MADE AVAILABLE - JOHN PEEL SESSIONS

One of the amazing feats with DJ John Peel was his ability to dislike most prog groups from the golden era, but he managed to like some of the more challenging RIO and experimental groups like Faust, Henry Cow or as concerned in this review, This Heat. I was never sure whether Peelie understood this kind of music or he just fell strongly for that type of obtuse experimentations or maybe just wanted to appear hip and incense any experimental groups. Not really considering this last option, the least we can say is that the chance he gave to This Heat over two broadcasts sessions in the course of 77, gave the band a much needed boost, even if their profile wouldn't really be making headlines

Among the more accessible (and also better, IMHO) tracks are: the second part of the opening Horizontal Hold, Fall Of Saigon. Of the two sessions, I think I prefer the spring session (first three tracks) to the second (October session), even if Makeshift is most impressive track of the disc, with a B-52's Planet Claire vocal line. You'd swear Fred Frith was the guitarist on this second session, too. Not really more essential, than, any more of their studio albums.