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Mogwai, "Government Commissions"
Although any self-respecting, card-carrying Mogwai fan most likelyalready had access to these songs, Matador presents a collection of BBCsessions which document the trajectory of the band. Presented are somealternate studio versions of classic and perhaps not-so-classic Mogwaisongs recorded at the BBC's Maida Vale studios (except for "R U Stillin 2 It" and "Superheroes of BMX" which were, alternately, recorded atthe Hippodrome).
Matador
Without the benefit or detraction (it depends on yourperspective) of meticulous post-recording tinkering and mixing, thesongs sound a little less polished than a proper studio album but stillrather robust, proving that the beast Mogwai is unable to be laid lowby something as trivial as a live, synchronized recording session.Matador bills this release as "a virtual Mogwaigreatest-hits-without-actually-being-one." Once past the obviousvacuousness of that statement, at least two things become clear: one isthat greatest hits compilations are almost always culled from theoriginal studio versions of the songs (I don't think that Matador'smodified vision of this album as a "virtual" greatest hits collectionwas based on the fact that these songs were alternate versions); two isthat while these songs are a representative array of Mogwai's career(from such early releases as the third seven-inch to as recent as thelatest album), they are not indicative of the best material Mogwai hasreleased. There are too many older omissions and perhaps too equal aconcentration of recent songs. In fact, the selection of songs here israther inscrutable without being unpleasant or disappointing. The albumbegins with a kind tribute to the fallen John Peel (he introduces theband to the listening audience) who championed the band from theirbeginnings. Peel's intro leads into "Hunted by a Freak" from Happy Songs for Happy People,indicating that this collection is not in the typical chronology fromearliest to most recent recordings (nor is it from most recent toearliest). Though the drums are a little more tinny here, "Hunted"sounds very similar to the original version including the ghostlyeffects-processed vocals. "Cody" is the first song which has a trulydifferent feel from its original counterpart. This version is milky,lustrous, and shockingly warm, providing a nice balance to the morechilly and precise version from Come On Die Young. The originalversion separates the drum track in one stereo channel and everythingelse in the other, while this version mixes everything together withoutthe post-production aesthetics. The warmth lies in this amalgam. Theambient "Superheroes of BMX" from the 4 Satin EP is a strangechoice for inclusion because of its drifting and soporific nature (Ialways thought the song was largely aided by the prenominatepost-recording tinkering) but it works surprisingly well and seeminglydid not put the studio engineer to sleep. Young Team's eminent"Like Herod" has an expanded eighteen-minute treatment here, but Iwould just as soon throw it away and listen to the original versionwhich is sufficiently brutal (in the good way) and mesmerizing. As itis on the Ten Rapid collection, the gem here is "New Paths toHelicon Pt I": this song breathes its own life and, as it inflates andeventually explodes, my attention is rapt. Background and foregroundcompress into one dimension and my head feels a little smaller but justbig enough to contain the cosmic reality of listening to nine musesdancing and frolicking down a cypress-covered mountainside in Greece.
Matador
Without the benefit or detraction (it depends on yourperspective) of meticulous post-recording tinkering and mixing, thesongs sound a little less polished than a proper studio album but stillrather robust, proving that the beast Mogwai is unable to be laid lowby something as trivial as a live, synchronized recording session.Matador bills this release as "a virtual Mogwaigreatest-hits-without-actually-being-one." Once past the obviousvacuousness of that statement, at least two things become clear: one isthat greatest hits compilations are almost always culled from theoriginal studio versions of the songs (I don't think that Matador'smodified vision of this album as a "virtual" greatest hits collectionwas based on the fact that these songs were alternate versions); two isthat while these songs are a representative array of Mogwai's career(from such early releases as the third seven-inch to as recent as thelatest album), they are not indicative of the best material Mogwai hasreleased. There are too many older omissions and perhaps too equal aconcentration of recent songs. In fact, the selection of songs here israther inscrutable without being unpleasant or disappointing. The albumbegins with a kind tribute to the fallen John Peel (he introduces theband to the listening audience) who championed the band from theirbeginnings. Peel's intro leads into "Hunted by a Freak" from Happy Songs for Happy People,indicating that this collection is not in the typical chronology fromearliest to most recent recordings (nor is it from most recent toearliest). Though the drums are a little more tinny here, "Hunted"sounds very similar to the original version including the ghostlyeffects-processed vocals. "Cody" is the first song which has a trulydifferent feel from its original counterpart. This version is milky,lustrous, and shockingly warm, providing a nice balance to the morechilly and precise version from Come On Die Young. The originalversion separates the drum track in one stereo channel and everythingelse in the other, while this version mixes everything together withoutthe post-production aesthetics. The warmth lies in this amalgam. Theambient "Superheroes of BMX" from the 4 Satin EP is a strangechoice for inclusion because of its drifting and soporific nature (Ialways thought the song was largely aided by the prenominatepost-recording tinkering) but it works surprisingly well and seeminglydid not put the studio engineer to sleep. Young Team's eminent"Like Herod" has an expanded eighteen-minute treatment here, but Iwould just as soon throw it away and listen to the original versionwhich is sufficiently brutal (in the good way) and mesmerizing. As itis on the Ten Rapid collection, the gem here is "New Paths toHelicon Pt I": this song breathes its own life and, as it inflates andeventually explodes, my attention is rapt. Background and foregroundcompress into one dimension and my head feels a little smaller but justbig enough to contain the cosmic reality of listening to nine musesdancing and frolicking down a cypress-covered mountainside in Greece.
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