This is a very full disc (23 songs) of BBC sessions recorded by the band in the 1960s, all but six of them by the prime Spencer Davis Group lineup featuring Stevie Winwood. It's a bit disappointing that all but one of those 17 tracks with Winwood on board have been previously available in studio versions, and even the one that wasn't (the blues cover "Oh! Pretty Woman") had already been issued on the Eight Gigs a Week compilation of early Davis recordings. Still, it's a good solid selection, heavy on the R&B covers that made up the bulk of their early repertoire, such as "Dimples," "Watch Your Step," "I Can't Stand It," and "Mean Woman Blues." In fact, there's not much in the way of non-covers, though renditions of the big hits "Keep on Running," "I'm a Man," and "Gimme Some Lovin'" are here ("Somebody Help Me," oddly, is not). The performances are not much different than the studio versions; sometimes there may be a sense of less inhibition, but on the other hand, "I'm a Man" and "Gimme Some Lovin'" are definitely inferior to the denser arrangements heard on the classic singles. As for the six 1967-1968 songs sans Winwood that conclude the disc, they are naturally of not as much interest as the preceding part of the program. Yet they're not dispensable either, as the band plowed on with a somewhat heavier, more soul-psychedelic-oriented sound, emphasizing original material penned by Davis and newcomer Eddie Hardin. The fidelity is superb throughout. ? Richie Unterberger