The Delgados
The Complete BBC Peel Sessions

THE REVIEW

This is one of those stories where it's better to start from the end. Yes, because the Delgados are no more.

They announced their disbandment over a year ago, just a few months after the death of John Peel, the legendary BBC DJ who had nurtured them as favorites for almost ten years. A quiet disbandment without controversy, true to their style, but undoubtedly marked by the bitterness of public and critical attention that never fully ignited.

Today we can only imagine them as young luxurious retirees in their native Glasgow, sitting at their offices at Chemical Underground, that gem of a label they founded to self-release their first albums and which has since become a myth of independent discography. Perhaps listening intently to a demo from some promising artist just handed to them by the A&R, but each with their minds occupied by the various solo projects they have already undertaken. And one can't help but envy them because, put this way, it sounds a bit like the ideal life. In the end, you can't help but love the Delgados. Because without them, you wouldn't be sure that the music of Arab Strap, Mogwai, Interpol, and other artists of this caliber, would have ever reached you, improving your life a bit. Because now it's clear that thanks to artists like the Delgados, both in their role as musicians and as producers, the English music scene managed to free itself from the clutches of a now-dying brit-pop.

But above all because the Delgados have, firsthand, composed and recorded music that has always managed to reconcile heart and mind. In their notes, though amid the ups and downs that suit any creative arc, it is impossible to find even a shred of mediocrity or self-satisfaction.
In testimony to this, they chose to permanently bid farewell to their audience with this double album that collects the recordings of the Peel sessions recorded over ten years (1995-2005) in the BBC studios for the famed radio host's program.

And the gift couldn't have been more welcome for those who had the chance to appreciate their music. The Peel sessions, studio recordings that are, however, true live performances, have often been able to uplift the music even of not-so-outstanding artists, but in the case of the Delgados, they seem to be the ideal environment to highlight certain atmospheres, somewhat acoustic, somewhat electric, always balancing between a catchy pop-rock and a sophisticated orchestral folk, of their songs. Divided into 7 sessions, plus an outtake from the 'Rabbie Burns Night Special' of 2003, this album covers all phases of the group's career. The first 4 sessions have an almost philological intent and testify to the noisier beginnings of the Delgados, a band still a bit unripe, but whose talent was already defining itself in the first two albums; a talent that did not go unnoticed by the late Peel.

The album and the sound take off from the fifth session with 4 tracks from "The Great Eastern," indisputably their masterpiece. The music gains majesty with the accompaniment of the string section, acoustic guitars take center stage, "Accused of Stealing" sounds like a great classic of authorial folk-rock, even though it never became one, the flute in "Aye Today" closes beautifully. To remind us that this is not a mere "Best of," the absence of "American Trilogy," one of their audience's most beloved pieces, stands out from this session.

The precious gem revealed in this album is, however, the sixth session, entirely composed of covers, among which the cover of "Mr Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra and "Matthew and Son" by Cat Stevens stand out, true delights that will please fans and non-fans alike. The seventh session closes with pieces from "Universal Audio," which in this context regain a value that perhaps the original recordings had denied them.

29 tracks to remind us how much we owe to this group, who always worked away from the clamor and magazine covers, leaving us a legacy whose value we still struggle to recognize.