The Complete BBC Radio 1 Sessions

Adam & the Ants' 2001 Complete Radio One Recordings (released in the U.S. as Live at the BBC through Fuel/BBC) is, whatever the title, a crucial compilation that collects the group's three BBC excursions, from their first Peel Session in January 1978, on to the late in the day solo Ant outing in early 1995. The first 12 tracks, however, are the real meat. Recorded in the years prior to the worldwide eruption of Antmania, these early songs nevertheless serve a potent reminder of just how influential Adam & the Ants were to the post-punk landscape that grew up in the tattered tartan remains of punk's fallout. From the smooth "Deutscher Girls" (revamped from the Jubilee soundtrack) and the sassy snarl of "Puerto-Rican," to the rockabilly menace of "Lou," it's easy to see where more than a handful of up-and-comers took their inspiration. Add a few other favorites, including the snotty "You're So Physical," the completely subversive homage to everyone's favorite Egyptian queen, "Cleopatra" (later covered by Elastica), plus "Ligotage," and the sheer diversity of the Ants' musical output totally decries their at-the-time obscurity. As a complete contrast, the final three tracks are taken from a 1995 session recorded in the wake of Wonderful, with a band led by Morrissey cohort Boz Boorer. Valid from the point of view of justifying the CD's title, they come as a shock of cold water after the electrifying ecstasy of the preceding tracks, and are best listened to in isolation. There, the melodic grip of "Wonderful" is breathtaking, while an acoustic-based "Antmusic" has an oddly Dylan-meets-Bolan air to it. In either guise, however, what makes Complete Radio One Recordings so vital, so vibrant, is that the rough-shod sonics allow the trappings of a completely controlled studio environment to fall away. With or without his Ants, Adam is one of the very few performers still able to process punk in terms of a new era, while easily shoving forward-thinking notions into any space left. Revolutionary. ~ Amy Hanson