Shellac

It's all about the live show with Shellac. As with Fela Kuti, the albums are only there as little postcards to remind you of previous gigs and to get you ready for future ones. Their set is at once shtick and peerless. They are curmudgeonly while being warm. Albini (and presumably Weston and Trainer as well) is only really matched by Mark E. Smith for a purposeful downward mobility in the terms of exposure. He has to be, otherwise people wouldn't stop going on about how 'Prayer To God' and 'End Of Radio' are amongst the finest songs ever written, would they?

JD