This collection of radio sessions recorded at the BBC by Comet Gain spans several line-ups and moods, as well as John Peel and Marc Riley's radio shows to become a good career snapshot, for one of the bands that I thought would be huge, when I first heard them on the Peel show. Recorded variously at Abbey Road, Maida Vale and Manchester by David Christian and all his bandmates, this is a collection of alternative version and rarities, songs that only existed on sessions et al, making it a Comet Gain essential and alternative history, I still thank John Peel for making me go and see Comet Gain live.
The album opens with the Say Yes! Kaleidoscope Sound! From the band's first Peel session, that has a great almost stop start insistent guitar line, with reasonably steady drums, I think this was the tune that made me go and see them live for the first time, it was certainly right up my street at the time, as they sing about every day being the same, and in 1996 it often felt that way.
Stripped is as Stripped back as you like as Sarah's vocals have an air of Tracey Thorn about them, as the gentle acoustic strumming gradually gets a bit more persistent, with odd dubby bass and drums, that seem to feel expansive yet minimal, as the sordid tale of a strippers life slowly unwraps itself layer by layer, as they add layer upon layer to the sound with some piano and reverb heavy guitars flanging out at the hope of a little less despair to come.
Pier Angeli has a lovely organ line that everything else is built around, as the tale of Pier Angeli's life as a rising and falling star in Hollywood's firmament, hanging out with James Dean et al and her descent into the hell of barbiturate addiction, all of which is made to feel like a wonderful journey, throughout this song that has a rueful air about it.
Strip Poker has a far more urgent feel as the first song from the bands second session, the story of a girl who's tricked into a decidedly sordid lifestyle is told over the jangly indie pop backing.
I Can't Believe sounds like it could almost be by Stereolab, as this tale of love lost or not quite lost evolves, as they try to keep this love going.
Chain Smoking is the band at their clattering noisy best, with twin vocals that are almost arguing as much as Prolapse do, as they seem to celebrate the now lost art of Chain Smoking, with cymbals clattering, almost falling down at the end.
Love And Hate On The Radio is a top song title for recording at a radio session, this has almost military drum beats for the guitars to work around, as the story of why the radio fills them with both love and hate.
Emotion Pictures takes jangle pop loveliness to its heart, bordering on the edges of Heavenly style twee indie territory, they seal it with a kiss for all the broken angels.
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Tighten Up has long organ notes and urgent drumming to help you to Tighten Up, that has just enough of the amphetamine urgency you might expect from the title, with all sorts of cultural references in the lyrics, allowing them to Tighten Up on the bass, just as it gets musically far looser, as he starts to threaten everything, will they go postal or just make more intense music.
Young Lions are fighting to prove themselves in an uncaring world, they are still subject to the law, that you always make cool interesting songs to capture new listeners on radio sessions, this should have had that effect.
We Are All Rotten is a bittersweet look at just how hard it is to survive in the music bizz and life in general, with a keyboard line that sounds like it was stolen from ? & The Mysterions while they have the Sebadoah slacker guitars going off into the haze.
Working Circle Explosive if you believe the lyrics is how the band were described on the radio, if so, that's damn cool, as this agit prop rock minuet gets ready to go wild.
Thee Ecstatic Library has a great insistent riff, more of the organ sound that always draws me in, as they tell us Music will save us, I sure hope so as this sounds like it should have been a fully loaded hit.
After Midnite, After It's All Gone Wrong is as downbeat as the title suggests as this tale of how everything fell apart, the music however remains tight, taut giving reassurance that you might regain some equilibrium once the dust settles.
Saturday Night Facts of Life is a great urgent jangle pop song of lust, for that girl who doesn't give in to your charms on a Saturday Night, probably as messy as that Comet Gain gig on a Saturday night at The Garage all those years ago.
Find out more at https://shop.tapeterecords.com/comet-gain-radio-sessions-bbc-1996-2011-4021 https://comet-gain.bandcamp.com/album/radio-sessions-bbc-1996-2011?fbclid=IwAR0vADxOBA7rkB0Rv3-6XzcOwkW-X2cSaTjsBN-2Bp6cjHzjlaeQtNdMKYA https://www.facebook.com/cometgain
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