(Review from progarchives.com)

Over the year Matching Mole were together, they managed four BBC sessions but only one of them had been issued as “BBC in Concert” in 1992. This “On the Radio” album contains all four sessions (including the “BBC in Concert” session) with a good sound quality. The sessions aren’t chronologically ordered (the Jan 72 session is even broken up in two parts).

The first session we are subjected to is the April 1972 one, where all three tracks are meddled into a 20-mins — the band already has some tracks down for their second album. Indeed “Marchides” and “Smoke Signals” were only works-in-progress and both sound much different than in their future studio version (including a drum solo in the former); and are sandwiching “Instant Pussy” where Wyatt explodes his scat voice into echo effects.

Up next is the Jan 1972 session, broken up by the March 1972 session, with the delicious “Part Of The Dance” (with Sinclair still in the line-up and McRae in as well), with their first album just about to be released. The Miller-penned “Part of the Dance” song features both an Hammond organ and a Fender Rhodes, and even though the sound quality is a bit approximate, this is one of the album’s highlights. The two March session tracks (Sinclair was gone by then) are much clearer sounding, especially the Ayers cover “No ‘alf Measures” and the never studio-encapsulated “Lithing and Gracing” track, an exciting Miller, McRae & Wyatt composition. Rounding up the unreleased tracks is an extended version of “Immediate Kitten”, where Sinclair’s organ charms into the superb intro, then going fuzz into the body of the song. An extended and excellent workout that confirms that Matching Mole’s best moments were with both Sinclair and McRae in the band.

The second part of the album is an In Concert feature from late July 1972, just as their second album was almost finished; less than three months away from the group’s demise. This “session starts on the best Wyatt scat vocals ever with Instant Pussy, he yodels away madly in their best-ever version of this track. The next three tracks have been already featured in this archival release but are presented in much different versions and you’d have to be a chiefmasterconoisseur to guess blindly where “Lithing And Gracing” track begins. It sees Matching Mole in full madness roaring and “Marchides” sees McRae’s Fender Rhodes take a solid intro, before the group blinds us with their dexterity and virtuosity a bit further down the track. “Part Of The Dance” is again much livelier in this version than either the radio or studio version. Here, it is the pinnacle of Matching Mole’s short career, with Phil Miller shinning throughout the 6 minutes of the track. Absolutely essential stuff, with the closer ode to Benj (a roadie) melted in as a finale for the track.

Line-up:
- Robert Wyatt / drums, vocals
- Phil Miller / guitar
- Dave MacRae / e-piano.
- Bill MacCormick / bass
- Dave Sinclair / organ

Track List:
01. March Ides + Instant Pussy + Smoke Signal – 20:33
02. Part Of The Dance – 7:56
03. No ‘alf Measures – 6:49
04. Lithing And Gracing – 7:18
05. Immediate Kitten – 9:59
06. Instant Pussy – 5:47
07. Lithing And Gracing – 4:49
08. Marchides – 6:49
09. Part Of The Dance – 6:32
10. Brandy As In Benj – 1:16

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