Search - Be Bop Deluxe :: The Very Best of Be Bop Deluxe

A LONG TIME AGO NELSON WAS A GUITAR SLINGER, GET THIS CD

Jay Siekierski | STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. USA | 05/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Somewhere around the time of 1977 Be Bop Deluxe leader Bill Nelson (guitarist/vocalist/songwriter/producer & visionary) got tired of playing rock 'n' roll riffs and wearing the guitar slinger tag. He packed his lil' hot sci-fi progressive group in, in '78 after their final studio LP Drastic Plastic. This new CD The Very Best Of Be Bop Deluxe (Collectables) collects 19 of the bands brightest moments onto 1 CD, orbiting in at 78:16. All the tunes that made Be Bop Deluxe loved in many hearts and Bill a hero (yes the ghost of Be Bop still haunts him to this day) are here. "Modern Music," "Ships In The Night," Adventures In a Yorkshire Landscape," "Sleep That Burns" and the 2 live killers "Piece Of Mine" & "Mill Street Junction" still BRING BACK THE SPARK (thats here too!) of the days when Be Bop Deluxe were on the verge of taking over the planet. The best of their 6 official LP's is here, but sadly nothing of the unreleased material that made up the 2nd LP of the bands 1979 Capitol/Harvest 2 LP collection The Best Of And The Rest Of is presented. The booklet details great history on Bill's career from his start up to the present '98 and the CD is a pix disc of the band. A nice tribute to a once great band."

An excellent Best Of from Be Bop

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

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These guys were one of my favorite bands of the 70's. They sounded like the missing link between old school 70's rock and the New Wave of the 80's. At times, Bill Nelson produced some stunning music with an electric guitar. Because of the eccentric way Be Bop Deluxe presented their music though, they never quite connected with the average rock fan out there. As for Bill Nelson's guitar style, he was a very polished player. His solo's were very clean and creative, and a lot of imagination went in to their song arrangements. I liked their use of heavy rhythm guitar, especially on the three of my favorites here, "JET SILVER AND THE DOLLS OF VENUS, MAID IN HEAVEN, AND SLEEP THAT BURNS. Nelson also liked using oriental rhythms, such as on the songs KISS OF LIGHT, JAPAN, AND ELECTRICAL LANGUAGE. It's really Nelson's guitar solo's that made this band. With a spacey sound that sounded at times like he was playing in the middle of the Grand Canyon, I always knew when I was listening to a Be Bop song. As for this compilation, it's a well put together document of their too short career. There's not a dud to be found. The one thing I've never understood was why Nelson broke up this band in 1979 to go solo. He not only did that, but he also gave up guitar to play keyboards. Unbelievable! This guy was such a gifted guitar player. He should've stuck with the thing he does best, laying down those fierce guitar solos. This Best Of is a great place to start enjoying this sorely underrated band. I also recommend their "Live In The Air Age" record if you can find it, or their BBC Radio 1 album "Tramcar To Tomorrow. Both excellent albums that are tailor made for guitar lovers."

A GUITAR SOUND MADE IN HEAVEN

dphilips2002 | ROYAL OAK, MI United States | 07/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"BILL NELSON WAS A GREAT GUITAR PLAYER AND A PRETTY GOOD SONGWRITER/VOCALIST IN HIS DAY. THIS ALONG WITH THE BBC CD ARE THE BEST VALUE IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD/FIND ALL THEIR ORIGINAL ALBUMS. WHY THIS BAND WASN'T HUGE IS A STILL A MYSTERY. COMBINES THE BEST OF BOWIE, BEATLES, AND HENDRIX. A COUPLE OF TUNES ARE MISSING BUT STILL A GOOD SELECTION OVERALL. 19 SONGS! ONE OF ROCKS' MISSING LINKS."