Kevin Ayers
The BBC Sessions 1970-1976 (2005)
Label:   
Length:  2:00:26
    Track Listing:
      CD 1:
      1.  
      Clarence In Wonderland    4:52
      2.  
      Stop This Train    5:47
      3.  
      Why Are We Sleeping    8:53
      4.  
      You Say You Like My Hat    3:15
      5.  
      Gemini Chile    3:15
      6.  
      Lady Rachel    6:22
      7.  
      Shooting At The Moon    3:16
      8.  
      Derby Day    3:07
      9.  
      The Interview    0:59
      10.  
      We Did It Again,Murder In The Air    11:41
      11.  
      Lunatic's Lament    4:28
      12.  
      Oyster And The Flying Fish    3:03
      13.  
      Butterfly Dance    3:38
      14.  
      Whatevershebringswesing    7:46
      15.  
      Falling In Love Again    3:30
      16.  
      Queen Thing    0:54
      CD 2:
      1.  
      Interview    5:19
      2.  
      Oh, What A Dream    2:44
      3.  
      Shouting In a Bucket Blues    3:47
      4.  
      Another Whimsical Song    0:26
      5.  
      Lady Rachel    3:53
      6.  
      Stop This Train    6:11
      7.  
      Didn't Feel Lonely Till I Tought Of You    4:38
      8.  
      Stranger In The Blue Suede Shues    3:39
      9.  
      Mr Cool    3:02
      10.  
      Love's Gonna Turn You Around    4:45
      11.  
      Star    4:41
      12.  
      Ballad Of Mr Snake    2:22
    Additional info: | top
      Kevin Ayers: The BBC Sessions 1970-1976
      HUX 073 - Hux Records 2005

      Review
      It’s always interesting to wonder what might have happened if a specific event in the history of a band hadn’t occured. What would Soft Machine—a group ultimately more associated with jazz/rock and fusion—have become had original bassist/vocalist Kevin Ayers not left the band after an exhausting North American tour opening for Jimi Hendrix? Given Ayers’ psychedelic and pop leanings, would the group have evolved the way it ultimately did? Or would it have continued on a more song-oriented path which, given the large influence it would have on other like-minded groups to come, like Hatfield and the North and Caravan, might have significantly altered the landscape of the British progressive movement?

      That's a question that can never be answered, but fortunately Ayers would continue on solo, releasing a number of highly-regarded albums, including Joy of a Toy (1969), Whatevershebringswesing (1971), and Yes We Have No Mańanas (1976). Over time the psychedelic references that yielded inevitable comparisons to Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett would disappear, to be replaced by a more straightforward singer/songwriter sensibility. But his distinctly British sense of humour—an absurdly whimsical look at life that has unfortunately also caused him to not be taken as seriously as he deserves—has remained intact. Nowhere is this more evident than on The BBC Sessions 1970-1976, a generous double-disc set that collects eight sessions recorded for the British Broadcasting Corporation over a six-year period.

      The first ten tracks on disc one, recorded over three sessions in 1970, present the more psychedelic side of Ayers, with material culled from Soft Machine’s Volume One (1968), Joy of a Toy (1969), and Shooting at the Moon (1970). Backed by Soft Machine alumni like drummer/vocalist Robert Wyatt, bassist Hugh Hopper, organist Mike Ratledge, and saxophonist Elton Dean, the first four tracks also include other players peripherally associated with the Softs, including trombonist Nick Evans and flautist Lyn Dobson. But while “Why Are We Sleeping,” from Volume One, inherently feels like a Soft Machine tune, the rest of the material is pure pop. Ayers’ deep voice and wry delivery make it work, and the hippie vibe of “Clarence in Wonderland” and the pure shtick of “You Say You Like My Hat” are curiously appealing.

      Comparing versions of the melancholy “Lady Rachel” and the raucous “Stop This Train” from 1970 with the better-recorded versions from 1974 best demonstrates how Ayers had evolved into perhaps a more conventional tunesmith in the space of a few short years. In many ways, while the 1974 group is better rehearsed and clearly more cohesive, Ayers’ earlier sloppy and almost anarchistic way of working retains a greater charm. But even the country-rock leanings of “Shooting in a Bucket Blues” can’t mask Ayer’s self-effacingly confessional writing style.

      While Ayers would continue to record sporadically in subsequent years for a variety of labels, his early days are what he’ll be best remembered for. The BBC Sessions 1970-1976 is essential for existing fans, and a good cross-sectional starting point for those seeking a first-time introduction.

      Disc 1
      01. Clarence In Wonderland
      02. Stop This Train
      03. Why Are We Sleeping
      04. You Say You Like My Hat
      05. Gemini Chile
      06. Lady Rachel
      07. Shooting At The Moon
      08. Derby Day
      09. The Interview
      10. We Did It Again 11. Lunatic’s Lament
      12. Oyster And The Flying Fish
      13. Butterfly Dance
      14. Whatevershebringswesing
      15. Falling In Love Again
      16. Queen Thing

      Disc 2
      01. Interview
      02. Oh What A Dream
      03. Shouting In A Bucket Blues
      04. Another Whimsical Song
      05. Lady Rachel
      06. Stop This Train
      07. Didn’t Feel Lonely Till I Thought Of You
      08. Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes
      09. Mr Cool
      10. Love’s Gonna Turn You Round
      11. Star
      12. Ballad Of Mr Snake

      Disc 1:
      Tracks 1-4 Recorded 10.2.70 for 'Top Gear'
      Tracks 5-7 Recorded 20.5.70 for 'Alan Black'
      Tracks 8-10 Recorded 9.6.70 for 'Top Gear'
      Tracks 11-16 Recorded 17.5.72 for 'Bob Harris'

      Disc 2:
      Tracks 1-3 Recorded 11.4.73 for 'Bob Harris'
      Tracks 4-7 Recorded 9.7.74 for 'John Peel'
      Track 8 Recorded 11.11.74 for 'Rock On'
      Tracks 9-12 Recorded 13.7.76 for 'John Peel'

      Personnal:
      Kevin Ayers - David Bedford - Lol Coxhill - Elton Dean - Lyn Dobson - Nick Evans - Hugh Hopper - Mike Ratledge - Robert Wyatt - Mick Fincher - Mike Oldfield - Archie Leggett - Eddie Sparrow - Ollie Halsall - John 'Rabbit' Bundrick - Freddie Smith - Charlie McCracken - Zoot Money - Andy Summers - Rob Townshend
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