Various Acts - '4 Scott' (V2)
4/5
By: Toby L
In memory of legendary radio-plugger Scott Piering, who recently died of cancer, some of the UK's most presently prominent names in the world of alternative-music gathered together within the London Scala venue with an intent to entertain. They then proceeded to play some music in SP's honour to the rapturous joy of around 1,000 people.
Now, with '4 Scott', the resulting album, the highlights from the evening are fittingly documented - clearly revealing the importance of Piering's work, his involvement in the biz helping all artists present on this release along the way to the positions they are within now... To say that his impact was 'substantial' is most certainly an understatement.
Opening with a defiant and well-honed Pulp performing their classic early-90s single, 'Babies', immediately, things can only soar; 'Just Lookin' is next by Stereophonics, a majestic, stripped-down sing-a-long version, only bettered by an ensuing 'Traffic' or Richard Ashcroft's solo take on The Verve's 'Bitter Sweet Symphony', the lack of strings hardly marring the intensity. And scattered throughout to show a sensibility for other musical-stylings, the full-band effort of Teenage Fanclub's effervescent and buzzy 'Everything Flows' makes for a good back-to-back placement alongside Placebo's brooding, piano-driven 'Haemoglobin' and Embrace's partially-boisterous-but-still-rather-safe 'New Adam New Eve'.
And just when you think that it's all gonna go and rear itself up its own recorded-live backside, the monotony is safely and skilfully avoided with the presence of Luke Haines' haunting 'Lenny Valentino' and McAlmont & Butler's jaw-droopingly sublime 'Falling'. With the Scala's evening ending in a rousing 'Sunrise' by Sheffield's finest, who kicked off the whole CD, proceedings are rounded off with bonus tracks: comprising of The Charlatans' compelling 'You're So Pretty - We're So Pretty', Gomez' 'I'm Joining New Order', a spectacularly long and rare Orb composition, and a final arse-shaker in the guise of The KLF's seminal 'Justified & Ancient'.
An odd yet satisfying blend of material that makes for enthralling and consistently pleasurable listening, the fact that a minimal fee of £2:30 will be donated to the Marie Curie Cancer Care funds with every copy sold proves just how essential a release this truly is... Indeed, if there's just one compilation-LP you purchase all year round, ensure that it's this - for causes rarely arise so deserving, nor talent so strong. Hopefully, somewhere, Scott would be proud.
Artists in this article: Various Acts
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