Essential Logic – ‘John Peel session 21.02.79’ (2024)
When saxophone player Lora Logic left London first wave punk rock group X-Ray Spex in 1977 – just as things were beginning to happen for them – it wouldn’t be too long before she was back in the thick of it all with her new band, dubbed Essential Logic.
This time around Lora would also be in the lead vocalist’s role. The group also featured another original X-Ray Spex-er in the shape of drummer Rich Tea, alongside a second sax player, Dave Wright. And here they are, taken from a February 1979 radio session for BBC Radio One’s John Peel programme, and now also captured for phonograph posterity on this fabulous 10” vinyl EP, and it’s a real creative barnstormer from beginning to end.
‘Wake Up’ — the A side of the group’s second single, as issued on Virgin around the same time as the session — is a perfect way to kick off the proceedings; a stylish sounding, vibrant aftermath of punk affair. Another track brilliantly executed here is ‘Quality Crayon Wax O.K.’ — another feature of their above-mentioned single outing — a number that’s a strident display of the group’s taut, angular edges amidst a bold, spiky dissonance. Even better is the absolutely skronking, left field wailer ‘Alkaline Loaf In The Area’. Here, Essential Logic come on like a full-blown collision of pungent, free jazz-style exploration amid jostling flurries of fiery street punk; decidedly Fall-esque at times.
So, if you’ve not yet had the chance to experience Essential Logic’s boundary-blasting sounds, then now would be a particularly good time to remedy such an omission. The 10” EP also comes with what can now probably be considered a Precious label requisite; that being a sealed envelope within which is a choice set of groovy postcard-size period images. This is one seriously cool release – one could say essential even!
Lenny Helsing
Headline photo: Courtesy of Nick Godfrey @ Precious Recordings Of London
Essential Logic – ‘John Peel session 21.02.79’ (Precious Recordings Of London 10” EP)
