Nelson, Bill: After the Satellite Sings

I can think of no other musician who has not received his 'just rewards' as much as Bill Nelson. The former front man of Be-Bop Deluxe is not only an excellent guitarist but vocalist, songwriter and arranger as well.

The man has a tremendous volume of work and I must admit I have explored only the tip of the iceberg when it comes right down to it. What I have heard I have grown to appreciate very much. Nelson is almost like a chameleon in that many of his solo albums cover such a wide range of styles, you really never know what you are going to get. After the Satellite Sings was originally released in 1995. It was recorded at Fairview Studios in East Yorkshire over the course of twenty-eight days. Esoteric Recordings has seen fit to revisit the album and give it the loving attention it deserves, fully remastered with a short introduction from the man himself.

There is no denying the Bowie influence, he even mentions the Earthling album in the liner notes. I also hear elements from Bowie's Black Tie White Noise and Outside albums. Like those albums, and especially Earthling, this is Nelson's foray into the trip hop style with heavy percussion and loaded with electronics. His voice has always been a bit Bowie-esque and that continues here. I absolutely love the vocals. He has a very understated style and when he goes into talking mode it also reminded me of Feline-era Stranglers.

Of course, what would a Nelson album be without great guitar work? It really is the meat and potatoes of his sound and you can find it all over the disc. Whether it's the trip hop grooves of "Deeply Dazzled" or the Steely Dan style guitar in Streamliner" you really cannot go wrong here.

Another major highlight is the infectious "Rocket to Damascus" with its excellent guitar, electronic percussion and Bowie influenced vocals.

After the Satellite Sings should have been a major hit but sadly it was not to be. Perhaps this re-release will generate some much earned interest. One can only hope.

Track Listing:
1. Deeply Dazzled
2. Dreamster 2.L.R
3. Flipside
4. Streamliner
5. Memory Babe
6. Skull Baby Cluster
7. Zoom Sequence
8. Rocket to Damascus
9. Beautiful Nudes
10. Old Goat
11. Squirm
12. Wow! It's Scootercar Sexkitten!
13. Phantom Sedan
14. Ordinary Idiots
15. V-Ghost
16. Blink-Agog

Added: March 12th 2015
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Label's Official Site
Hits: 1889
Language: english

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