Radio 1's Live Lounge - Volume 3

Product Description ------------------- 2008 two CD set, the third installment in this popular series of compilations that lifts tracks from the popular BBC Radio One show Live Lounge. Volume Three promises to be even stronger than the first two and will build on the success, and the word-of-mouth from the first Live Lounge collections. The album is made up of tracks from Jo Whiley's lunchtime show (five million listeners) where bands performed their own track, or a cover version. The tracks are live and stripped down, showing the true quality of the musicianship and craft of the song. The album is a combination of alternative versions of band classics plus unique cover versions recorded live in BBC Maida Vale. Includes cuts from Duffy, Pigeon Detectives, McFly, the Ting Tings, Sam Sparro, the Kooks, the Streets, Elbow, Scouting for Girls, Adele and many others. 40 tracks. Sony/BMG. .co.uk ------ Say what you like about BBC Radio 1, its DJs or its playlists, they’re definitely getting one thing right through their commitment to live music--particularly with regards to the often quirky fruits that tumble forth from its Live Lounge. Volume 3 of the double CD collections from these sessions arrives packed with more than enough in the way of gems to offset the few inevitable run-of-the-mill single performances. Those justifying the format when modifying their own tracks include Kasabian working "Sympathy for the Devil" into "LSF", Duffy bringing some grit to a stripped down "Mercy", absent as she’s trotted it out endlessly elsewhere, and a bare, emotional "Daddy’s Gone" from Glasve. The real value of the set though is found in amongst Girls Aloud’s sensitive version of "With Every Heartbeat" (originally by Robyn), Ida Maria’s feisty "Sweet About Me" (Gabriella Cilmi), REM sketching "Munich" (Editors) out with mandolin refinement, Kate Nash absolutely owning a cute, giddy "Fluorescent Adolescent" (Arctic Monkeys), Goldfrapp’s haunting "It’s Not Over Yet" (Grace--made famous again by Klaxons), Santogold’s paranoid and chilling take on "Hometown Glory" (Adele) and Bat for Lashes’ pulsing, minimalist "Sweet Dreams" (Eurhythmics). If you’re looking for one single convincing reason to own this though, look no further than Dizzee Rascal’s bench-press solid, somersault swaggering, air-punching attitude-laden re-jigging of the Ting Tings’ "That’s Not My Name". It’s enough to justify the licence fee. --James Berry P.when('A').execute(function(A) { A.on('a:expander:toggle_description:toggle:collapse', function(data) { window.scroll(0, data.expander.$expander[0].offsetTop-100); }); }); Review ------ "They call me Blood, they call me Rude-boy, they call me Oi, they call me Mate. That's not my name," belts out Dizzee Rascal as he reworks The Ting Tings' number one hit That's Not My Name. Really, you should buy Radio 1's Live Lounge- Volume 3 for this cover alone. But that would be silly. There are several other reasons that make this double disc of 40 live tracks (covers and classics) good. Sadly, there are several more that make it bad. The glaring problem with the Live Lounge series is that its quirkiness doesn't transfer well on to record. Live on radio or, better still, on stage, Elliot Minor covering Take That's Rule The World has the power to wow. In your car, it simply makes the listener remark, 'Oh yes, that's clever'. In other words, you may find yourself spinning this compilation twice, maybe thrice, then becoming considerably 'over it'. Thankfully, there are several exceptions to this rule, namely The Hoosiers' stunning delivery of Justin Timberlake's Lovestoned- breathtaking, live or otherwise. Meanwhile Girls Aloud step up their game and defy the most miserable critique with their brilliant rendition of Robyn's With Every Heartbeat and the Pigeon Detectives make Hot Chip's Ready For The Floor totally their own. The real red herring, however, is Goldfrapp's cover of It's Not Over Yet by Grace. Who'd have thought even the classiest act could make this cheese sound so good. Of the smaller minority of original material (performed and recorded live), Duffy's Mercy, Kasabian's LSF and Ne-Yo's Closer gleam. A highly enjoyable compilation, if only for a couple of listens. --Elle J Small Find more music at the BBC ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/syn//albumreviews/-/music/ ) This link will take you off in a new window See more ( javascript:void(0) )

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