The BBC Sessions (2003)

"This jam-packed two-disc set offers up the lion's share of their "Beeb" material. Like most BBC collections, these performances sound drier and more stripped-down than the studio versions, but since 'stripped-down' was a thing the Pretty Things did quite well, this isn't much of a drawback. There's enough swaggering attitude to face an army (best reflected in Phil May's gloriously insolent vocals and Dick Taylor's switchblade guitar). The band's psychedelic period kicks off midway through disc one, and while the studio gingerbread of "S.F. Sorrow" and "Parachute" doesn't quite make it onto tape here, these simpler arrangements make a fine case for the strength of the material. Disc two is where this set gets to be rough sledding for many fans: the boogie-centric rock of their '70s period commands far fewer partisans, and that's what dominates the second half of this program. Nevertheless, it makes for a complete and well-detailed portrait of the band's long career." (Mark Deming, Allmusic; 4 uit 5 sterren)