Very Best of Be Bop Deluxe

Performer: Be Bop Deluxe
Distributor: Gotham Distributing Corp.

Notes: Be-Bop Deluxe includes: Bill Nelson (vocals, guitar). The "be-bop" never made a whole lot of sense, but "deluxe" certainly describes the guitar chops of group leader Bill Nelson. In the tradition of mid-'70s guitar heroes, Nelson was a prodigiously talented purveyor of smooth, lightning-fast runs, but he also had a healthy appreciation of otherworldly weirdness. Drawing from the group's five somewhat uneven studio records, this is a well-chosen collection. Though the band occasionally went overboard in the art-rock direction, these songs stand up surprisingly well. The group's solid debut, AXE VICTIM (1974), is represented here by the would-be glam anthem "Jet Silver and the Dolls of Venus" and the pastoral "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape." The bulk of the collection is given over to FUTURAMA (1975) and SUNBURST FINISH (1976), in which the group headed into full-fledged prog-rock territory. "Sister Seagull," the reggae-tinged "Ships in the Night," and the flanged-to-the-teeth "Life in the Air Age" (which could be a companion to Bowie's "Space Oddity") exemplify Be-Bop Deluxe's combination of inventive, ornate rock and '50s sci-fi sheen. Rounding things out are the cream off DRASTIC PLASTIC--the group's final LP before Nelson went solo--which shows evidence of new wave stylings.

Though Be-Bop Deluxe began as a Bowie-influenced, makeup-bedecked crew splitting the difference between art-rock and glam, as the 1970s wore on they sharpened both their sound and image, becoming a pivotal influence on the UK's burgeoning New Wave scene. The central focus of the band was Bill Nelson's awe-inspiring guitar work. After the group's dissolution in 1978, Nelson began a long and fruitful solo career encompassing ambient instrumentals, synth-pop, and more. He also found fame as a producer for A Flock Of Seagulls and others.

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