The John Peel Sessions

Review of the BBC John Peel Sessions

by Zlato Krec

Long time awaited "The John Peel Sessions" (Strange Fruit, SFRSCD104) by LAIBACH consists of two sessions produced for this legendary British DJ. The first one happened in June of '86 during one of their many liberation campaigns all over the "Occupied Europe" while Laibach was still under the four years ban in Slovenia. The second session dates just some ten months later in April of '87, shortly after Laibach's victorious concert at the Festival Hall in Ljubljana, Slovenia in February of '87, and the launching of the "Opus Dei" album.

The first session brings three songs: "Krvava gruda - plodna zemlja", "Krst (pod Triglavom)" based on the poem "Krst pri Savici" by the greatest Slovenian poet France Preseren, and "Life Is Life", cover of the well known pop hit. Both songs in Slovenian language do not differ much from previous known recordings. But the real treat is the somewhat extended and different version of "Life Is Life" as we know it crossed-over with "Leben heißt Leben" and with additional lyrics. The second session brings the other three songs: "Leben-Tod", "Trans-National", and "Krvoprelitje". "Leben-Tod" is not much different from the "Opus Dei" version, but "Trans-National" sticks out very differently: less furious and ponderous with lyrics pretty clear and almost in the first plan. The last song "Krvoprelitje" (Bloodshed) is the new name (or more likely: an older name) for the well-known song "Ti ki izzivas".

Everything seems to be at the right place on this CD. The sleeve art is pretty much done in the Laibach-Kunst style though there are no credits given for it. The booklet is accompanied with informative words and explanations of the songs and the "Zeitgeist" of that time by Biba Kopf a.k.a. Chris Bohn. That might turn on a newcomer to start to browse more around Laibach and NSK. Both sessions lasted two days each time and it sounds like Laibach have had enough time to show their best. As we never know who is in Laibach at a certain time, they give credits to the guest musicians this time: Dare Hocevar was the bass player the early seven years of Laibach, guitar player Oto Rimele of the famous Slovenian band Lacni Franz, and Laibach veteran drummer Roman Decman. The "weakest" part of this CD is its length. All six songs could just easily fill a 10" mini LP in older times. It is a mystery why "Nova Akropola" from the '86 session was omitted from the compilation. However, this can't spoil the pleasure of this excellent CD with the Laibach and BBC quality mark hand in hand at their best. Document of time.