RFI: (You old people) Bill Nelson/ Be Bop Deluxe

Wow. That was helpful.

Any developments since then?

Are many other BeBop Deluxe songs in the vein of "Electrical Language"? I love that one.

The only songs of Nelson's I know are on the Harvest box. I recall some of the other selections being rather generic bluesy rock, which I'd like to avoid. (And if my recollection is poor, please correct me.)

Ok, I had a record called "The Love that Whirls" back in day... it had lots of synths, a fat, heavily sustained guitar sound, and mannered vocals. I think Nelson played most of the instruments himself. "Flaming Desire" was the track I heard on the radio. My abrupt answer on the other thread was just me being goofy; he's not that bad. I traded the record away many years ago though.

BeBop Deluxe are a bit of an acquired taste - the early albums are a bit prog/glam for my liking and a bit too showy and in awe of Bowie, and the later albums fall between the stools of new wave and glam too much, but I still have a soft spot for "Drastic plastic", their last album from which "Electrical language" is taken. Then Bill solo is another kettle of fish altogether, early 80s lps are classics of their kind, then he went all ambient and experimental, then he started playing guitar again in the 90s and got good again. Pick and choose with care, but there's always something worth hearing in his work. My fave? The techno heartache of "The love that whirls". So there.

To hear Bill Nelson at his finest, I'd suggest listening to David Sylvian's 1986 release, Gone to Earth. Nelson can definitely play (on some tracks, he is paired up with Fripp), but his own material doesn't seem to be that appealing.

Don't forget the Red Noise stuff, which has to be the most spot-on XTC tribute in existence. You want angular, there it is!

Okay. First, Bill has had a *long* career, so where you drop into it will really determine what you hear RADICALLY. He was doing his big guitar thing until the mid 70s or so; from memory the shift to his synth sound started taking root around the "Drastic Plastic" record (that whole "Electrical Language" sound)- although you could hear it coming a tad on "Modern Music". He did a 2xlp live thing after that ("Live in the Air Age" - not bad), then Be Bop disbanded in the mid-late 70s. He then took a fancy to power pop sound which was kindled in the punk explosion and formed Red Noise ("Sound on Sound") -I think John Leckie presided over those sessions, as he did on the (imo) EXCELLENT XTC-ish "Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam", which combined the sensibilites of the time in songwriting with his dual stints in guitar and synth. Around this time he also formed Cocteau records and virtually deluged the planet with zillions of releases, some very experimental (a project with Richard Jobson, ex-Skids among other things), some ambient, some poppy synth stuff. From this period comes "The Love That Whirls", "Sabage Gestures for Charm's Sake" and "Chimera", all featuring predominant synth but some guitar. In this period, Bill was also guesting on YMO and various J-Pop (Yukihiro Takahashi, Masami Tsuchiya, etc.) artists records as well as some ex-Japan members' solo projects. I think you'll find Mick Karn doing bass on a track or two for Bill as well. Seems like he may have had a hand in his brother's band once in a while as well (Ian also did sax for Bill) - wasn't that Fiat Lux? Anyway, Bill is still alive and well. Winding this up, if you want BIG guitar, I'd suggest "Futurama"..."Axe Victim" if you like that and onward to "Sunburst Finish" and "Modern Music" for more. Personally, I much prefer "Drastic Plastic" (only for a few tracks, really), "Red Noise" and "Quit Dreaming..." - that latter being my favorite by a longshot. There are at least two versions of "Quit Dreaming..." - DO get the version with "Do You Dream in Colour?" IMO that was one of the best tracks and it is left off on some versions. Hope that helps. -jeff

I concur abt "Quit Dreaming & Get on the Beam" it is a super album, and the guitar solo on "Banal" r0x0r3d. "Chimera", also featuring Mick Karn & Riuchi Sakamoto (IIRC) is very good also.

also sometimes when Red Noise were on tour they would arrive to find they had been billed as RED NOSE!! (I have not tired of that in 20 years)

Oops, I take it back; as I am clearly not an old person, I have never even heard of Bill Nelson. My mistake.

YES! Check out "Sunburst Finish" and/or "Axe Victim" two great discs.

"Sunburst Finish" is a great Be-Bop Deluxe record. It has the song "Crying To the Sky" on it, which has one of the most underrated guitar solos in human history.

sunburst finish is the most underated album ever! you have to get it,and as for sound on sound ?.fantastic yardstick for any songwriter who wants to be different.for me nelson in full flow on lead is untouchable!!!!!,so dont give me any of that clapton clap trap!!!!

The first Bebop Deluxe album is sorta proggy guitar hero antics and is a bit like Queen. The back cover photo is a classic - they're wearing medieval garb! And striking very 70's poses, with hose and swords. I wouldn't recommend it musically, it's just a bit silly and overblown.

"Quit Dreaming' has one terrific track, 'Do You Dream in Colour' - that's such a great track.

"Chimera' is Bill Nelson's 6 track ep masterpiece (I think). It's amazingly beautiful pop from start to finish.

The other stuff I haven't heard. Wot's he up to now?

Bill Nelson produced The Skids' second album "Days In Europa" which, as I remember, was pretty damn good.

When I was about 19, I loved The Love That Whirls and the Red Noise record (spot on, Ned), liked Chimera (here in the States, it's known as Vistamix and includes "Do You Dream In Colour").

It's all fairly interesting, but also kind of sound like a guy w/o much of an identity on his own who enjoys nicking the cutting edge style of the day (post punk, new romantic, jungle in the mid-90s even) A big fan of the e-Bow, Bill. Be-Bop are worth a good comp, I suppose prob. not much more. I like the new wavey stuff on there (esp. "Japan").

Stone-cold classic: "Sister Seagull"

Axe Victim is one of my favorite albums. However, Nelson's fawning of David Bowie was a bit irritating. Some of the songs have amde the test of time though others have not.

"Sister Seagull, oh you're flying me too high..."

I never liked that song, yet I've never been able to get it out of my head either. One thing about Bill Nelson, right from the very first album, he was quite a guitar player. You can pick his guitar right away, the style, the way it sort of waterfalls down the scale, as soon as you hear it on a recording. I really like his work on the Gary Numan album 'Warriors'.