INTERVIEW

I have finally got around to buying this bands back catalog, having admired them for years but never been confronted by their LP's in the shops (thank god for the internet). In a way I am happy about that as I get to enjoy this music, in some cases for the first time. Interview is an absolutely brilliant record for the most part, which is maybe a little inferior to Freehand, but only a little. Indeed I am aware that I have been playing this one more than any other beside Acquiring the taste, which is in my opinion their best record. "I lost my head" as an example is just wonderful, the way it moves from delicate, through to up temp rock, is simply a good example of why this band is now considered to be as important as the likes of king crimson. This is the last recording in which Derek doesn't irritate, I am not certain what it is but on later LP's he seems to become more prominent and less lovable. As an example of how powerful this record is, I got up at 6 this morning because I had the title track interview going around in my head, and 6 o'clock is a good time to listen to GG, when everyone else is asleep and you can enjoy the raw edge and the quite bits without interruptions. Just maybe interview isn't as fascinating as say in a glass house, but it's not a case of bad tracks, more of slightly less dense songwriting. I simple love design, but then I love all of the GG tracks of this type, and so must admit it is well trodden ground. One other observation the new remaster of Interview is loader than any other GG record I have. My speakers normally start to drive with my amp set on 3, but with Interview it's at 2. The quality has not been lost, but somehow they have wrung a great deal more volume out of the old tapes. If this record is not worth 5, then its only just shy of it.