Customer Reviews

Raiding The Divine Archive

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If I ever mention the name "Be Bop Deluxe" to friends during a music discussion, I'm generally greeted with blank looks. Sadly, this seems to be the fate of arguably Britain's best group of the 1970s. This collection draws together an excellent sample of their studio output, originally released between 1974 and 1978. Group leader Bill Nelson stands out as one of the most gifted rock guitarists of his, or any, era, and the songs themselves are nothing short of sublime. From the pure pop mastery of "Maid In Heaven", to the concert favourite "Sister Seagull", this compilation contains all the Be Bop Deluxe you really need, but it leaves you wanting it all. For me, the standout track on this collection is 1974's "Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape", an evocative track conjuring up images of Nelson's native county amid gentle acoustic strumming followed by a electric guitar solo that never threatens to overwhelm the track (something of a rarity for its time). A five-star review is barely adequate to describe how wonderful this music is - it simply *must* be heard.

Also Bill Nelson is one of the Greatest Guitar Players you've never heard of! Intricate music, amazing melodies and great lyrics. Why they didn't make it big in America is a mystery.

I first heard Be Bop Deluxe in the mid-1970s, and still listen to them, along w/ front man Bill Nelson's solo work, today. It has really stood the test of time. I am NO kinda fan of so-called progressive rock (boring, usually), but these guys really twist the elements of progressive rock around, and make it fresh. The music is energetic, varied in texture, and superbly played throughout. Many have (justifiably) raved about Bill Nelson's truly awesome guitar work. It's not just the speed, it's his not choices and wide pallet of guitar sounds that get me. Lyrically, Nelson evokes the English romantic poet traditions, though w/ frequent wry comic twists.

As a fan, I have everything they've done, but for the uninitiated, this is a good compilation of their best known plus more obscure titles. Intelligent use of the "building blocks" of rock & roll, surprising tempo/texture changes, consistently great musicianship, esp. from Nelson, who really was (is?) one of the best rock guitar soloists of all time. Great sound engineering, too.

Big-time guitar fans may prefer their Live in the Air Age release, as the immediacy of the on-stage performance causes them to rely a little more on jamming out, so you hear some really wailing guitar on that release. But this collection allows you to hear how they use the studio to build up the tracks, and they were masters at that. Think "Abbey Road" but w/ much better musicianship. Perhaps the only negative might be that Nelson's take on "the future," taking in the zeitgeist of the 1970s, as it must, seems dated now, 30-some odd years later. But for me, that just adds a little unintended humor to the proceedings. Also well worth a listen is Bill Nelson's 1995 release, Practically Wired, a sort-of-post-modern take on the "guitar hero" sound of his BBD days.

Be Bop Deluxe was indeed one of the best groups of the 70's. This type of progressive rock has aged quite well, especially the later stuff that is really timeless, especially panic in the world and forbidden lovers. What really saved them from going over the top is their attachment to more traditional rock structures. even if Bill Nelson is seen as a guitar hero, he was really never soloing crazily. He had a solid and clear tone that was really beautiful. It is more the time-textures that are typically 70's rock. He would later produce some fantastic solo stuff of course ranging from new wave to ambient and electronica.