Live and Direct is compilation of live recordings done for the Methodology program on Sydney's 2SER-FM. Having kicked off in 1999, Methodology introduced the Live and Direct sessions soon after, with the aim of creating an intimate platform for acts to show their wares. With minimal set-up and fuss, those people you hear on the CD were recorded up close and personal for raw and immediate impact.
First up was Joe Pernice, who was more than happy to be cushioned into the basement of a terrace house in sunny Annandale (with the washing machine strategically placed for exemplary acoustics). Where possible, we asked for songs or performances people may not be familiar with. Robyn Hitchcock moved up into the kitchen to perform to his audience of two, wired on long black coffees and maintaining the utmost of gentlemanly charm while doing his Syd Barrett and Everly Brothers' covers (the first official recordings of these live staples). Bill Callahan, AKA Smog, chose to play his guitar through the miniature practice amp he takes on tour, which gave his stark voice a strange kind of omnipresence. Lambchop's Kurt Wagner's tape recorder-induced ambience and sweet guitar picking showed the dark, funny soul at the heart of the large orchestrations with his band. His "I Dream Of Jeannie", was completed only a half-hour before he entered the 2SER studio to record it. Incredibly, the rang
That many of these tracks are new or previously unreleased makes Live and Direct all the more special. It's a warm document of songs that will undoubtedly become more decorated over time, holding a kind of purity that's often rare to hear.
