Please Release Me: More Reasons To Love The La’s

Brian Raftery | November 14, 2006 11:27 am

Welcome to another edition of “Please Release Me,” in which your Idolators request–nay beg–that an out-of-print, delayed or held-up-in-customs album be issued stateside:

Artist: The La’s Hometown: England Album: BBC In Session, 2006 What is it?: Sooner or later in every late-night indie-rock discussion, someone drops the La’s bomb, and a whole chorus of “Oh shit!”‘s follow. If you only know the band from the prom-theme send-off “There She Goes,” you’re missing out on one of the best across-the-pond acts of all time, one that’s been hailed by the likes of Noel Gallagher, Eddie Vedder, and, uh, the Boo Radleys. Alas, troubled frontman Lee Mavers only squeezed out the band’s self-titled 1990 debut before (allegedly) going cuckoo, leaving fans hunting for whatever rare tracks and b-sides they could track down. BBC In Session is the latest in a long line of posthumous odds n’ sods collections, and the only one worth owning. Where Is It?: For now, Sessions is out only in the U.K., but it can be had pretty cheap on Amazon.co.uk or CD-WOW. We can’t recommend this to La’s lovers enough: The in-studio sessions sound crisp and clear, and the arrangements include some lovely backing vocals. Plus, there’s a fantastic take of the super-rare song “Over.”

The La’s – Son Of A Gun (BBC) [MP3, link expired] The La’s – Timeless Melody (BBC) [MP3, link expired] The La’s – Over (BBC) [MP3, link expired]

Tags: