Bill Nelson (after Be Bop Deluxe)

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

I've been going through my vinyl and doing digital remasters of stuff that's not on CD and/or that I dont want to buy CDs of and I just started revisiting Bill Nelson's work starting with Red Noise and Quit Dreaming... and, the never released on CD, The Two-Fold Aspect of Everything. I'm surprised at how New Wave it is.

I suppose I should have expected what I'm hearing, but I seemed to remember last time I played these in the 80s more instrumental stuff and now I cant figure out where I might have heard all the instrumental Bill Nelson stuff that my faulty memory seems to inform me of.

Is there an instrumental album or 2 from Bill in the early 80s?

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

... perhaps I should ask, what's the best of his first 5 or so albums?

[Reach]

Great artist. I can't speak as much about his solo stuff though-- not as familiar yet. Love his work on David Sylvian's Gone to Earth.

[kenschwartz]

well, he's certainly touched many styles over the years...best suggestion is to listen to some stuff and see what strikes your fancy

[arturs]

There's a 4 album box of instrumental Nelson from the early 80s. I had the cassettes back in the day, but Esoteric just re-released it about a year or two ago on CD. Can't think of the title right now. It is pretty good for the most part, some ambient some more structured.

As for more recent BN, Esoteric also released the 6-cd set Noise Candy from the early 00s. I don't know if that is instrumental. If anyone has it I would love to hear what it's like.

[kenschwartz]

There's a 4 album box of instrumental Nelson from the early 80s. I had the cassettes back in the day, but Esoteric just re-released it about a year or two ago on CD. Can't think of the title right now. It is pretty good for the most part, some ambient some more structured.

As for more recent BN, Esoteric also released the 6-cd set Noise Candy from the early 00s. I don't know if that is instrumental. If anyone has it I would love to hear what it's like.

It is not instrumental - though there is certainly a good amount of instrumental tracks on it - I have one of the originals from 2000 - great packaging that I believe was recreated for the release. Each of the six albums are a different style

[kayfabe58]

Bill always had many different instrumental things released in the early mid 80's...Forgive my obvious title mistakes, but I seem to remember Beauty and the Beast, Some sort of BBC Frankenstein or Nosforatu, "something" for Charms sake, Silent Observatory...The man is and has been very prolific

[arturs]

^^^ OMG. I just went over to progarchives to refresh my memory of the titles of those 80s discs, and you're not kidding about his being prolific... Progarchives lists about 35 new BN studio CDs recorded since 2000. This guy is in Rick Wakeman territory in terms of spitting out the releases! I wonder where you can even buy them?? None of our favorite prog vendors carry any of this material and neither does Amazon apparently.

[interbellum]

The rather rare "Duplex : The Best Of Bill Nelson" has a vocal and instrumental CD.

[Mister Triscuits]

... perhaps I should ask, what's the best of his first 5 or so albums?

I would say The Love That Whirls.

It is not instrumental - though there is certainly a good amount of instrumental tracks on it - I have one of the originals from 2000 - great packaging that I believe was recreated for the release. Each of the six albums are a different style

You're talking about two different box sets, Trial by Intimacy vs. Noise Candy.

[Burley Wright]

My favorite is Practically Wired.

[gryphs also]

Sorry, I can listen to the Red Noise material, but I'll reach for his guitar wizardry with his previous band 100% of the time.

[spellbound]

I have:

Sound On Sound (Red Noise)
Blue Moons And Laughing Guitars
Practically Wired
After The Satellite Sings

All are good. Practically Wired is probably my favorite of the above.

[Garden Dreamer]

Sorry, I can listen to the Red Noise material, but I'll reach for his guitar wizardry with his previous band 100% of the time.

Ditto.

[BrianG]

Calling Rob . . . Rob T. come in please . . ..

I like his later ultra - prolific releases over the earlier music, some of which are on sale here: http://www.soundonsound.com/shop/Dept.php?DeptID=17
They are very interesting, mostly uptempo ambient and acoustic pieces, all somewhat different, using a lot of samples and distorted sounds. Atom Shop and Mazda Kaleidoscope stand out for me.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

Some sort of BBC Frankenstein or Nosforatu

Das Kabinet?

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

There's a 4 album box of instrumental Nelson from the early 80s. I had the cassettes back in the day, but Esoteric just re-released it about a year or two ago on CD. Can't think of the title right now.

I found it. It's called Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights

[spotprog]

Yes, Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Light is an instrumental collection. It was originally a 2 LP set which was also issued as a 2 CD set with bonus material.

The reference to a 4 album box of instrumental music may be to Trial By Intimacy (The Book Of Splendours) which I believe was originally issued in 1985 and reissued by Esoteric in 2012 as a 4 CD set.

All that said, you don't have to chase Bill Nelson rarities too hard to build quite the nice collection, given the recent reissue activity. Noise Candy is the most recent, such a superb box.

[Jay G]

I used to be a big Nelson fan way back. However, never found his solo stuff to be as good as the BBD stuff. Haven't listened in some time. I have some sort of rare 3 or 4CD box set from back in the late 80s. Came with a really cool shirt with a creepy picture of Bill on the front. I do not recall much else about the set.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

just starting to figure his 80s discography out
Red Noise - like the first XTC album, quirky Pop Punk
Quit Dreaming - more of the same, but a bit more New Wave/electro Pop
Das Kabinet - Electronic Ambient instrumental soundtrack
Sounding The Ritual Echo - Electronic instrumentals
La Belle - same as Das Kabinet
Love That Whirls - First solid album of music with consistency, albeit quirky New Wave like a one-man XTC

I'll investigate further and return with my findings

[lee59]

Bill Nelson is a highly prolific artist with over 100 albums, not including Be Bop Deluxe or compilations. He continues to release several albums per year on CD in very limited quantities. Any artist this prolific will be repetitive in some form or another, and while Bill is not immune to this he still creates music with a wide range of approaches and styles. Thankfully, Esoteric is in the middle of a reissue campaign covering over 20 out-of-print titles (several of which are multi-disc sets) from the late 80's through early 00's. Additionally Bill is finally offering download versions of some his most rare titles via Bandcamp. This is a great time catch up on some of his music before it goes out of print again.

If there's any interest in anything beyond his 80's output, I'd be happy to post the full discography (sans compilations) with a brief description of the style for each album.

Just let me know.

[richt]

Simplex came out in the late 80's, THE top Ambient LP, imo, should now be available once again, a must hear!! SIMPLEX.....

[arturs]

If there's any interest in anything beyond his 80's output, I'd be happy to post the full discography (sans compilations) with a brief description of the style for each album.

Just let me know.

I would love to see that. Thanks!

[Jay G]

Just figured out that the box set I have that came with the creepy shirt with the Nelson self portrait is Demonstrations of Affection released in 89. Comprised of 4 CDs:

Nudity
Chimes and Rings
Heartbreakland
Details


Wish I hadn't outgrown the shirt. Oh well

[RobT]

I jus did a really quick count of my Bill Nelson collection minus Be-Bop and side projects: 95, some of which have multiple CD's. As far s I am aware, I have all but one. Many, if not most are instrumental. There are a number of ambient CD's from the 80's, and two from Orchestra Arcana which are sort of Ambient with a beat and found vocals. My favorite instrumental CD's are "Plaything," "The Romance of Sustain," "Both Rosewood Volumes One and Two" (which are done on acoustic guitars), the notorious "Simplex," "Practically Wired," and "Chance Encounters in the Garden of Light." "Altar Pieces," is also very good and originally was available only on cassette. Now available as a digital download from Bandcamp. BTW: "The Two-Fold Aspect of Everything" is out on CD. Simplex is notorious because his manager stole the tapes sold bootlegs to members of Bill's fan club. It took many years of legal wrangling to get it back and properly distributed. Those illegal boots have black and white covers.

Bill is my favorite musician. I have travelled to England twice to hear him. As much I enjoyed Be-Bop, I would urge any and all frequenters of this site to check out his solo stuff.