Customer Reviews

Axe Victim

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

While this is not my favorite Be-Bop Deluxe album, it's one of my favorite albums overall (check out my Listmania list). A very competent starting point for a band that shined brightly (albeit briefly), and launched the career of one of the most prolific but vastly underappreciated musicians of our time. Bill Nelson has always been an innovator and was never afraid of experimentation, even if it meant him falling a bit out of favor with the "mainstream" audience. One listen to this album and you'll wonder how you missed hearing Nelson's fluid and fiery guitar playing, and why he wasn't even more well known.

I really get tired of people constantly referring to Bill Nelson and Be-Bop Deluxe as mere Bowie clones, which is totally NOT true; while Bowie's influence is apparent throughout this album, Nelson managed to draw upon that influence and go even further to expand it and create something new; a rare feat by any stretch of the imagination! The best tracks are the beautiful "Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape", "Jets At Dawn", "Love Is Swift Arrows", and "Night Creatures". Nelson's guitar playing is nothing short of incredible on the entire album.

You definitely can't go wrong here; this is a classic and a half!

Be Bop Deluxe was one of the best, and certainly one of the most overlooked, of the 70s progressive rock bands. Its leader, Bill Nelson, is a fascinating lyricist and dynamic guitarist. This first album showcases many of the band's strengths--Nelson's appealing melodies and idea-filled lyrics, the guitar work filled with ringing notes and glissandi (Nelson's style in this time period became extremely influential--it is similar to the most melodic "Flame/Sky" era of Carlos Santana's guitar style) and a driving sound satisfying to even the most art-rock-resistant fan. The glam influences on the band are apparent here--"Jet Silver and the Dolls of Venus" has strong Ziggy overtones, and the music has a more acoustic feel to it than the later eras of the band. For me, the twin centerpieces of the album are "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" and "Jets at Dawn", both languid, lyrical pieces which showcase both Nelson's way with a lyric and his coursing, redeeming guitar style. Many other songs also entertain, though-- "No Trains to Heaven" has a gutbucket riff combined with a lyric devoted to seeking the kingdom within, while "Love is Swift Arrows" contains the marvelous lyric "oh goddess in heaven whose number is 17, dressed you in blue jeans this year". Whether you are a Be Bop Deluxe fan who never got around to picking up Axe Victim or whether you have not discovered this wonderful, neglected band--this CD is right for you.

Four stars for the album, which is superb. But if you're in the US and you have this already, and were hoping to upgrade, forget it. Despte the fact that Astral Werks has been trumpeting these Be Bop Deluxe rereleases on its site-- with expanded booklets! Whoopee!-- these are, in fact, straight reissues of the old 1990 CD editions. Expanded booklets my ass: these booklets have been scanned from the old ones. And the mixes are identical to the 1990 editions. These so-called new editions are roughly as far, chronologically, from the original CD editions as those editions were from the LP releases. But no improvements have been made in this case. Another sterling instance of a record company simply not giving a damn. You should wait for the upcoming boxset, which Mr. Nelson is preparing even as we speak.

This was my first exposure to BB deluxe, I saw them play most of this album live, I say to Alan Milne, I can remember as a young guy listening to "Adventures in a Yorkshire landscape" for the very first time live and wondering what hit me, Bill standing out on the edge of the stage and breezing through it! you could here a pin drop in the audience. A classic Album and yes, very guitar orientated, Then slipping into "Night creatures" from hard rock! Great! no one can or could do that since. As for the Bowie comparisons? well if they were ever to meet, then Bowie would be sweeping Bill Nelsons Dressing room floor! Nelsons guitar playing? Class! Al dimeola collides with Jimmy page? I dunno! Bill had the works in his repertoire, lovely touches and textures. glaring riffs and licks, superb!

I saw these guys in 1978 open up for Blue Oyster Cult in Buffalo, NY. They rocked!!! This album was one of my favorites and still is today.

I was pleasently surprised and frankly amazed to find this selection on CD. I had originally found it as a teenager in the $0.99 pile in a record store... and after the Sunburst Finish album, I thought I'd check it out. At the time I thought it was the best damn album I'd ever heard. Ya gotta remember this was a transition period: this was before the ENOization of the world, and post Beatles. Looking back, the guts of the new wave were here- Bowiesque with a slide guitar. Blue Oyster Cult with lyrics. Joy Division without the depressing undertones.

Undoubtably "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" alone makes an album, as it takes you from rainy day working class blues up and though the clouds in the guitar solo. But my personal favorite was always Night Creatures, and I was doubly amazed to find Mill Street Junction on the CD: Again a song that alone would make a album. On this first album Bill Nelson may be in a raw and uncultured state, but you know for sure he's sincere when he sings. This album is a must hear if only in that it was a sign post of a potential time-space continuum that never existed in this universe.

Though not the first recorded example of his talents (those are to be found on a rare earlier recording called"Northern Dream") Axe Victim was to become the first true indication of the sublime writing and guitar playing skills of this enigmatic Yorkshireman. It marks the true beginning of "phase one" of a career that moved all too quickly to embrace the electronic music of the late 70's. In Axe Victim Bill unleashes a barrage of guitar virtuosity which still stands up to scrutiny alongside the shredmeisters of today while outshining all of them with great playing, compositions, lyrics and...goddammit, songs! After the modest success the album brought, Bill ditched the dodgy pick-up band, recruited three new players of ability and recorded the more technically accomplished and polished Futurama and Sunburnt Finish albums (note the theme of naming early albums after guitar references). The outstanding track on Axe Victim has got to be Adventures in a ! Yorkshire Landscape with one of the most beautiful, lyrical and moving guitar solos ever pressed onto vinyl. Check it out, you will not be disappointed.

This is perhaps the best Be-Bop Deluxe album (close race with Sunburst Finish) and features more focus on guitar playing by Bill Nelson than subsequent efforts. Since no one has mentioned it, I nominate "No Trains to Heaven" as a classic guitar song. Triple-tracked bliss. Melody, power, that British early 70's glam touch - you just can't beat it. Buy this album, Sunburst Finish, and maybe Modern Music and you've got all you need from BBD.

One of the best LP's Be Bop Deluxe ever recorded. This is early Be Bop Deluxe, before keyboards took a commanding role in the music and Bill Nelson's guitar was the driving force behind the band. Some of his best solo's are on this record. Any guitarist who wants to learn how to construct memorable solo's must have this cd. The solo's are inspired and timeless. The songwriting is great, as is the cd and many of these songs became permanent parts of BBD's live shows. Get it, you won't be sorry.

You know what's *really* hard to believe? To the point it's downright confusing to me? The fact Axe Victim has not gone down as a classic album.

What makes Axe Victim so amazing? Well for one thing, the songwriting is pretty solid from beginning to end. Be Bop Deluxe does NOT sound like any of the other legendary glam rock bands such as T.Rex, Mott the Hoople, David Bowie, Queen, etc. Be Bop Deluxe definitely has their own distinct style.

But the MAIN thing that's completely mind-boggling to me is the fact that Axe Victim sounds amazingly *fresh* considering it's an album released in the mid 70's. I mean, fresh in the same way a band like Big Star or Badfinger sounds fresh. Ever listen to those bands? The albums they made were produced brilliantly and don't sound dated at *all*. The same is true for Axe Victim. I was NOT expecting this after reading several mixed reviews for the album.

Those reasons SHOULD be good enough to make Be Bop Deluxe one of the cool bands that teens today should have great admiration in.

Also, give me a break! What am I referring to, you ask? The comparisons to David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust. What? The songwriting is, for the most part, completely different from that classic album. "Love is Swift Arrows" is the *only* song that might resemble something from that classic Bowie record.

One more thing- the guitar soloing on here is by FAR the best guitar work ever laid down on tape by a glam rock band. It's seriously extremely impressive, and even someone like Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton should be mightily impressed with it. Listen to the title song, "Jet Silver and the Dolls of Venus", "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" and "No Trains to Heaven" to hear an *amazing* display of guitar soloing the likes of which NEVER occurred on a David Bowie album.

Beats me why so many people believe Axe Victim is a weak offering. It's honestly not. It sounds so good today that it shouldn't be ignored and disrespected as much as it has.