Transistor Blast: The Best of the BBC Sessions


Transistor Blast: The Best of the BBC Sessions is a 4-disc boxed set by the English rock band XTC, released by Cooking Vinyl in November 1998, just three months prior to the studio album Apple Venus Volume 1.
Tracks on the first two discs are culled from various BBC radio sessions the group performed on over the years, notably for John Peel and David Jensen. Discs three and four are live recordings, the latter of which was previously released as BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert and is now titled Live in Concert 1980 on streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music.
"Opening Speech" from the first disc is Andy Partridge imitating John Peel.

Track listing

UK CD: COOKCD152

All songs written by Andy Partridge, except where noted.

Disc one

;Studio sessions
  1. "Opening Speech" – 0:49
  2. "Life Begins at the Hop" – 4:19
  3. "Scarecrow People" – 4:13
  4. "Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her" – 4:21
  5. "Ten Feet Tall" – 2:53
  6. "Garden of Earthly Delights" – 5:33
  7. "Runaways" – 4:41
  8. "When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty" – 3:07
  9. "I'm Bugged" – 3:34
  10. "Another Satellite" – 4:21
  11. "You're the Wish I Had" – 3:24
  12. "Crosswires" – 2:10
  13. "Roads Girdle the Globe" – 5:03

Disc two

;Studio sessions
  1. "No Thugs in Our House" – 5:23
  2. "One of the Millions" – 4:26
  3. "Real by Reel" – 3:48
  4. "The Meeting Place" – 3:08
  5. "Meccanic Dancing " – 2:36
  6. "Poor Skeleton Steps Out" – 3:27
  7. "Into the Atom Age" – 2:27
  8. "The Rhythm" – 2:55
  9. "This World Over" – 4:33
  10. "Snowman" – 4:42
  11. "Danceband" – 2:40
  12. "Making Plans for Nigel" – 4:06
  13. "Jason and the Argonauts" – 5:42

Disc three

;1978/79 – Live in Concert recordings
  1. "Radios in Motion" – 3:21
  2. "Crosswires" – 2:06
  3. "Science Friction" – 3:34
  4. "Statue of Liberty" – 2:58
  5. "The Rhythm" – 2:55
  6. "I'll Set Myself on Fire" – 3:27
  7. "New Town Animal in a Furnished Cage" – 1:55
  8. "All Along the Watchtower" – 5:58
  9. "Beatown" – 3:24
  10. "This Is Pop?" – 2:37
  11. "Dance Band" – 2:49
  12. "Neon Shuffle" – 4:32

Disc four

;Live in Concert, Hammersmith Palais, 22 December 1980
  1. "Life Begins at the Hop" – 3:55
  2. "Burning with Optimism's Flames" – 4:29
  3. "Love at First Sight" – 3:03
  4. "Respectable Street" – 3:52
  5. "No Language in Our Lungs" – 4:58
  6. "This is Pop" – 2:49
  7. "Scissor Man" – 4:58
  8. "Towers of London" – 5:13
  9. "Battery Brides" – 7:20
  10. "Living Through Another Cuba" – 3:29
  11. "Generals and Majors" – 4:37
  12. "Making Plans for Nigel" – 4:21
  13. "Are You Receiving Me?" – 3:16

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Transistor Blast and Drums and Wireless: BBC Radio Sessions 77–89.
;XTC
;Technical
  • Tony Wilson – producer
  • Bill Aitken – producer
  • Nick Gomm – producer
  • Pete Watts – producer
  • Ted De Bono – producer, engineer
  • John Sparrow – producer
  • Malcolm Brown – producer
  • Phil Ross – producer
  • Jeff Griffin – producer
  • Dave Dade – engineer
  • Tim Durham – engineer
  • Mike Robinson – engineer
  • Ian Cooper – mastering
  • Andy Partridge – artwork, liner notes
  • Andrew Swainson – artwork
  • Colin Moulding – liner notes