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Cat.no: WSMCD226

Released: October 2005

Rating: 10/10

Format: 2- CD set

Last year, BBC radio lost a true maverick - John Peel.,

Never knowing whether his contract would be renewed from year to year, he single-handedly launched the career of many of today's top acts. Peel was the Beeb's longest serving jock. Always looking for the next big thing across a wide selection of music, mostly rock'n'pop, he had a keen ear for seeking out what was different, and remained at the cutting edge until his untimely death in Peru in October 2004.

These 40 outstanding selections reflect the fearless modus operandi of the most humble of broadcasters the world has heard on the airwaves.

In many ways it's a timeline of his phenomenal career. Audio snapshots spanning over three decades, there's the stars and less well known all pooled together. Peel wasn't a hit seeker as such, as he invariably creamed - off what he considered to be the best on the scene, mostly away from the charts - inevitably some made it big time. Many simply became cult icons.

Peel not only defined his own generation, he went on to define several generations as he continued to move with the times. As a broadcaster, he would, unlike some of his peers, talk to you like a trusted friend. He had an almost free rein away from overly produced programmes and strict playlist guidelines. Peel did things his way and succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.

In effect, he called the shots till the end, which was quite some feat.

As the liner notes indicate, the acts were (initially) up-and-coming, so there were no visuals to depend on - it was a truly music orientated agenda. Mark Ellen, editor of Word magazine quoted Peel as saying, "If I didn't play them, then who would?"

This collection was compiled by recording industry veteran Nick Stewart and assisted by BBC radio veteran Chris Lycett. It has been vetted by John's widow Sheila and four children, thus ensuring that his legacy is respectfully kept intact.

Of the bumper tracklisting, personal favourites include - Debora - T.Rex, Song 2 - Blur, Culture - Lion Rock, Elmore James - Dust My Blues, Life On Mars - David Bowie and Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division.

I'm sure you find your own faves, and there's plenty to choose - 40.

Would John Peel approve? - Of course!

NOTE: Warner Music will be making a donation from sales of this album to John's favourite charities.

The full list of tracks included are :

1. Lonnie Donegan - Lost John 2. T-Rex - Debora 3. Pink Floyd - Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun 4. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Spanish Castle Magic 5. Van Morrison - Sweet Thing 6. David Bowie - Life On Mars 7. The Doors - Five To One 8. Tim Buckley - Song For A Siren 9. Faces - Stay With Me 10. The Misunderstood - I Can Take You To The Sun 11. Country Joe & The Fish - Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine 12. Fairport Convention - Meet On The Ledge 13. Captain Beefheart - Big Eyed Beans From Venus 14. Loudon Wainwright III - Be Careful There's A Baby In The House 15. Roy Buchanan - I Am A Lonesome Fugitive 16. The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band - Mr Apollo 17. Ramones - I Don't Want To Walk Around With You 18. The Clash - Complete Control 19. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart 20. New Order - Ceremony

1. The Undertones - Teenage Kicks 2. Altered Images - Happy Birthday 3. The Smiths - How Soon Is Now? 4. The Cocteau Twins Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops 5. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Sidewalking 6. Blur - Song 2 7. Culture - Lion Rock 8. Billy Bragg - New England 9. Robert Wyatt - Shipbuilding 10. The Wedding Present - Brassneck 11. Pj Harvey - Sheila Na Gig 12. Pulp - Common People 13. The Fall - Theme From Sparta F.C. #2 14. Super Furry Animals - Something For The Weekend 15. Nina Nastasia - Bird Of Cuzco 16. The Delgados - Pull The Wires From The Wall 17. Belle & Sebastian - Lazy Line Painter Jane 18. Laura Cantrell - Two Seconds 19. Orbital - Chime 20. Elmore James - Dust My Blues

Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2008. For prints of any of Elly's concert pics online, email Elly or call 07765 862017.

DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.

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