Bill Nelson's Red Noise - Art Empire Industry (6 Discs)

 

Anyone who has followed Bill Nelson's solo career over the past 40 years would not be surprised by his changes in direction. But the Sound On Sound album divided a lot of fans on its 1979 release. In truth this had started earlier with the last Be Bop Deluxe album, Drastic Plastic. The Axe Hero had largely left his axe at home for that album, excellent though it is.

Sound On Sound lost a good deal of the Art Rockers who loved 13 minute versions of Blazing Apostles and after a DJ Survey in the States panned it, the album didn't get a US release. The following years changed attitudes amongst both fans and newcomers and the die hards all laughed smugly, content in the knowledge they had always got the intent.

In the accompanying booklet intro, Steven Wilson makes an interesting point stating that the sound and direction of the album wasn't that new. A lot of it does sound like XTC's Go 2 and at other times, Devo spring to mind. The album's influence though had a long reach, most notably with Cardiacs.

One of the real revelations here though is the Live In Leicester CD which shows the album did have real commerciality. The harder edge to the live Guitar sound combined with some splendid Drumming (Nelson played drums on the majority of the album) showed a more commercial angle to the material. The Live album is amazing and one of the reasons for getting the 6 Disc set.

There is also a disc of the Bill Nelson home demos which all fans will want. They are essential and very different to the eventual recording. I know fans, including me, are always wary of the spate of new mixes. You like an album as you originally heard it. So a new mix has to be essential, few are. Stephen W Tayler has done a great job with the new Stereo Mix. You hear plenty that you hadn't before.

The 2 DVDs add a 5.1 Mix and the video of the three songs live on The Old Grey Whistle Test and the Promo Video For Revolt Into Style. Also included in the set are the two B Sides from the Furniture Music EP, plus four further songs from the Sound On Sound Sessions including the previously unreleased, My Light.

There is also a four song BBC Radio 1 Session for The Friday Rock Show (TV On The Radio reminisces ahoy!) I really underline how great the De Montfort Hall Set is. New listeners may want to listen to that first which allows the studio album to have greater effect.

So Bill Nelson went New Wave. I've always loved this album, but I do and did always take on the new and different. The years since have seen Nelson play with many genres and there are still fans who ask is this a guitar album for every solo release. 

The set isn't cheap, but well worth the admission. There is a 2 disc set available, although all the goodies aren't on it. The likes of For Young Moderns, Stay Young and Don't Touch Me (I'm Electric) still sound as fresh and relevant now as they did then.

You can buy the 6 disc set everywhere, but more relevantly from Cherry Red here. You can buy the 2 disc set here.

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I Don't Hear A Single - Top 20 Compilations And Reissues 2019

I Don't Hear A Single almost exclusively deals with New Album Reviews. I do sneak the odd Re-Issue or Compilation in and I also review them away from IDHAS. Therefore not as much fuss is made here about them here, but people do like to see recommendations.

So here are my favourites from 2019. That is it for last year now. 2020 Begins here.


01 Ex Norwegian - Something Unreal : The Best Of Ex Norwegian (2 CD)

02 The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psurroundabout Ride (CD + Blu Ray)

03 Sparks - Gratuitous Sax And Senseless Violins 25th Anniversary Edition (3CD)

04 Mick Ronson - Only After Dark (Complete Mainman Recordings) (4CD)

05 Various - Big Stir Singles : The Third Wave

06 Various - Shake Yer Popboomerang Volume 3 (2CD)

07 Stephen Duffy - I Love My Friends (2CD)

08 The Go-Betweens - G Stands for Go-Betweens Volume 2 (5CD + 4LP)

09 Be Bop Deluxe - Modern Music (4CD + 1 DVD)

10 New England - The New England Archives Box Vol 1 (5CD)

11 The Springfields - Singles 1986-1991

12 Roger C. Reale & Rue Morgue - The Collection

13 Alan Price - Between Today And Yesterday

14 Various Artists - Men Of The Moment (1960s Pop Gems Written by Roger Greenaway & Roger Cook)

15 Various - Big Gold Dreams - A Story of Scottish Independent Music 1977-1989 (5CD)

16 The Babys - Silver Dreams (Complete Albums 1975-1980) (6CD)

17 Loser - 1993 - 97 - Remasters and Rarities (Lund Bros)

18 Mighty Baby - At A Point Between Fate And Destiny – The Complete Recordings (6CD)

19 VA - Dreams To Fill The Vacuum - The Sound Of Sheffield 1977-1988 (4CD)

20 Various - Losing Touch With My Mind - Psychedelia In Britain 1986-1990 (3CD)

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Be-Bop Deluxe - Sunburst Finish Deluxe Edition (3CD and DVD)

One of the advantages of age is to witness the reassessment of artists that you loved when young. I remember ELO being largely disliked by the mass unwashed and at best being a guilty secret. Now everyone loved them all along.

Be Bop Deluxe are another example. To me, they were one of the best bands around. To many more, they were Second Division Rock. Bill Nelson was and still is one of the most innovative guitarists and although the band were incendiary live, you couldn't quite pigeon hole them.

Most Rock Guitarists didn't wear three piece suits or had short hair. Plus, the music was so diverse, in essence a sort of Sci Fi affair, but wrapped in Prog, Blues and Pure Pop. Nelson's Guitar Playing marked Be Bop Deluxe far in excess of average, bordering brilliant.

Now of course, everyone loved them, maybe they always did or feel guilty for missing them, hopefully many are discovering them. Sunburst Finish is the band's third album, a halfway point in their five album career. It's always probably the most accessible and maybe their best.

The Guitar solos of the first two are reined in, with a focus on the songs. Nelson still lets rip on Crying In The Sky and the magnificent Blazing Apostles took on a new life as a rock out live, it could last beyond 12 minutes. The former shows all you need to know about his axe hero reputation.

But the songs here veer more towards Pop Rock, beautifully so, particularly on the opener Fair Exchange, There's a ton of inventiveness across all eleven tracks. Ships In The Night is Pop Reggae, Life In The Air Age is Southern Rock. Sleep That Burns is a mix of the continental and Prog. Sunburst Finish is a masterful album, labelling Nelson as a Pop Rock star that you felt he never wanted to be.

Bill Nelson was not one to stand still. After the mixed reaction to the minimal BBD final album, Drastic Plastic, Bill Nelson's Red Noise was to virtually invent New Romantic and then head for an extensive solo career. His solo work encompasses Instrumental, Ambient and the odd Rock Out. All of it is wonderful and his prolific nature has cost me a lot of money over the years and is probably the best value for money that I've ever bought.

Esoteric have done a lovely job with the set. The 3 Audio CDs contain the remastered album and  2018 Stereo Mix plus outtakes. The third disc contains a 1976 BBC Radio 1 In Concert and a Peel Session.

The DVD contains the 5.1 Surround Stereo Mix plus Video from the 1976 appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test and the Promo Video for Ships In The Night. The Booklet is a 68 page extravaganza with an essay of Recollections from Bill Nelson.

Also included are a facsimile of The Sunburst Finish Tour Program, Postcards and a replica poster. This really is quite a set and a great testament to a fantastic band and a fantastic album. You can Pre-Order the deluxe version from Cherry Red here. There is also a link on that page to buy the cutdown 2 disc version.