Search - Be Bop Deluxe :: Tramcar to Tomorrow

Be Bop scores another winner at the BBC

Patrick Earley | Edmond, Oklahoma USA | 04/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album features previously unreleased sessions recorded for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 Show between 1974-78. For Be Bop collectors, it does contain one rare song "15TH OF JULY(INVISIBLES),which has never been released before in any form. All the songs on here were handpicked by Nelson himself. The sound quality of the music on here is near perfection. It beats both the BBC Radioland Live and the "Live In The Airage" albums for sound recording. The radio banter and audience applause are nowhere to be found here. These songs apparently were recorded live in studio without an audience, or else they did a good job of editing everything out. As far as the music, you get a few of the songs that appeared on the Radioland album, such as their live standards "THIRD FLOOR HEAVEN", MAID IN HEAVEN, SISTER SEAGULL, AND BLAZING APOSTLES. I liked these versions much more than their other BBC album. The guitar sound is much cleaner and out in front here. Bill Nelson's solo's have never been better than you'll find on this album. Some of his standout guitar work appears on "MILL STREET JUNCTION", STAGE WHISPERS, which features a fantastic guitar solo that ends the song all too abruptly. Another great song is "BLAZING APOSTLES", which is every bit as good as the "Live In The Air Age Version".A couple other standout tracks are "CRYING IN THE SKY", with it's playful rhythm changes, sounds like they had a lot of fun making this one. Same goes for "PEACE OF MIND, which changes directions in the middle from a rock song to a reggae song. It was also nice to hear an acoustic guitar playing alongside Nelson's lead, especially on the songs "ADVENTURES IN A YORKSHIRE LANDSCAPE", and 15TH OF JULY(INVISIBLES). All in all, this is a great guitar album that's sure to please Be Bop fans."

Worth it for the BBD lover

Bob Savage | Watertown, MA United States | 01/18/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Some great songs, often a certain freshness - or at least a raw quality - that one might not expect from having heard their previously released material. Still I wish 'Live in the Air Age' would be re-released, although it had been polished smooth of some of what this set of recordings lets us glimpse, it was a truly beautiful piece of work."