Better live . . . .
The songs from Automatic (studio) will forever be cursed by the drum machine the boys use. Well, hear you hear them at the top of their game with a rythm section that makes those good songs great! The BBC recording as always is crystal clear and well balanced. Songs are layed completely through and there is a mix of b-sides like "The Perfect Crime."
If your a fan this is a must . . .if not . .this cd can be found cheaper than import price. If you are looking for a good cross section and just want the hits from the studio 21 songs will suffice.

JAMC with a REAL drummer
So I am a huge fan of JAMC... and Darklands must be my all time favorite album, and while their music will pass the test of time, it's their drum computer that usually gives away the 80's background. In their early years, they actually performed with a drum computer (and usually did not play longer than 30 minutes) and many times their concerts were one huge feedback noise attack. However, by the 90's, they performed with a complete band and that is where these recordings outperform the originals on the studio releases. Especially 'Happy when it Rains' or 'Head on' sound fantastic with a real drummer. These are not 'noisy' recordings like on the 'Peel Sessions' CD, but two great snapshots of one of the greatest bands playing brilliantly dark rock songs. I definitely recommend this album... also get 'Darklands', 'Automatic' and 'Stoned and Dethroned' (and if you like it noisy, definitely get 'Psycho Candy').

Excellent time capsule
Am I the only person to review this so far? Where is everyone??

Anyway, this disc is excellent. The tracklist concentrates on their later material, from "Automatic" onwards, which happens to be my favourite stuff. Good news for people like me, but I imagine this will put off some people with their heads still stuck in the JAMC's "Psychocandy" days. Oh well, a matter of taste I s'pose.

Sound quality is fine and the performances are very tight, especially the material from the 1992 show. These guys were pure pop geniuses, and the energy of their live show is impressive. This album is a good complement to their studio work. Here's hoping they release a longer performance from the 1992-era sometime!