on a studio album. 4. Slade - Move Over 3.40 (Joplin) Recorded on 9th May 1972. A superb hard rock cover of the Janis Joplin song - even heavier than on 'Slayed' LP. 5. Babe Ruth - King Kong 7.23 (Zappa) Recorded on 3rd January 1973. The Mothers Of Invention cover. A forceful version of the classic Zappa instrumental. 6. Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Bubble Gum And Kipling 4.19 (Mann/Rogers) Recorded on 3rd April 1973. Completely unknown, hard progressive track which was never released on a band's LP! 7. Thin Lizzy - The Rocker 5.10 (Lynott/Downey/Bell) Recorded on 29th August 1973. What a suitable title! Most probably the heaviest track this great band ever recorded!