John Peel announcement 1, Fat Old Sun, John Peel announcement 2, One Of These Days, John Peel announcement 3, Embryo, John Peel announcement 4, Echoes, Diamond Blues

Meddlesome is the latest Pink Floyd release on the Tarantura label and covers the 1971 BBC "In Concert" appearance on September 30th, 1971.  This tape is noteworthy for the band premiering two songs from Meddle a month before its release and for its amazing sound quality.  This comes close on the heels of Mindwarp's title Heart Involvement released last December featuring both this and the 1970 "In Concert" tape.  Tarantura use the same tape used also by Mindwarp which contains several more seconds between "Echoes" and the blues encore making it the longest source available.  In fact, the length for both Meddlesome and disc two of Heart Involvement are identical and longer than Sirene's version of the pre-broadcast stereo master on BBC Archives (Sirene-026).  The sound quality is excellent all around with no flaws whatsoever.  Tarantura sounds slightly warmer than Mindwarp which is what the label aims for when mastering soundboard recordings.  There is more clarity on this release with some of the quieter noises being more noticable like Peel talking while the band start playing "One Of These Days".  This release is also unique for Peel's song introductions being tracked seperately instead of with the songs in question. 

The liner notes on the back of the sleeve take a quotation from Big O magazine in Singapore who posted the Ayanami version of this concert on their website:  "John Peel, the British broadcaster, who died 2005 on Oct 25, made a huge impact on bands and music during his lengthy career with the BBC.  This set was broadcast on Peel's In Concert programme on Oct 12, 1971.  This was the first time two key songs were performed on the BBC - Echoes (at one point it was called The Return Of The Sons Of Nothing) and One Of These Days.  But fans will probably want to listen to the rarity that is blues" - Big O.  This release emphasizes the memory of the famous BBC broadcaster as much as it does Pink Floyd.  He was a big supporter of the band and their two appearances on his show in 1970 and 1971 are classic.  The set begins with "Fat Old Sun", played as it was on stage at that time with a full fifteen minute version expanded with Gilmour's guitar solos.  Afterwards Peel says,  "If you have listened to this program a year ago you would have heard the Floyd do Dave Gilmour's 'Fat Old Sun' then but it has changed quiet a bit in the past twelve months."  He goes on to give his famous introduction to the new song "One Of These Days" by stating, "This next one is described by Roger Waters as a poignant appraisal of the contemporary social situation.  Make what you will of that."

Peel introduces the next song by saying, "This next one has been released on a sampler LP by the Floyd's record company.  They weren't too keen on the idea that it should be, they didn't know it would be until it was because it was basically a demo recording they had done for their own edification."  "The Embryo" (and "blues") originate from a second generation analogue tape from WNEW's initial broadcast.  Meddlesome is packaged in a thin cardboard with the submerged ear from the official LP on the cover.  It is also packaged with a plastic jacket that comes in different colors depending upon where in the series your is:  #001-040 has the water clear jacket,  #041-070 is in ipod white, #071-090 in vivid yellow, # 091-110 in sweet pink, and  #111-130 in piano black.    In the end it is hard to improve upon perfection and there are no real poor versions among the latter day releases of this BBC session.  But Meddlesome in the end is a pointless release.  The Sirenes, which are still available, are much better.