Can you get away with re-recording a cherished debut album by recording it all over again? UK indie heroes The Wedding Present rose to the challenge and George Best 30, produced none other than Steve Albini sounds even more abrasive and in-your-face than the 1987 version. The masters for this release have sitting on the shelf for nearly a decade. The album was recorded in Chicago 2008, shortly after the band had been wrapped up the 20th anniversary tour during which they had been playing the album in full night after night. Why this delay happened, no one knows, but with another anniversary coming up main man David Gedge finally decided that the time was ripe to share these recordings with the outside world.
They tightened up their sound and the big plus are the live drums, making the songs even more manic than they were back then. Sure the players are older, but they know what will works and what doesn't. While the original sounded a bit tinny they now captured the intensity of a live band in full swing. As incurable mavericks, they didn't clean things up. Naming their first album after one of the greatest dribblers of all time was a bold move then (as well as getting the notoriously difficult Best to agree to appear in promo photos).
There was no way that they could have predicted that the songs would hold up after a few decades. These new versions are as fresh as they were back then. Those quick and dirty recording sessions in early 2008 with Steve Albini were truly made a match in indie heaven for The Wedding Present.
The Wedding Present:
David Gedge: vocals, guitar
Chris McConville: guitar
Terry De Gatro: bass, backing vocals
Graeme Ramsay: drums
George Best 30 is released as on vinyl (500 copies) and CD thru Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records (USA) and the band'sown label Scopitones.
Tracks:- Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft
- What Did Your Last Servant Die Of?
- Don't Be So Hard
- A Million Miles
- All This And More
- My Favourite Dress
- Shatner
- Something And Nothing
- It's What You Want That Matters
- Give My Love To Kevin
- Anyone Can Make A Mistake
- You Can't Moan, Can You
- 12/14 Athens, Greece @ Temple [Note venue change]
- 12/16 Istanbul, Turkey @ Zorlu Center PAC
- 02/01 Poole, UK @ Mr Kyps with Dexy
- 02/02 Royal Tunbridge Wells, UK @ Forum
- 02/03 Sheffield, UK @ Leadmill with Melys
- 02/04 Cardiff, UK @ Globe with Dexy
- 03/07 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
- 03/09 San Francisco, CA @ Chapel
- 03/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Echo
- 03/11 Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
- 03/14 Austin, TX @ SXSW Festival [venues TBC]
- 03/15 Austin, TX @ SXSW Festival [venues TBC]
- 03/16 Austin, TX @ SXSW Festival [venues TBC]
- 03/17 Dallas, TX @ Curtain Club
- 03/19 Atlanta, GA @ Earl
- 03/21 Washington, DC @ Rock And Roll Hotel
- 03/22 Brooklyn, NY @ Bell House
- 03/24 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
- 03/26 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
- 03/27 Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club
- 04/11 Tokyo, Japan @ Tsutaya O-Nest [different set to 12/04]
- 04/12 Tokyo, Japan @ Tsutaya O-Nest [different set to 11/04]
- 04/14 Hong Kong, PRC @ Grappa's Cellar