MAIDA VALE

On lead-off track 'Darkness' it sounds like the dangerous-to-know Pawn Hearts-era group were going out of their way to first chill then outright terrify the listener; it certainly puts goosebumps on me. Many of their contemporaries impressed; these guys could also intimidate and this is I think a rare ability both then and now. Fans of 'The Least We Can Do...' need this as it leaves the LP version in its dust! 'Man-Erg' from the same session has bizarre tom-tom overdubs and clumsy changes, perhaps it was still in development at the time? The remaining tracks by the Second Generation group are strong, fired-up performances from 75-76, intriguing companions to the studio versions with great sound courtesy of those BBC whitecoat techs and their hulking machinery. Track 1 just towers though.