Track Listing

1. Doledrum
2. Way Out
3. Freedom Song
4. Come In Come Out
5. Son Of A Gun
6. There She Goes
7. I Can't Sleep
8. Over
9. Feelin'
10. Timeless Melody
11. Callin' All
12. I.O.U.
13. Way Out
14. I Can't Sleep
15. Timeless Melody
16. Callin' All
17. Feelin'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41423 in Music
• Released on: 2006-09-18
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Running time: 46 minutes

Customer Reviews

A magical revisit of La's songs at their freshest
The world still waits for Lee Mavers and his La's to offer some new tunes since their classic 1990 debut LP, but this collection of radio sessions offers a fresh lease of life to some old songs that sound as vibrant as ever.

The La's famously hated the overproduced sound of their released eponymous album, and listening to this, it's easier to understand why: recorded live without fanfare or studio tricks for radio shows with Nicky Campbell, Janice Long, Liz Kershaw and "Whispering" Bob Harris, the songs are straightforward, fresh, earthy and melodic, carried solely on he performances - which, by and large, sizzle.

The tunes are clear, crisp, and bouncy - with an overriding energy the album versions never quite mustered. Perennial indie anthem "There She Goes" is given a new twist with a distorted, rock-oriented feel for Liz Kershaw, whilst formerly scruffy b-side "Over" is presented in groovy clarity. "I Can't Sleep" from this session threatens to trip over its own breakneck performance, but remains as impulsive and energetic as ever.

There is a nice contrast between the sessions too, with the Janice Long version of "Freedom Song" having a doomed, deep foreboding feel which is at odds with the sheer jubilation of the Bob Harris sessions.

Overall, for the average La's fan this is well worth a purchase - some sessions here have been kicking around in bootlegs since they were originally broadcast in the late 80's, but this album collates and upgrades them - and they have stood the test of time.

While the sequencing is chronological, unfortunately this means two "Feelin'"s follow eachother, and some songs appear more than once (albeit in different performances).

Ultimately, for anybody interested in The La's, and especially for anybody wondering why the band didn't like the released album's sound, this is a great collection with songs you'll come back to again and again that still manage to sound as organic and timeless as they day they were written.

Wonderful Stuff...
Finally the radio sessions commited to tape by the various line ups of The La's see the light of day in their crisp yet punchy FM quality glory!

Having circulated amongst fans in varying quality for a few years now, its great to see another side to the band finally represented in a quality set.

The rushed and experimental ethos of radio sessions adds a certain charm to these recordings, from the ad-hoc percussion which gives 'Son of a Gun' an almost latin swing, to the rockier and faster take on their classic 'There She Goes', these sessions often catch the band in great spirits and willing to play to the best of their abilities.

The perfect compliment to the eponymous album and the two CDs on Viper showing the home demos and unreleased material, this is a value for money set and recommended to die hards and those new to the band. The informative liners come courtesy of MW Macefield who penned a book about the band, and this is a nice touch, alongside the photographs within the booklet.

A minor quibble - the artwork is neat and simple but a band photo or illustration may have better served this set... and its a shame somebody didn't take 5 minutes out to proof read some of the notes on the booklet and tracklisting. We have Peter Cammell down as 'Peter Camile', 'Callin' All' also listed as 'Calling All' and the like.

One of THE Great British bands!
If you are a long standing fan of the original La's album on Go Discs, this is a must. A great collection of sessions and a couple of tracks that werent on the original album. If the phrase 'Quality, not Quantity' could some up any band, it'd be the La's