Customer Reviews

Radioland: BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert

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

 

 

"[a]nd still the ghost of Be Bop Deluxe haunts me, despite the charms and crucifixes outside my imagination's door"---Bill Nelson

Be Bop Deluxe's Live! in the Air Age! is a definitive (and strong) live record of the band's history through Sunburst Finish. This second live set, Radioland, provides an interesting contrast. These live tracks, recorded by the BBC in three bursts from 1976-1978, lack the more refined production values and sense of guitar heroism that the Air Age album exudes. Instead, Be Bop Deluxe seems much more down to earth, less a prog band mired in 70s near-cinematic production values, and more a "real live" rock band covering a generous cross-section of an interesting set of songs spanning the band's history. We hear "Third Floor Heaven" from the "Axe Victim" album, rendered with gusto. "Islands of the Dead" and a suite of "Modern Music" songs illustrate the pop sensibility that was then a large part of Nelson's songwriting. "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" is, as in the Air Age album, a guitarplay centerpiece, but this time the solos give less the impression of soaring glissandi than of Hendrix-inspired haze. It's curious to hear Nelson spend several songs jumping between rhythm work and the trademark lead extravaganzas upon which his guitar hero reputation was made, and easy to understand why this band really needed a rhythm guitarist as it evolved. This is a much less varnished version of the band's key songs, very human, very live, and certainly worth owning. The six Drastic Plastic songs alone are worth the price of virtual admission....

Griffin Music has just a issued a real treasure... a massive 77 mins.(approx) of Bill Nelson's former rocketship Be Bop Deluxe.
Radioland:BBC Live In Concert is all unreleased live stuff recorded at Be Bop's height from `76-'78. 16 beauties explain
why this band is so fondly remembered and why Bill made a name for himself as a git hero... whether he likes it or not! `94
notes by Bill himself are included on his reflections of Be Bop and this CD

I was a BBD fan in the '70s and rediscovered Nelson a few years ago. Owned quintessential "Live in the Air Age" since it's release and kept passing on "BBC Radio 1 Live"... However, this is a pretty good live representation. The production isn't as clean as "Air Age" but gives the raw essence of a BBD concert. The mix pulls forward other band talents as well. This is a must for any BBD/Nelson fan.

I have to agree with the reviewer from California who gave this disc one star. I LOVE Be Bop Deluxe, even saw them live on the Drastic Plastic tour (great show!!). But their music, performed live, just sounds "flat" when transferred to tape/disc. I had the "Live in the Air Age" album when it first came out (white vinyl, too!!) and it left me cold. I hardly ever listened to it. I've picked up all of the live BBD stuff since then and it doesn't do it for me. It just loses something without that bit of studio flavoring and sweetening that makes their albums such a joy to listen to.

I meant....even he couldn't make their concerts sound anywhere near as good as their STUDIO albums.

Sorry.

I love BBD but the fact is that they never were a very good live band. Bill Nelson was the only great musician in the group and without the benefit of studio production and multi-tracking, even he couldn't make their concerts sound anywhere near as good as their live albums.

This band is actually LESS dynamic live than in the studio.

In addition, many of these songs suffer from inferior mixes.

Get Sunburst Finish or Axe Victim instead.