Music In Dreamland Jean Cocteau Between The Worlds Swan Song Between The Worlds Single Version Maid In Heaven Live January EAC extraction logfile from Fair Exchange Heavenly Homes Ships In The Night Crying To The Sky Sleep That Burns Beauty Secrets Life In The Air Age Like An Old Blues Crystal Gazing Blazing Apostles Shine Speed Of The Wind January EAC extraction logfile from 2. Orphans Of Babylon Twilight Capers Kiss Of Light The Bird Charmers Destiny Bring Back The Spark Modern Music Hell I even got to discuss his technique and gear with him direct on his Dreamsville Inn Forum at billnelson.
Thanks Bill! Review by Chicapah Prog Reviewer. The initial four tunes are from a session captured early in The overall arrangement is very progressive and Andrew Clark's keyboards add a touch of class as the group toys with some clever, Zappa-ish incidentals throughout. The next six cuts are from a broadcast that aired much later in the same year and their upwardly evolving craftsmanship is evident. On "Maid in Heaven" Nelson's guitar playing shows he gained much more confidence during the months of touring and his style is a lot more fluid because of it.
While I'll admit that Bill's compositions are truly unique, sometimes as is the case here they have a bad habit of being inconsistent in quality. The intriguing high points are offset by the confusing low ones. One of the numbers that captivated me in the aforementioned bonus section of "Axe Victim" was their onstage rendition of "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" and the version presented here is just as good.
It's a strange song but I really like its bluesy jazz groove immensely. Nelson's guitar solo is excellent and Clark's electric piano ride is superb while the rhythm section consisting of drummer Simon Fox and bassist Charles Tumahai is remarkably tight.
On "Ships in the Night" a slight Supertramp influence is noticeable but it's not blatant, either. The tune is engaging in a coy, clandestine way that sneaks up on you. Pink Floydian sound bites set the mood, then the melodic journey begins with intertwined guitar and synth harmony lines and Bill's smooth but authoritative vocal.
The proggy structure of the entire endeavor is admirable on many counts. The final six selections were taped early in '78 and they sound like a different ensemble altogether this time around. The perky "New Precision" features a throbbing disco beat but it's deceptive because the tune is more of a heavy rocker than a trite dance number. There's a noticeable New Wave vibe going on here that reminds me of Talking Heads but, since that eclectic New York outfit had just appeared on the map at the time, I wonder who was affecting who, exactly?
It's a very arresting and memorable composition. The change in Be-Bop Deluxe's direction is even more obvious on "Superenigmatix. Next is "Possession" and, again, the New Wave sound abounds throughout.
The problem I have with this one is there are times during it when I'm reminded of the borderline vapidity that permeated that movement and used to drive me to have anxiety attacks over where music was headed.
It's not disturbing but it is a tad too derivative to deem it very original. A true highlight of the record is their stunningly deft delivery of "Islands of the Dead. They end the show with "Panic in the World," a driving number that causes me to ponder that these boys were just a little ahead of their time because this is precisely the kind of music that really took over and dominated the industry in the early 80s.
One thing's for sure, they were most assuredly prog-minded at a time when progressive rock was slowly but surely falling out of fashion. While I don't always cotton to the whole of their stuff I have great respect for their gumption and for not being scared to be trendsetters in a business full of followers. I'm kinda surprised that they didn't catch on stateside like Elvis Costello and The Police did but maybe they just gave up and disbanded a year too soon.
Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable trek through their history that unflinchingly displays Be-Bop Deluxe live without embellishments just as they were and they prove themselves to be worthy of any unbiased, open-minded progger's respect. They begin with the album's namesake song and right off the bat the influence David Bowie exerted on them is quite evident but they do stop short of outright plagiarism. Glam rock was all the rage at the time so I can't say I was shocked by it.
Band mastermind Bill Nelson's heavy, blues-oriented guitar playing is dominant but he does add a progressive slant to most of his tunes' structures as evidenced on this particular number by his incorporating frequent tempo changes. In a way it's kind of a throwback to the freewheeling let's-run-through-the-song-a-few-times-and-then-turn-on-the-tape-machine-to-see-what-happens Hippie music that abounded on the west coast in the late 60s.
It abruptly segues into "Jet Silver and the Dolls," a Ziggy Stardust knockoff that sports an uncomfortably loose motif. There's a distinct "art rock" vibe emanating from their attitude in that they don't seem to be all that concerned with finesse or tightness. Next is "Third Floor Heaven" and by now I sense that they're cultivating a palpable 70s "underground chic" countenance in delivering their product.
I don't mind that per se but one big drawback is a lack of variety in the instruments they utilize and, for that matter, the overall repetitious tone of the proceedings. It's not what I'd call a great number but it's the best of the bunch so far.
Bassist Robert Bryan not only contributes the sole non-Nelson composition with "Rocket Cathedrals" but sings it, as well. For this one they toss in an odd opening sequence but it leads to yet another Bowie-ish rocker that's predictably predictable. I guess you could say they know what they like and they like what they know. Unfortunately he sticks with the same guitar rig settings cut after cut and it begins to grow tiresome.
The guitar-heavy jam that commands the middle-to-finish portion may have been designed to be non-conformist but it lacks true focus. It's as if they had aspirations to be the English incarnation of Grand Funk Railroad. It projects an overly dramatic mien but at least it gives the impression that they were willing to stretch their horizons ever so slightly. The last three tracks are live recordings from when the band toured with a revamped lineup.
On "Piece of Mine" Andrew Clark's electric piano helps to fill out their ambient presence greatly. Listening to this tune I get the feeling they would've been right at home performing on a flatbed truck in a San Francisco park during the summer of love. That they have an instantly identifiable aura is not in question but too often on songs like "Mill Street Junction" the composition and arrangement is nothing more than a vehicle for Nelson to play a guitar lead.
However, their in-concert rendition of "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" is excellent. Clark's piano lays down a jazzy foundation and the onstage atmosphere they establish is much more enjoyable compared to what their studio work emitted. This is the finest cut on the record because Bill's guitar solo is passionate and highly moving while Andrew's electric piano ride is cool and classy.
Due to its amateurish nature I was all ready to give this album a high one-star rating but the three bonus tracks that were included on this reissued CD made me think that they were on their way to creating something much better. While I don't consider this disc anything special whatsoever I'll grade them on the curve and hope I'm pleasantly surprised by what came after. Review by progaeopteryx Prog Reviewer. Be Bop Deluxe reminds me more of what used to be termed as "art rock" on this site before it got relabeled "crossover.
It's generally quirky pop rock with progressive leanings and performances clearly made by very skilled musicians. In fact, this group could have pulled off some really wonderful music if they could take some of their better tracks and extend them to two to three times their length. Overall, there are some similarities with other art rock groups of the period, like Roxy Music, 10cc, and David Bowie.
The quirkiness at times reminds me of Gentle Giant, but even those these musicians are talented, they aren't even close to the same league as Gentle Giant. Because of the quirkiness, the music has a very eclectic feel to it.
Sunburst Finish is clearly not in the same league as the classic progsters of the s, but their music is far better than the average pop rock of the time. Those of you with an interest in quirky stuff should really like this.
If it weren't for the charming quirkiness, this would be a rather bland album. A solid three stars. Review by Neu! In retrospect, I hear a young quartet of capable, efficient musicians unable to find a distinctive style to call their own.
The sound of the band on this disc, which as a live set from late in their career can also be heard as a more or less representative best-of-Be Bop Deluxe collection, is strictly quintessential but hardly classic mid '70s guitar rock, without enough hooks to hold onto after thirty-plus years.
Certainly there's nothing here approaching the pure electronic energy and at the time innovation of guitarist Bill Nelson's techno-pop solo albums from the early s.
And none of his unique visual fixation with Jean Cocteau or post-war suburban Americana and beatnik culture. But on the other hand, without even being familiar with the original studio albums, without even being a fan of the group, I have to acknowledge what an excellent live album this is, as a piece of performance.
Many of the songs here obviously came to life on stage, with lengthy instrumental breaks and galvanized solos only possible in front of an eager audience. Nelson's long, luxurious guitar break during "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape", bracketing an equally romantic turn by Andrew Clark on electric piano, is one of the album's highlights.
Even more impressive and longer is the quicksilver guitar and keyboard jam over the funky accompaniment of the song "Shine". There are plenty of similar moments when the music really gels. But the album itself would have to be considered a period piece now, produced and played in a style which locates it very precisely in the middle s.
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