Customer Reviews

Never Turn Your Back on a Friend

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Never Turn Your Back on a Friend is one of the very finest albums ever made by the under rated and neglected 70's metal band Budgie. Tony Bourge is one incredible guitarist, Burke Shelley's bass is similar to Geddy Lee's playing as is his voice (old Rush, not post 1980). This album contains the song Breadfan (made famous by Metallica). Truly the earliest recorded example of thrash metal ever (1973). It also has a killer version of Baby Please Don't Go, an old blues standard, You Are the Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk (Stupid title, but killer song), In The Grip Of A Tyrefitter's Hand ( a Budgie classic), and Parents (one amazing song!). The other two songs are acoustic guitar ballads and they bring a nice balance to the heavier cuts on the album. If you have never heard Budgie before but like the Metallica versions of Breadfan or Crash Course in Brain Surgery, get this album, you won't be dissapointed.

The release in 1973, of "Never Turn Your Back On A Friend" was the band's third studio L.P. It proved to be a major mile stone in the long, hard gigging career of Welsh rockers Budgie. It also established their hard rocking style with the drums and bass thumping along together and Tony Bourge's lead guitar work ruffling even the largest feathers.
The first song off the perch was to become Budgie's standard bearer, "Breadfan". It opened with Tony Bourge's rocking guitar, then the bass and drums come thundering in with the fuzzy crunch of twelve thousand banging heads. Add to this Burke Shelley's very high pitched, quintessential 70's metal singing (reminiscent of Geddy Lee of Rush but much sharper) and this heavy metal bird takes flight.
Metallica tried to cover this song on their "Garage Inc". This revealed them to be the rather sad `covers' band that they are.
However, Budgie deliver it all in true hard rock style, pacing the album nicely with two acoustic songs to break up the heavy metal bluster. I'll even forgive the one minute thirty eight second drum solo at the beginning of the fourth song as it's so short, sharp and heavy.
It's the final song "Parents", which is a supersonic power rock ballad that elevates you through the stratosphere. A song very similar in structure to "Led Zeppelins" "Stairway To Heaven", Burke Shelley sings of the torment of turning from child to parent, hitting the heart fair and square with Mott who has a few puppies of his own. This song alone makes this album worth hunting down.
The parents tell their children, "Wash your hands & up to bed, mind your manners or you're dead, watch the cars `cos you got school on Monday". Haven't all parents at sometimes spoken in these jumbled spurts of love and warning?
Though they never reached the dizzy heights of success like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath or Cream, Budgie did leave behind 10 hard rocking studio albums. Really, this is a million heavy metal dreams from their wild concerts attended by their substantial live following.
Budgie also specialized in wonderful album and song titles. As well as the ones on this album, there was also "If I was Brittania I'd waive the rules", "Impeckable", "Nude disintegrating parachutist woman" and "Hot as a dockers armpit". This, at least, proves that the boys from the valleys had a sense of humour. Well, you try fitting those words in a chorus!
Add to this Roger Dream's stunning artwork and you always got the complete package with this bird.
This is one Budgie this Dog will never mess with.
Mott the Dog.

New Budgie fans start here! So you have heard of this lot because Metallica cover their songs and now you want to hear the originals. Without doubt this is the best of their back catalogue, every single track is a classic. The two standout tracks are at the opposite ends of this bands style. Breadfan rubbles along like you never thought possible from an early 1970's band, while Parents is a gentle ballard with depth that grows every time you here it.

I'll skip the review of the material - clearly one of Budgie's best albums("In The Grip of the Tyrefitter's Hand" alone justifies the purchase). What blew me away was the sound quality of the remaster vs. the original release. With most of these remasters the difference is barely perceivable, such that you wonder why you'd pay more when you already have the original CD release. Here it's money well spent, even at import price. Crank it up on a decent stereo and hear for yourself. It breathes, you can hear everything crystal clear. Why can't all remasters sound this way, and why can't all albums sound this good from the very first issue? This is the best thing since powdered milk.

On this 3rd album is where Budgie really left the slugish sloppiness behind and turned in a good studio effort. And this latest remaster sounds nice. The Repetroire imports sound good also. On even the simple material like "Baby Please dont Go" or the wild and speedy "Breadfan" there is a lusty thick confident attack. And a spacier more mature sound on the vocal/acoustic guitar interludes.This was a nice LP in the ole'days. I purchased this twice on cd since the '90's, once in 2007and the first time was on an MCA import vinyl in the fab '70's and it still a treat to have. Try to find in digipak to really appreciate the Roger Dean artwork.

FINALLY!,THIS IS WHERE THE BAND REALLY TAKES OFF.SURE THE FIRST TWO WEREN'T TERRIBLE LISTENING(BUDGIE BEATS SQUAWK IN MY OPINION)BUT THAT WAS CLEARLY THE BAND IN THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS.LISTEN TO THE OPENING OF METALLICA COVERED CLASSIC"BREADFAN"AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN.THIS BAND IS READY TO PAVE THE WAY FOR FUTURE HARD ROCK AND METAL.STARTING WITH A FEROCIOUS RIFF,THIS SPEED ROCKER JUST KNOCKS ME DOWN EVERY TIME I LISTEN TO IT,THE BEST INTRO RIFF EVER LAID TO WAX.I CAN SEE WHERE THE MET WAS HEAVYLY INFLUENCED BY THIS BAND.ONTO BABY PLEASE DON'T GO(A COVERSONG I GUESS BUT IT SURE SOUNDS LIKE THEIR OWN.)GREAT RIFFS AND SOLOS BY THE MAN HIMSELF,TONY BOURGE.A SHORT DIRGE FOLLOWS SETTING THE LISTENER UP FOR THE CRANIUM CRUSHING DITTY"YOU'RE THE BIGGEST THING SINCE POWDERED MILK",A KILLER OPENING RIFF AND THOUGHTFUL GUITAR SOLOS BY THE MAN."IN THE GRIP OF A TYREFITTERS HAND"IS ALSO A AN AWESOME SONG-BASED ROCKER AND HIGHLY REMINISENT OF SABBATH,COULDA BEEN ON VOL.4 EASILY.RIDING MY NIGHTMARE IS THIS BANDS BEST BALLAD,HANDS DOWN.STARTING LIKE THE CHORDS OF FREEBIRD,BURKE SHELLEY'S VOICE REALLY SOUNDS BEAUTIFUL HERE AND THE CHORUS IS JUST HEAVEN SENT.LAST BUT NOT LEAST IS PARENTS.A 11 MINUTE(BALLAD?)TALE ABOUT ONES GROWING UP AND INDIFFERENCE TO OLDER AGE,A VERY MATURE EFFORT HERE AND VERY GOOD BOURGE FILLS HERE NOT TO MENTION.IF I COULD GO HIGHER I'D GIVE IT TEN STARS DEFINITELY.BUY THE THING IF YOU LIKE A VERY WELL-BALANCED HARD ROCK RECORD.

Metallica doesn't hold a candle to classic heavy metal bands like Budgie. Afterall, they formulated their sound by listening to the 70's metal bands, so they're nothing but a bunch of imitators. I bought this album as an import in 1975, it absolutely blew me out of my chair. I think I nearly went deaf listening to it. Will always keep Budgie records and CDs in my collection. They simply can't be beat.

Not many people might know this but Budgie is a term used in Wales to describe a girlfriend, as in something a friend might ask "what's up love, got a Budgie have you"? Anyway, curious info aside there is only one thing to say about this album.

If you really like Heavy metal then you will have this CD. If you haven't got it then a) you really don't like heavy metal b) you've curiously never heard of it, but will immediately buy it c) you've already got it on vinyl d) you're strapped for cash

Regards,

martyn_jones@iniciativas.com

With their third album Budgie came up with their first masterpiece. Every song is memorable and made this the album that should have put them on the map to stay. There is the wonderful Roger Dean cover art, the energetic sound, and seven masterful songs. The two earliest Budgie songs I remember hearing in San Antonio are here: "Parents" and "Riding My Nightmare". The great music doesn't stop there, though, there is the definitive "Breadfan" and the excellent cover of "Baby Please Don't Go". There is the ballad, "You Know I'll Always Love You", which has a rich sound to it and "You're the Greatest Thing Since Powdered Milk". Budgie manages to once again have some strange titles and lyrics, but this time they have woven a tapestry to catch and inspire the listener's imagination.

If you know Budgie and don't have this, shame on you! If, however, you are new to the sound of Budgie, or, are looking for a place to start, this is it! You can't go wrong with NEVER TURN YOUR BACK.... After buying this you will definitely pursue other discs by Budgie. This is an addictive album! There is great guitar work here, electrical and acoustic. The bass and vocals, as always, are envigorating and flawless. Catch the fever; go Budgie!

"Never Turn Your Back on a Friend", Along with "In For The Kill" and "Bandolier", are Budgie's best, "In the Grip" was always my second favorite (next to Napoleon) Budgie tune, I remember as a kid listening to the heavy sounds for the first time and being blown away, (the same way I felt when I first heard Zepplins "Whole Lotta Love"). Budgie was always the best, this is fine music, along with "In the Grip", "Breadfan" and "Parents" are also great tunes.