Modern Music [Bonus Tracks]

Performer: Be Bop Deluxe
Engineer: John Leckie; John Leckie
Producer: Bill Nelson; John Leckie; John Leckie; Bill Nelson
Distributor: Caroline Distribution

Notes: Be Bop Deluxe: Charlie Tumahai (vocals, bass guitar, percussion); Bill Nelson, Simon Fox, Andrew Clark . Personnel: Bill Nelson (vocals, guitar, percussion); Andrew Clark (keyboards, percussion); Simon Fox (drums, percussion). Recording information: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England (06/1976-07/1976). 1976's MODERN MUSIC was Be Bop Deluxe's fourth album, and--in many ways--the band's most refined and sophisticated. The compositional ambition and stylistic flourishes of glam rock still played heavily into the band's sound, recalling David Bowie and early Roxy Music. But guitarist/singer/songwriter/frontman Bill Nelson's ability to balance multi-part songs and complex arrangements with pop hooks is realized to excellent effect here. "Kiss of Light," for example, though dominated by a shape-shifting sensibility and Nelson's soaring, multi-tracked electrics, comes back again and again to its memorable, repeating chorus. Nelson also has a penchant for dramatic, fantasy-tinged ballads ("The Bird Charmers Destiny," for example, contains lyrics about crystal balls, gypsies and white swans), and unabashed, pop-inflected rock "Bring Back the Spark." Be Bop Deluxe's hodge-podge aesthetic (MODERN MUSIC contains traces of everything from heavy metal to jazz to soft rock to R&B), the strength of musicianship, the artful balance of Nelson's arrangements, and the high flown ambition of it all impresses, making this a high point in the band's discography. This overlooked gem is a must for fans of the glam and progressive rock of the era. Things had changed for Be Bop Deluxe by the time of the group's fourth album. The band that turned up in glam rock regalia on its 1974 debut, Axe Victim, was in suit and tie on the cover of Modern Music in 1976. Inside, the band's transformation into a sophisticated pop group seemed complete. Arrangements were still ornate, but the songs were dominated by their highly imagistic lyrics, and as often as not, Bill Nelson was borrowing ideas from the Beatles. It didn't quite work, despite pleasant numbers such as "Orphans of Babylon" and "Kiss of Light," perhaps because a true pop sensibility requires a gift for simplicity that Nelson has never exhibited. The album charted high in England and made the Top 100 in the U.S., but it was Be Bop's peak, not its breakthrough. [This version of the album contains bonus material.] ~ William Ruhlmann

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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