New Precision by Be Bop Deluxe - Record of the Week

Am so pleased to have found this on the web.

When this music was released, Be Bop were my favourite band of the moment and Bill Nelson was becoming a musical hero. Naturally, I went to see them on the tour to promote this and it was a real highlight.

A bit of history. Prior to 'Drastic Plastic', Be Bop Deluxe were seen as a prog-ish rock guitar band and, when your first album is called 'Axe Victim' you get an idea of the kind of thing we're talking about. But Bill Nelson always had this melodic and jazz-esque edge: it wasn't just noise or runs and riffs. No there was always something more to it as 'Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape', amongst others, clearly demonstrates. So, for me, it was no real surprise when this track arrived in 1978 on their final studio album.

But the music press were confused and didn't quite know what to make of it, declaring that it wasn't a guitar album and that Bill was creating a vastly different sound and we'd all be disappointed. Well, this fan wasn't.

As you can clearly see and hear on this rendition of 'New Precision', Bills' guitar playing is very much to the fore and, if anything, has moved into another dimension. It's no longer the tried and tested blistering rock riffs and runs. Here we have a new wave, classy, intricate, melodic, complementary guitar brilliantly played (of course). On this record, Bill used a new guitar synthesiser (with a Yamaha SG2000) as well as the standard set-ups -- as seen here with that white Stratocaster. Or was it the other way round?
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For me, this album is their best offering. I loved it then and I adore it now. A wonderful piece of work. And its partly down to that new guitar sound. Quite stunning.

A live version (may even be this same recording) of this can be found on the album 'Radioland -- BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert'...
Get the CD of Radioland from amazon...
or download Radioland from iTunes.

The studio version is on the album 'Drastic Plastic'...
Download 'Drastic Plastic' from amazon...
or download 'Drastic Plastic' from iTunes.

Billions and Billions by Stellardrone - Record Of The Week

Its all thanks to Ben Mynott and his Fluidnation sessions on chill.dab that we heard this… and then we investigated more.

All the way from Lithuania, Stellardrone provide the perfect aural wallpaper for working to… chilling-out, cooling down, eating, getting ready to sleep… in fact, the perfect soundtrack to just about anything you can think of!

This particular track has all those lovely synth beds behind all the billions and billions of notes dancing about in a cool, calm and collected manner. It builds and builds, again gently, never causing you any anxiety at all.

Quite perfect. Quite uplifting.

Buy and download the album direct from Stellardrone

Pride Before a Fall by The Church - Record of the Week

I really have been meaning to post this for ages… well, the waiting stops here.

We heard this haunting, chilled-out piece of wonderfulness some months ago now. It arrived on the scene as the signpost for a new Church studio album, 'Further Deeper'.

That too has now arrived and is one of my picks for Album of the Year for 2014. But back to 'Pride…'

We have, to some degree, the trademark chiming 12 string-esque guitar sound, we have Kilbey's gentle and ethereal tones. But the whole effect is somehow fresher and brighter, in a melancholy way. All quite beautiful. I find that with each new release from this band that they do become my Favourite Band of All time. I am loathe to give the title to anyone because I just like so much stuff and so much of what I like is different but, I can reasonably safely say they are one of the few acts that I would ensure I purchased the latest offering from.

The aforementioned album -- Further Deeper -- that this is from is one of their best. Up here with 'Starfish', 'Heyday', 'After Everything Now This', the new record maintains the freshness we can feel and hear on 'Pride…' and in 'Laurel Canyon', 'Volkano' and 'Miami' they give us some stellar musical moments to treasure.

I hope you enjoy this track as much as I do and, if you are not familiar with the bands back-catalogue then I urge you to investigate further.

Buy and download album from the Church Shop