In an effort to bring about the most meaningless poll ever, what is the best new song to surface on one of MES's patched together live albums? (the only MES-compiled live album to my knowledge not to feature a new song [not counting songs off then-unreleased albums] is America Therein)

I finally got my hands on 2G=2, and it's probably better than I expected. I doubt i'll listen to it that much, but it's nice to have. After listening a couple times, I felt prompted to go back to its older brother, 27 Points, and I have to say, I wish MES could have thrown in some more random tape bits and ambient atmospheres. Even though most people seem to find 27 Points a piece of crap, it shows a lot of effort out of MES, from the "old school" cover art, to the fact the whole thing is a bizarre collage from a ton of different tapes. I do think it's interesting how true MES has stayed to the formula of Totale's Turns over the years, down to the format and dubious recording quality.

"Noel's"... for me, no question about it... although "Wake Up In City" is reasonably close in 2nd place.

Not quite sure as to the criteria for this poll, but doesn't Backdrop count as a new song on a live album? Anyway, voted for New Puritan. Sheer genius.

I also voted for Puritan, but would have been v tempted by Backdrop.

Also, Enigrammatic wasn;t new, having already been on PNM.

"You go back to that riff"

Count me in the New Puritan fanclub too. I still find it hard to believe that MES didn't want to do a 'studio' version (given that he can't have expected the wonderful Peel version to be commercially released).

I vote 'H.O.W.' - I love the stop/start dynamic and the visceral bass/drums. It only took me about 15 years to truly appreciate it.

Go on, give it a whirl, as loud as you can without earphones - you'll see/feel what I mean.

Backdrop is THE great lost track. Does anyone know why it got bumped off PBL? MY theories are:

1. Riley wrote it, and he wanted to cut him out (though Riley gets a crediut for another PBL track).
2. It would have made PBL nearly 1 hr long and thus looked like they were trying to do another HEH.
3. They just never recorded a studio version Smith liked.
4. It doesn't fit the mood of PBL. This is hardest to explain, but makes most sense.

All the other tracks on PBL are circular, looping affairs like Tempo House, whereas Backdrop has a real momentum pushing it through its epic length, and actual progress and buildup toward the pay off line (in the live versions, anyway). Sticking Backdrop at the end breaks the brooding air of the album, in a way that adding Pilsner Trail wouldn't.

It's the same effect as including any of the 1983 single tracks - just compare the old CD copies of PBL with the 1998 reprint that has them included at the start. Totally different records.

Wake up in the city is my vote

When it first came out on Flitwick as freebie i tryed my hardest to get a copy but like many others i found they had all gone.
The guy at Flitwick said he had received many threats from pissed off fans who failed to get a copy.
Then it was put on 2G+2 as a bonus.Not the same as having the single but hey it works for me.
Turn it up load after the pub most weekends to piss off my neighbors who are always playing rap!

Wake up always does the trick.

I heard that Backdrop was meant to be the b-side of a Eat Y'Self Fitter single which was planned, but then dropped, and so was never intended for PBL.

squid law

I didn't add Backdrop because Fall in a Hole didn't really have much to do with MES, it was just an "official bootleg" or whatever. That would have lead into the thousands of other live albums, many of which have rare nuggets on them. I only chose songs that MES himself chose and sequenced to release. That being said, I forgot Stryknine, even though it's not an MES original.

I never understood what an "official bootleg" is. I mean, either the group or record company sanction a release, in which case its a bona fide thing, or they don't, in which case it's illegal and therefore a bootleg. Isn't this so?

But Pilsner Trail was specifically recorded to be the b-side for any possible PBL single.

Why hasn't the studio take of Backdrop ever surfaced?

Cary Grant; great song by any standards.

Distilled Mug Art - Beefheartian in its inscrutability.

So what's wrong with Dead Beat Descendent?

Ya can even sing a long with it!

Would've voted for it if'n I hadn't already gone for Puritan;

The version on austerbaj... ? That place in Iceland is great. Its much clearer nice soundboard etc. Its one of those lumbering sister ray type songs that your head can get lost in, a kind of black sea of music.

What is this shit?

..Cary Grant's Wedding of course - pick of the pops