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Secret Club for Members Only Bill Nelson album - 27 October 2007 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Blues For A Broken Time Machine 02) Symphony In Golden Stereo 03) Station Clock In Cloud Of Steam 04) All Hail The Happy Captain 05) Boyhood Shadows 06) I Remember Marvelman 07) Secret Club For Members Only 08) Venus Over Vegas 09) Superhappyeverafter 10) The Futurian 11) Ghost Show 12) Jet Pack Jive 13) That Was A Beautiful Dream, She Said 14) Men In Search Of The Milky Bosom 15) Astron 16) Hey, Bill Diddley! ALBUM NOTES: Secret Club for Members Only is an album mixing vocal and instrumental pieces issued exclusively for Nelsonica ‘07 on the Discs of Ancient Odeon label. Due to the previous convention CD selling out in 11 days, the decision was made to increase the print run of Secret Club to 1000 copies, although this was not declared in advance (maybe to protect interest in the convention). In a genuine attempt to stem the practice of selling the Nelsonica CDs for extortionate prices, the decision was also taken to officially offer copies of Secret Club at 'Buy It Now' prices on eBay over the Nelsonica weekend. This back-fired to a degree, and caused some criticism on the Dreamsville Forum, as it left fans unsure whether to trust the listing. For whatever reason, this approach was never repeated. As soon as Nelsonica was over, the remaining copies of Secret Club for Members Only were sold through SOS, and on 14 January 2011 an announcement was made that the album had completely sold out. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Return to Jazz of Lights , Here Comes Mr Mercury , Arcadian Salon , Fantasmatron , Modern Moods For Mighty Atoms , Clocks & Dials , Astral Motel , Whims y BILL'S THOUGHTS: "I Remember Marvelman": "Weird and Beard are very much tongue in cheek...those who have the requisite background and are as old as me may have a knowing chuckle at the entire song. At least, that was my plan. The song refers to an English comic book hero from the '50's, 'Marvelman', whose everyday persona was a youngster called Mickey Moran. If Mickey shouted the word 'Kimota' a flash of power zapped down from the skies and transformed him into the mighty Marvelman. If you reverse the word 'Kimota' and change the 'k' to 'c' it spells 'Atomic'. (And Mickey's surname only needs a one letter change to transform it into 'Moron'. Don’t know if this is what the character's creator intended though!) The "weird" and "beard" refer to '50's beatniks, as perceived by the popular media of the time. The connection of that with Marvelman is an obscure but personally resonant one and I approached the song in a humorous, pop-art, nouveau-kitsch, bubble-pop spirit of surrealism style. It's meant to raise a smile and the Dali-esque eyebrow of absurdity. OK, so it's an art-student's song. As someone once said, "the art school ball goes on forever". And I'm just an old-school beardy-weirdy art student at heart!" _____ Bill's Listening Suggestion of the Day: "From my cabinet of musical erotica: "Men in Search of the Milky Bosom". (And let's face it gentlemen, old habits die hard...) This one comes from the Secret Club for Members Only album and takes a quiet, improvised, piano-led path over a mid-tempo trip-hoppy beat. For those of you into compiling compatible tracks, this would sit nicely alongside some of the piano-based pieces on the Theatre of Falling Leaves album. Music for a bedroom lit only by scented candles and shining eyes." FAN THOUGHTS: Peter: "My god, Bill...you are simply amazing. What it must be like to have that much unbelievably great music just flowing through your being...you are blessed, dude, blessed. As are we who are lucky enough to be listening. Pity the fools who are missing out on all this musical treasure." Sue: "I love the title track, it has a really different feel to it...dark, brooding and mysterious." Pathdude: “Jet Pack Jive”: “is the highlight of the album (although it’s crammed full of goodness).” emotionalhooligan: "JET PACK JIVE": "..............what a track. Proper old school Nelson." PhilK: "I think of all Bill's albums I have this one has the near perfect mix of vocal and instrumental tracks. Particular favourites for me are: "Station Clock in Cloud of Steam" (my current favourite Bill track, an absolutely beautiful instrumental, perfect for chilling to). "Symphony in Golden Stereo" "Boyhood Shadows" "The Futurian" "All Hail the Happy Captain" "Men in Search of the Milky Bosom" "Hey, Bill Diddley!" In fact I could list the whole album, what other artist has so much high quality material to be able to give an album of this brilliance away to his fans [at Nelsonica ], amazing." major snagg: "This is high class collection of material...songs and melodic instrumentals. This is a fabulous CD. I've just been rediscovering the hidden jems on it. "Symphony in Golden Stereo", "Ghost Show", etc. These are just two that I like, and how different they are from each other. The first is a lush optimistic 'ballad' (?) and the later, an exciting up tempo, 'Rocker'! This is why I continue to be a 'fan' of Bill Nelson." A Kinder Light: "Symphony in Golden Stereo": "is really hitting home...I don't know why I'm surprised after all of this time that you continue to exceed your own high standards, but I have to tell you that these last five years or so have been an absolutely stellar period for those of us that are enjoying it." Merikan1: "I think that this one is highly underrated. A classic Nelsonica CD encompassing many styles and moods." Kalamazoo Kid: "Academically, I can get from "Heavenly Homes" to "Men in Search of the Milky Bosom," but 30 years have gone by between those songs and in our lives. It's the fact that BN has happily discarded his past to pursue his present (and imagine a bunch of futures) that makes the story worth following. I've certainly enjoyed BN's nostalgia for the past, but only because it has been refracted through steadily older and more restless perspectives - and communicated through dramatically different aesthetic approaches. Change is the measure of life. Stasis is the measure of death. And Bill Nelson is alive and well at 60 - which puts him in a class nearly by himself, in any artistic genre at any time in history. 60 is the age of retirement, of coasting, of resting on dusty laurels, of reunion tours, and of being 35 years past your last startling piece of new work - or of being 35 years dead. All hail BN, delighting and pissing people off into his seventh decade." Timbaugh: "My copy of Secret Club arrived yesterday...in the last week I obtained five of Bill's CDs and am yet to be disappointed...Sell your wife and buy the lot..." Albums Menu Future Past

Whimsy Bill Nelson double album - 17 June 2003 Albums Menu Future Past DISC ONE: Whimsy 01) Nostalgia (For The Future) 02) Slumberlite 03) Let Flow The Wine 04) Switch Off That Desert Sunset 05) Magnetism Made Me Do It 06) A Simple Thought Flashes Through My Mind 07) Senor Mysterioso 08) Ocean Full Of Wishes 09) Swept Away 10) Islands In The Sky 11) Always Summer 12) The Fundamental Blues 13) My Favourite Urban Chrome-Green Sky 14) Dizzy In The Head 15) I Looked At The Sea 16) The Girl Who Disappeared Into A Cloud 17) Whimsy 18) So Far 19) The Violins Of Autumn 20) Will Purchase this download DISC TWO: A Garage Full Of Clouds 01) Showtime 02) Dumb Palooka 03) Garage Full Of Clouds 2 04) Organola 05) Perfect Bliss 06) Powder Blue 07) Here We Go 08) When We Were Young 09) Fairyland Before The Fire 10) Cowboy Christmas 11) Struck Dumb By Beauty Again 12) Don't Be A Stranger 13) The Light This Universe Attracts 14) Sing Ye Golden Sunbeams, Sing 15) Superslippy 16) The Fabulous Fountain Of Your Savoir Faire 17) A Star Named Desire 18) Buzz Was Honey 19) Over The Moon 20) Close Your Eyes (The Sleepytown Symphony) Purchase this download ALBUM NOTES: Whimsy /Whimsy Two is a double CD issued on the Fabled Quixote label in a single print run believed to be of 1000 copies. The album was commenced in February 2001, a month after Nelson took delivery of a new digital recording set-up and had become accustomed to the digital sound (and a few operational gremlins that plagued his early use of the equipment). The album was originally planned as a single album to be called A Garage Full of Clouds (before a note of it had been written or recorded), but in the end this became the sub-title of the second volume (Whimsy Two), completed in the same period. By June 2001 a total of 15 tracks had been recorded, at which point Nelson had decided on Whimsy as a title for an interim album, quite separate in style to the original planned A Garage Full of Clouds album. However by the end of January 2002 the number of tracks completed had grown to fill a double album comprising 40 tracks initially recorded for the two separate projects. In March 2002 Nelson announced that the second album, now officially called Whimsy Two (A Garage Full of Clouds) , would be a limited edition companion album to Whimsy , and that both would be handled by Voiceprint. With completed tracks transferred to Nelson's DAT machine, technical problems caused unrepairable damage to a number of masters which reportedly resulted in Nelson having to replace those tracks with new material. At Nelsonica '02 , held on 7 September 2002 at The Duke of Cumberland in North Ferriby, those in attendance were treated to a preview of 18 tracks from Whimsy a full nine months ahead of release. By then the format of the album had been confirmed as a double CD, Nelson having abandoned the idea of restricting Whimsy Two to a few hundred copies. After mastering the album later in September 2002 and getting artwork prepared and ready for the printers early in 2003, Whimsy was finally released in June 2003 in a fold out digi-pack sleeve complete with lyric booklet. With a few copies having been sent out mail order, the fanfare was then muted somewhat when it became clear that the CD labels had been juxtaposed requiring a re-print to be ordered. The album was back on sale in July 2003 ahead of the special 'preview showing' for the Flashlight Dreams and Fleeting Shadows DVD on 14 August 2003, and the 2 day long Nelsonica '03 (once again staged at The Duke of Cumberland in North Ferriby on 19/20 September 2003). Thanks to the marketing power of Voiceprint combined with the CD being a strong seller on the merchandise stalls at various Nelson live shows staged in 2003/2004, Whimsy sold out of its print run within 2 years of going on sale. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Both Whimsy and Whimsy Two: A Garage Full Of Clouds are available to purchase as digital downloads here in the Dreamsville Store . FAN THOUGHTS: A Lad Inane: "Immediately, the artwork intrigued me and lunged me headfirst into Bill's retro-nostalgia world. Likewise, the song titles struck me as incredibly original, intelligent, and rife with imagery. I was hooked...When I got back into my car, I put on the first CD and was immediately taken with the sonic complexities, bubbling charm, and DIY instinct of "Nostalgia (For the Future)." "Whenever I listen to Whimsy , I envision a little boy in 1950's smalltown America sitting before a Christmas tree and playing with a toy train. And then, in my daze, I accidentally drive my car off an embankment." paulnery: " Whimsy is a great album, starting by the wonderful cover!!! I think that just the graphic art already makes the album a "must buy"...but the music is even better." Quinault: "I love Whimsy ! It was one of my personal recommendations to everyone seeking new musical enlightenment." JohnR: Favourite solo album: "For me, this has to be Whimsy , and for very personal reasons. When this came out, it was the first of Bill's albums I had bought for a while. The music was a revelation and I could not stop playing it over and over again." sauropod: " Whimsy is one of my favorite Bill albums and is the album that got me back into his music after an extended hiatus. "Nostalgia for the Future" is absolutely brilliant." Timbaugh: "From the classy sophisticated pop with a twist of "Always Summer", to the infectious riff in "Magnetism Made Me Do It", the album exudes class...The use of spoken word samples is inspired – adds another dimension." Holer: "I think these are some of Bill's sunniest, catchiest tunes yet, and stylistically, there are some really unique numbers ("Let Flow the Wine", "Fundamental Blues", "Dumb Palooka", etc. etc.). Bill is a real chameleon on the guitar here also. Just wanted to say thanks Bill, and give Whimsy a proper shout out as an album that deserves attention. I know Magnetism made you do it!" tomk: " Whimsy never gets "Old" to me. There's so much going on and it's always a new experience to me. I have always admired Bill's Vocals. "Always Summer" is my fav. I find it quite mysterious, haunting, sad and uplifting..." james warner: "A double album of weird and wonderful vocal tracks, lyrically looking back with fondness to more innocent times. Voices from the past are blended with electronic sounds of things to come, while Bill's vocals and guitar exist in both realms at once. This is retro-futurism in musical form." "Slumberlite": "is THE classic track from Whimsy ." alec: "A Simple Thought Flashes Through My Mind": "from the amazing Whimsy is a lovely combination of samples. Love this song, and the way Bill sings "under control" in the very low register." paul.smith: "Powder Blue": "My wife Sam's favourite song has always been this track off Whimsy . It's a great summer song and full of pure pop sensibility. Burnt sienna as rich dark shadows and powder blue as a cloudless sky on those timeless flight days we all remember as children. Very evocative of all those days spent in a semi-rural landscape for both of us at different times at different ages." stormboy: "It's easy enough to recognise the Bill Nelson Spirit of Adventure in all his work. I love all of Bill's work and applaud his commitment to following his creative nose (can I say that? Yes, I think so), and enjoy the results of his audio excavations. I was worried when Bill switched to digital, as I feared for the loss of some of the BN sound, but I needn't have worried... reliable as ever, he proved he can still stand out from the crowd. Bless his cotton socks." Gary Lensman: " Whimsy was my first Bill Nelson purchase just over a month and half ago after a gap of far, far too long. Bought quite a few since then. Major musical addiction now - I've heard there's no known cure this far from Galactic Central for the Nelsonian Rocketeers on board the Lightship Silvertone pulsing towards Andromeda ." Albums Menu Future Past

Albion Dream Vortex Bill Nelson album - 2 September 2013 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Thought Bubble No 1 02) Behold These Present Days 03) Like A Boat In The Blue 04) Sparky And The Spearmint Moon 05) Tomorrow Will Not Be Too Late 06) Start Beaming And Get On The Gleam 07) We Who Are Awake Will Not Be Asleep 08) Thought Bubble No 2 09) Electrical Adepts Of The Celestial Bed 10) The Mastery Of The Thing 11) Albion Dream Vortex 12) Thought Bubble No 3 13) Long Ago, By Moonlit Sea 14) Let Us Melt And Make No Noise ALBUM NOTES: Albion Dream Vortex is an instrumental album issued in a one off print run of 1000 copies on the Sonoluxe label. Although generally print runs were now set at 500 copies, the fact that Nelson elected to issue Albion Dream Vortex in digipack artwork meant that he was forced to produce 1000 copies. The music that eventually made up the Albion Dream Vortex album was initially intended for a DVD project with the title Atom Totem Apparitions , which Nelson first made subtle reference to in April 2012. By November that year, Nelson revealed more recording details for the planned DVD project, including a track called "Mind is a Map of Sparkling Galaxies", that remains unreleased. By June 2013, Nelson had long abandoned the DVD idea in favour of what was, by then, the Albion Dream Vortex CD. His published running order at this point included as track 3 "Glisten", which had recently appeared on Blip 2 , leading Nelson to replace that track with "Like a Boat in the Blue" during the mastering sessions in July. Albion Dream Vortex sold out in the summer of 2019. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Albion Dream Vortex is an instrumental album blending guitars and keyboards in a variety of styles. It contains subtle references to instrumental music I've made throughout my career, embracing ambient, electronic, vintage and modern, wrapped up in a dream-like vortex of sound. "The word 'Albion', for me, signifies the post-World War 2 era I grew up in. It also reminds me of a company called 'Albion Motors' who built art-deco styled buses in the 1930s and '40s. But 'Albion' is actually the oldest known name for the island of England and inevitably conjures up swirling spirits from the mysterious past. "The subject of dreams, their nature and purpose, has fascinated me since childhood. Dreams have also been a recurring motif in my creative life, and will continue to be so until, somewhere in the future, I will become little more than a flickering, ghostly dream of myself...atoms of memory, spluttering and sparkling like tiny fireworks in a long ago November sky. "We inhabit two worlds, one of which we assign to reality and the other to dreams. Our lives are spent half awake and half asleep, adrift in realms of reason and unreason. The boundary between these realms, for the artist, is often deliberately blurred, nebulous, ambiguous. Yet our creative imagination holds the ticket that allows us to travel between these two states and permits mysterious goods to be imported and exported. This luminous traffic, this flickering mystery, is the foundation of Albion Dream Vortex ." _____ "It's not written in an obvious, 'intro, verse, chorus, bridge, verse, repeat chorus, end' form. The music is rather more fluid, sometimes 'non-linear' and develops along different lines to a rock or pop song...It doesn't attempt to arrive at a particular stylistic conclusion but grows organically from point-to-point without being forced to make obvious 'points'. In that sense, its 'point' is simply to be pure music, music for its own sake, as much concerned with sound and atmosphere as note choices or hooks, etc. "Also, with this album as with several others of mine, no one track is meant to stand alone as the album's signifier (though the title track comes conceptually close). Instead, each track forms one single building block of an entire edifice. It's a complete album rather than a collection of separate tracks and should be 'read' as a whole construction, from start to finish. "Albion Dream Vortex treats you like an adult, doesn't talk baby language to you, doesn't feel the need to lead you by the hand through its mysterious corridors, but simply opens its doors for you to enter and explore. I hope, as you familiarise yourself with its twists and turns that you'll want to spend more and more time with it." _____ "If you enjoyed the trilogy of, Illuminated At Dusk , Mazda Kaleidoscope and Silvertone Fountains , then Albion Dream Vortex will carry you up the escalator of dreams to the next level." _____ "It's perhaps the most 'spiritual' (for want of a better word), album I've released for some time. Those of you who treasure deep listening will, I hope, truly appreciate this album for the rest of your lives..." _____ "With this watershed album, I aimed for a future that might humanise, console, enlighten and soften the day to day cruelties and unkindnesses we all endure. It's an album for the tender of heart and the strong in spirit. I hope it's for all of you. And, at this point in time, I think it is one of the very best, of this style, that I've ever recorded." _____ Bill's Listening Notes for the album: 'Albion Dream Vortex' Listening Notes FAN THOUGHTS: paul.smith: "It's turning into a solid, bona fideeeah! classic...and I really can't/won't stop playing it...probably what Bill wanted us to do...but this one just keeps moving on and on with its revelations of sound... "Behold These Present Days" has got to be one of my favourite tracks of the last decade...and I like a lot of what's gone on in the last decade... If you have overlooked this album for one reason or another, please be assured it is utterly essential if you like Bill's found voices/instrumental music...I have gained so much pleasure from this album in the short time since its release..." December Man: "ADV arrived on the West Coast USA yesterday like a beautifully packaged gift out of some future, musically evolved civilization -- a kind of reverse Time Capsule of musical things to come, things to look forward to! Like others, I put it on (wore it?) last night and HAD to listen to it from start to finish! Certainly Bill's best instrumental album to date and arguably his best work in any form! Congratulations, Mr. Nelson! Good stuff, sir! Met and exceeded my already high expectations of all you create! This album is simply a masterpiece in MHO. "The Mastery of the Thing" sums up the whole album! "Electrical Adepts of the Celestial Bed" is breathlessly beautiful, as I write and listen. Can't say enough about how good this is...so I better stop here. Back to Albion!" BenTucker: "For me, it's Mysterious & Beautiful 21st Century English Romantic Psychedelia - the same deep, rich seam (or labyrinth of seams) mined in The Dreamshire Chronicles and Fables and Dreamsongs , but all-instrumental. What incredibly lovely sounds, melodies, textures and moods it evokes." Pathdude: "After the first listen I must concur with other reviewers and state that this album is simply stunning. Lovers of Bill's instrumental music will not be disappointed. Something for everyone. Plus, added bonus, I think it will grow on you with repeated listenings. There are layers here people! "Behold These Present Days" has got a grip on me and won't let go. And I love it. Thank you Bill for this marvelous piece of work." felixt1: "Albion Dream Vortex": "Wow, what a beautiful track. More immersive synth, choral effects, birdsong, electric piano. Very mellow...and then a church bell rings and a distant bass drum strikes. The keys mutate gently and the woodwind section and layered strings begin...to take us further...My favourite so far. You could describe this album as a spiritual successor to And We Fell Into A Dream , although it is quite different again. I think Albion Dream Vortex delves deeper into the subconscious mind than the aforementioned, and as I have said, it really does entrance you at times, just as AWFIAD does but, it feels and sounds different somehow - it stands on its own." andygeorge: "The Mastery of the Thing"..."a beautiful, magical piece of Nelsonic wonderfulness from a terrific album...you've excelled yourself there Mr Bill." Chimera Man: "Like a Boat in the Blue": "...achingly gorgeous." Puzzleoyster: "We Who Are Awake Will Not Be Asleep": "A track which never ceases to excite and amaze regardless of ultra repeating. The track soars hammers and collects the musical matter from its own universe like gossamer from a spiders web which has the same density of steel. A BEAUTIFUL fizz bang... synths piano fills Bass guitar soars upwards from a Beautiful Bill guitar solo, synth fills to accompany a fanfare. All over too soon...but a definitive guitar rolls out the outro, the guitar has the last word. How very apt..." Returningman: "If you don't have this in your collection yet you are missing a rare and precious gem of an album." "Thanks Bill for enriching my life with this mellow gem." steve lyles: "As always superb...really am continuously baffled as to Bill's ability to create such deep beautiful emotional and intellectually interesting music..." garyd: "Currently listening to my recently purchased Albion Dream Vortex . Oh my. My Dad raised me to see everyone as equal. He knew nothing!!" Prey: "Bill Nelson was light years ahead of the rest in the 70's with Modern Music , Sunburst Finish and Futurama , I have said here many times, I knew it then, and after listening to Albion Dream Vortex I am still convinced Bill produces the music others may do someday, but for now we get a preview of the future right here, right now. I do have one fear - this CD is so good I can't see how it's possible to make it better, so future releases may damage your reputation." Albums Menu Future Past

Tremulous Antenna retrospective collection - 27 May 2002 Be Bop Deluxe Collections Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) Life In The Air Age 02) Sister Seagull 03) Third Floor Heaven 04) Blazing Apostles 05) Maid In Heaven 06) Kiss Of Light 07) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape 08) Fair Exchange 09) Ships In The Night 10) Modern Music/Dancing In The Moonlight/Honeymoon On Mars/Lost In The Neon World/Modern Music (Reprise) 11) New Precision 12) Superenigmatix 13) Possession 14) Dangerous Stranger 15) Islands Of The Dead 16) Panic In The World NOTES: Tremulous Antenna is a remastered edition of the Radioland CD (1994) which provides a compilation of the band's BBC recordings for In Concert made in 1976 and 1978. Sourced from 3 different shows, each recording was edited when compared to the original broadcast material. The subsequent release of At the BBC 1974-1978 (2013) with the inclusion of the previously omitted tracks makes this CD redundant. Tracks 1-4: Recorded for BBC's 'Radio 1 In Concert' at the Paris Theatre 15.01.76. Producer Jeff Griffin. Tracks 5-10: Recorded for BBC's 'Radio 1 In Concert' at the Hammersmith Odeon 20.10.76. Producer Pete Dauncey. Tracks 11-16: Recorded for BBC's 'Radio 1 In Concert' at Golders Green Hippodrome 19.01.78. Producer Jeff Griffin. PAST RELEASES: Previously released as Radioland (1994). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This compilation is now out of print. Collections Menu Future Past

Magic Boomerang single - 1990 The Mock Turtles Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Listening Notes Occasionally, Bill provides 'Listening Notes' to accompany an album Joy Through Amplification Dreamshire Chronicles Blip! Albion Dream Vortex All That I Remember New Northern Dream Songs For Ghosts

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) May 2010 Jan Jun Sep Nov Dec Tuesday 25th May 2010 -- 2:00 pm The gaps between diary entries become wider as the complexity of daily life increases. As I've said so often before, finding enough free time to write up this odd little journal is not always easy. My previous entry, dated 5th January, seems an eternity ago. So much has happened since then that it would be impossible for me to record everything in detail here without spending several hours typing. Instead, I'll attempt to fill in the missing pages in as condensed a form as possible. The last few months have certainly been eventful. During a bout of severe winter weather Emiko and I were involved in a car accident up in the hills of West Yorkshire, not far from Emley Moor. We were driving through a fairly remote area of countryside, on a narrow country lane running down a very steep hill, when, despite progressing slowly and carefully, we lost control of the car and slid sideways down the hill and into a grass verge, narrowly missing a tree. A large four wheel drive vehicle then came over the brow of the hill, stopped for a moment then attempted to drive around us but hit the same treacherous section of ice and snow and also lost control, slamming violently into the side of our car. We were lucky in that we were not physically hurt but we were badly shaken up by the event. Our car, however, suffered some quite serious damage which required it to be sent to an accident repair centre for extensive (and expensive) work. It was off the road for several weeks. Luckily, we were fully covered by our insurance and were given a courtesy car until the repairs were complete. The car is now visibly as good as new. A very unpleasant experience however, and not one that Emi and I would care to repeat. Another unpleasant experience was had when I fell ill with a very nasty gastric flu virus. It started with sudden shivering and aching body, then a very high temperature and stomach pains. I was confined to bed for three or four days, feeling absolutely awful, then not out of my dressing gown for a week. A further week passed before things really began to improve and I felt strong enough to venture outside. I always seem to catch some evil bug or other in the period between New Year and Spring. However, the really annoying aspect of this particular illness was that it caused me to miss the Rufus Wainwright concert in Sheffield for which our good friends Steve and Julia had provided us with tickets as a Christmas gift. I had been so looking forward to seeing Rufus and was terribly disappointed at being too ill to attend. A severe and prolonged toothache has also proved debilitating. It's settled down now but is still somewhat uncomfortable,especially when eating. Of course, my phobia regarding all things medical works against me in these situations. I tend to endure the problem until it resolves itself. Although I consider myself a reasonably bright chap, I certainly can be stubborn and stupid sometimes. I've also been spending time with my mother every week, travelling over to Wakefield to take her out for dinner, giving her a hand with supermarket shopping, etc. Also helping her to deal with the conclusion of the litigation process that she was forced to undertake in order to gain a little more security, all as a result of inadequate provision being made for her in her late husband's will. The whole thing proved to be a tough and totally undeserved ordeal for my mother but, after more than two years of legal action and a modest settlement, there are still a couple of loose ends to tie up. Hopefully, these final issues can be resolved as soon as possible and mum can put this unfortunate situation behind her and get on with her life. Another major pre-occupation for me has been the preparation of volume one of my autobiography. I began work on this project several years ago but, due to various other responsibilities, haven't touched the manuscript for quite a while. A recent decision to privately publish volume one in book form has meant that I've had to devote several weeks of my time exclusively to reviving the project. I've adjusted and re-written large chunks of the original text and compiled over seventy photographs from family archives which I'm hoping to include in the book. The work has required intense concentration and long hours each day to pull it together but it's now almost ready for a rough mock up to be produced so that any final layout/cosmetic changes can be made before it goes off to the printers. The book's title is 'Painted From Memory. Volume One: Evocation Of A Radiant Childhood.' It covers the period from my birth to leaving school and tells how I first became bewitched by guitars and my consequent attempts to learn how to play the instrument. I suspect that a publisher would, in the interests of commerce and conciseness, edit the manuscript quite dramatically...but I'm determined to make this privately printed, limited edition version of the book as true to my original concept as possible. It is packed with detailed descriptions of my early life and provides a unique view of the post-war, working class life in which I grew up. I'm hoping that it will have a broader appeal than a 'How I Became Guitar Boy' type of story, (although that aspect is more than adequately taken care of in the text). My hope is to have the book printed and available to fans of my music by November. Which would coincide perfectly with this year's Nelsonica fan convention. Nelsonica 10 is an ongoing and important preoccupation for me, even at this early time of the year. This year celebrates the 10th anniversary of the event and the Nelsonica Team and myself are trying our best to make it a special one for fans. After some deliberation regarding practicalities and dramatically increased production costs we've decided to attempt a complex two-day event to mark the occasion. I've concocted a fun title for the event: 'Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus,' which suits the playful nature of this special anniversary Nelsonica, and also reflects my childhood fascination with circuses and science fiction. So...this year's event will include a three-part live concert on Day One and a number of interesting presentations on Day Two. The live performance, due to its wide-ranging nature, presents me with a challenge in itself, even before the features of the second day are taken into account. I'm planning to put together a solo set of guitar-based instrumental music with video backdrops, followed by a trio-based set as 'Orchestra Futura,' (which will concentrate on improvised music featuring Theo Travis on saxophone, flute and loops and Dave Sturt on bass guitar and lap-top treatments, plus myself on guitars and loops.) Then there will be a third set featuring my 7-piece 'Gentlemen Rocketeers' band playing a selection of music from my past, (but with a subtle hint of the future!) Choosing, preparing and rehearsing such a complex and extensive 'one-off' show will certainly prove time consuming and physically exhausting but will also offer convention attendees a rich and rewarding listening experience. A fully-packed evening of live music and visuals. The second day will feature special presentations that the Nelsonica Team and myself are already in the process of planning. Amongst these presentations will be an exhibition of my guitars. One of the exhibited jewels in this particular collection will be a unique Campbell Nelsonic Transitone guitar that has been hand painted for me by American artist Nicholas Del Drago. Nicholas is a renowned painter of motorbikes, custom cars and guitars. He is also a guitarist in his own right and a friend of guitar super-star Joe Satriani, (for whom he has also painted a guitar). The Nelsonic guitar that Nicholas has painted for me features a wonderfully retro panorama inspired by some pulp 1950's sci-fi illustrations I sent to him just over a year ago. Nicholas has achieved, on this guitar, a fabulous, deep metalflake paint effect that really sparkles and comes to life when lit by strong light. The sides of the guitar feature a 'flip paint' finish that changes hue depending from which angle it is viewed. The instrument is equipped withAlumitone pickups which in themselves are quite different from any of my other guitars' pickups. In short, it's a very special piece and I'm extremely grateful to Nicholas and Dean Campbell for creating such a striking instrument for me. I've already used the guitar on some of my new but as yet unreleased recordings and it sounds just as good as it looks. Recording, of course, is a continual process for me, an almost daily exercise, or, (dare I say it?) a sort of meditation on 'being,' in the Buddhist sense of the word. (Yes, I dare...) There's something both compulsive and revelatory about just 'doing the work'...I suppose, for me, it's the creative process itself that throws the switch that turns on the internal lightbulb, rather than anything to do with what people might perceive as the musical end result. That old cliché about the journey being more important than the arriving fits my experience perfectly because, whilst the finished albums finally find their meaning with the listener, it's the creative act, the private ritual of making, that ultimately illuminates things for me, especially as I compose and record these albums in an extremely solitary fashion, all alone here in my tiny studio. Since my previous diary entry I've released an album of the soundtrack music I created for the documentary film 'American Stamps.' The film was aired on the US television PBS, (Public Broadcasting Service), channel last year. The music has produced a pleasant and colourful album and, judging from comments posted on my website's forum, seems to have charmed those who have heard it. The album is titled 'PICTURE POST' and it's packaging features a set of imaginary stamps depicting some of my own American pop icons such as Orson Welles, Les Paul, John Cage, Duane Eddy and Fred Astaire. As expected though, I'm already deep into recording brand new music for release later in the year. At this point in time, the aim is to gather together the best, or most compatible, pieces into two distinctive albums. One of these albums will become this year's Nelsonica special edition CD. It will, like the convention itself, be titled 'CAPTAIN FUTURE'S PSYCHOTRONIC CIRCUS' and should be loosely, (though not exclusively), themed around that particular concept. The second album is to be titled 'MOON GOLD PALLADIUM' and, if all goes to plan and I don't shift my conceptual gears, be a lush, richly textured, epic but deeply romantic, (in the poetic, painterly sense of the word), album of vocal-based songs. It will also contain a few appropriate instrumental interludes. All of this is ongoing and organically developing. Lots of work done so far but I still feel that I need to continue along these particular mysterious garden paths until I've gathered enough flowers to make a beautiful arrangement. The vase in the window is patiently awaiting (and anticipating), the artist's hand. Thankfully, the sun is out and the Idea Bird is singing. What else? Well...A shiny new computer sits in front of me as I type these words. Yes, finally, I am connected to broadband and am able to access the internet in a far more contemporary and speedy fashion than before. My new iMac takes up less space than my old G4 Mac and things look slightly less crowded in this tiny home studio than previously. I've yet to fully understand the finer points of some of the latest software, but all that will be resolved in time. My previous computer was ten years behind my current software so there's a reasonably steep learning curve to deal with, especially when it comes to things such as Photoshop and Final Cut. But it's really inspiring to suddenly have the opportunity to move my creative work forward with the help of this sleek machine. It's as if I've moved from gas to electricity! And there are changes in our domestic life too: We are currently being assaulted by banging, hammering, drilling and sawing. Our old, rotten, leaky and unhygenic kitchen is in the process of being completely renovated. I'd hung on to our old kitchen for a long time, hoping that I could postpone the radical changes, (and expense), required to drag us into a more clean and contemporary realm. But, suddenly, there seemed no choice but to 'bite the bullet.' Things were falling apart in a bad way and what had once seemed charmingly 'shabby' had become frustratingly useless. Actually, our home desperately requires a variety of renovations, most of which are currently beyond our reach... but the kitchen's many problems are finally in the process of being rectified. The work began with us emptying stuff from the old kitchen cupboards. An astonishing amount of 'stuff' as it happens. It is now occupying the dining room, actually filling the entire space! AND overflowing into the lounge and into the little study, (a room that was already almost impossible to enter due to accumulations of this, that or the other item of 20th Century bric-a-brac.) The physical work of demolishing the old kitchen began last Wednesday and since then we have had no means of cooking, (or washing up). Today the installation of the new kitchen units has begun, though there's much more to be done in that department, including fitting the worktops, sink and various items of hardware. Still, the tiled floor has already been completed and a new 'range-style' oven will be delivered on Thursday. Hopefully, with the exception of re-decorating the walls and ceiling, the new kitchen should be operational by the early part of next week. Emi is very much looking forward to finally having a decent, practical and easier to clean kitchen to work in. She's thrilled about it all and can't wait to see the finished thing. Lots of plaster dust in the air at the moment though, even up here in my studio...A fine layer of it seems to cover every surface. The cleaning up process will involve more than the kitchen and dining room areas by the look of things. Meanwhile, we've been eating out every evening, (but tonight we had fish n' chips from the village chippie). Had dinner with Elle and Elliot at Ceasar's Italian restaurant in town last night. They're busy people and I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. Rehearsing and performing with 'Honeytone Cody' takes up a lot of their time. I'm just as wrapped up in music too, I guess. But they're very talented and I'm extremely proud of them and it's always good for us to spend some time together. This last weekend was more like summer than spring: bright, clear blue skies and hot golden sunshine. As the kitchen company were not working at our house on Saturday and Sunday, Emi and I took the opportunity to get away from all the kitchen debris and distraction for a while. On Saturday afternoon we went to Knaresborough and enjoyed apple pie and ice cream whilst sitting at the edge of the river, watching the little rowing boats drift by beneath the old Victorian railway bridge. A favourite fair weather spot for us. Later, we drove to Harrogate for dinner and ended up at a restaurant called 'William And Victoria.' It was the first time we'd eaten there and it was extremely enjoyable. Sunday we drove to Whitby, 'though the traffic was terrible and it took us far longer than usual. Had lunch at a place called 'Marine' which we hadn't been to before. Very nice it was too, we'll be going back next time we visit Whitby. The weather was beautiful and we sat overlooking the harbour after lunch, just taking in the view. I love visiting that place, even though it's sometimes very busy with tourists. Sadly, one of our favourite Harrogate restaurants has unexpectedly closed down. 'San Martino' is no more, a victim of the economic climate by the look of it. Such a shame. But there are so many places suffering the same fate. 'The Lamb and Lion Inn' in York was another favourite eatery of ours. Several weeks ago now, Emi and I drove into town to have lunch there, only to find the place locked up and in darkness. Gone forever due to the Royal Bank Of Scotland calling time on the business, despite the owners turning things around and getting it into profit after the losses incurred by previous owners. We miss the place very much as it had become a regular haunt of ours. And I still miss 'Borders' bookshop in the centre of town. The building it occupied remains empty and forlorn, the 'Borders' logo remains displayed within its walls but there are only the ghosts of books and the ruins of bookshelves to remind one of the place it once was. As I've probably mentioned elsewhere, 'Borders' opened here several years ago now, with such promise and style, only to slowly deteriorate, its original wide-ranging stock becoming narrower and narrower, less specialist and more predictable. A victim of the bland and mediocre consumerism of the modern marketplace? Or just bad management and exorbitant rents? Actually, the effects of the economic malaise seem to be more acute than ever. And, despite the usual hopes that accompany a general election, all I can see from the results of the recent hung Parliament is an exercise in spin that somehow defines the naivety and the gullibility of much of the public. Throughout the election campaign, the word 'change' was bandied about like a toy balloon at a children's party. And a children's party, I fear, is what we may have ended up with. I hope this uncomfortable coalition will not be as disastrous as it might appear...but I watch the television images of Cameron and his new found Lib-Dem pals sitting side by side and don't know whether to laugh or cry. What should we call such an alliance, other than 'disappointing?' The 'Con-dems' maybe? An arrogant toff with no upper lip and a fake Yorkshireman who resembles The Mekon but doesn't have green skin? Ok, that's rather unfair of me, I know. I'm just having a go, all in fun. Still, that old satirical tv show 'Spitting Image' would have a ball with this lot. Maybe they're very nice people and kind to their grannies, etc...but, despite their best efforts they come across, to me at least, as condescending and not a little devious. (But that's often a trait of the political classes, so nothing new there.) It will be interesting and darkly entertaining to see which way their wind blows though. I'm trying to think of other things I should include in this 'catch-up' of a diary entry but am finding it hard to think at all due to the threateningly loud sound of drilling and sawing coming from the kitchen below me. So, maybe that's enough typing for now. Until next time. ***** The images accompanying this diary are as follows:- 1: A shot of a corner of Bill's studio showing iMac and Rocketship Nelsonic Guitar. 2: Photo of Bill in front of Whitby Harbour, May 22nd 2010. 3: Photo of boats in a corner of Whitby Harbour taken by Bill 22 May 2010. 4: Bill with Rocketship Campbell Nelsonic guitar. May 2010. 5: Close up of Bill's Rocketship Campbell Nelsonic guitar painted by Nicholas Del Drago. 6: Weird creatures lurking in a corner of Bill's studio. Taken by Bill, March 2010. Top of page

The Dreamsville Poetry Experiment Bill Nelson and the Dreamsville Poets download single - 3 December 2007 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: 1) The Dreamsville Poetry Experiment NOTES: "The Dreamsville Poetry Experiment" is a spoken word piece that was the combined work of Nelson, who provided the music, and 69 members of the Dreamsville community who each provided a single line of prose. The idea to "create a surrealist 'found' poem" was proposed by Nelson himself on April 2nd, 2007. "I may try to create a spoken word/instrumental piece with the resultant text being spoken over it". "We each provide one line of a poem without reference to anyone else's line...but at a given signal as it were so that every line is posted at the same time in chronological order to be read as a continuous piece". A 2 hour time slot was pre-arranged on April 22nd, 2007, in which Jon Wallinger assembled the lines in the order in which they were received. Work on the music commenced in September 2007, with the intention of recording two versions – one with the lyrics as originally transcribed by Jon Wallinger, and a second version with the lyrics re-sequenced by Nelson to achieve a more cohesive result. In the end, Nelson abandoned the second version, being satisfied enough with the original lyrical order and his accompanying backing track to premier the work at that year's Nelsonica on October 27th, 2007. "The Dreamsville Poetry Experiment" was later made available as a free download via the Dreamsville website. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available as a free digital download on this page, or in the Free Downloads section . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The idea is to have fun with this but not to spoil it by writing anything purile or stupid...try to say something beautiful, atmospheric, surreal, amazing or mysterious." _____ "Play it straight, don't be ashamed to apply your intelligence or imagination, don't fall into the pub-bore trap of gutter-level humour. Bring something beautiful and strange to the project rather than something predictable or base. Respect your own ability to dream and have the courage to share it with others." Singles Menu Future Past

Burning Rain single - 1987 Crazy House Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar on the title track. Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Saturday 19th December 2009 -- 10:00 pm Catch up time yet again: Emiko returned from Tokyo on the evening of the 7th of December as planned. Her ordeal in Japan now over although the emotional and physical exhaustion has clearly taken its toll. She's been extremely tired and, sadly, visibly depressed since attending her mother's funeral...which of course, is only to be expected. I've been trying to lift her spirits on a daily basis but there's only so much I can do. The reality is that she will have to work her way through her bereavement and the inevitable grief in her own time. I'm simply a shoulder to lean on and must try to stay aware of that and not try to force the issue with false bonhomie. There is no way to magic the pain away. I can't heal her hurt, only share it. But, Christmas is rapidly approaching and may well provide distractions or social interactions that might help to soften the impact of her sadness. At least I hope so... For myself, I think I coped reasonably well whilst Emi was away, though I missed her terribly as always. At least, it was only ten days this time and there were no unexpected cat crises. My sixty-first birthday yesterday. The years absolutely fly by now...the actual numbers becoming increasingly unreal, or so it seems to me, a man hardly out of short trousers in some ways. How fleeting are our lives...and how mercifully ignorant most of us are of time's violent, impassive acceleration. And yet...there is still so much to achieve, so many things to explore, such a lot to enjoy and to learn from... Or, as the cliche has it: 'so much to do, so little time.' Is this why the Buddhist teaching of reincarnation holds some sort of cuddly, consoling appeal for me? The possibility of an ongoing story, a kind of infinite apprenticeship before inevitable, blissful enlightenment finally places Buddahood's bright and golden crown on our rusting, befuddled and exhausted minds? Or, (more realistically), is this just one more crock of wishful-thinking born from our mortal inability to deal with the very real possibility of utter nothingness, utter meaninglesness at the end of our lives, no matter how long or brief those lives may be? Well, one part of me, actually the gut-instinct, primal-intuitive part of me, says it's all nonsense, an empty, desperate grabbing at thin, broken, rotten straws. Ego clinging to motes of dust...and dust clinging to an illusion of light, emptiness suspended in a black, bleak nothingness. Maybe the 'here and now' is ALL we ultimately have to cling to, regardless of whether our particular, personal here and now is little more than an illusion. (And, I have to say that 'here and now' seems always to be particular, subjective and personal. At least, according to my experience.) So, yes...Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. Orson Welles, as Citizen Kane, gave the dying Kane the word 'Rosebud' to whisper on his terminal bed, as his personal enigma and mantra, a mystery suspended, hovering in air and slowly dissolving like those aforementioned, light-levitated, motes of dust. And who was, (or what was), 'Rosebud?' In Orson's film, it turned out to be a child's sled fixed in a snow-dome-idealised, frozen winter landscape. A metaphorical lifeboat for childhood's innocence and faith. Well, William.I think that's enough melancholy reflection for today. Christmas is coming, though with somewhat less sheer exuberance than previous years. Nevertheless, it presents us with an extra opportunity for warmth and love, something which I'm very much in need of during these cold, cynical, dark days. Yesterday and today, thick, white, lingering snow. Very cold and icy, particularly the isolated lane that leads from our house to the more-oft used road that winds into the village. Tricky conditions for driving and walking. Fabulously seasonal visuals though, a vintage Christmas card come to life. So...to all dear readers of this old Hyperdreamer's diary, I wish you a Very Merry, Joyous and Warm Christmas, and a miraculous, magical, life-enhancing 2010. As Tiny Tim said: "God bless us, every one." Top of page William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) December 2009 Jan Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 Thursday 31st December 2009 -- 6:00 pm New Year's Eve, 2009. Let me see if I can get this entry written and posted before the clock ticks its inevitable tick-tock steps across the border between 2009 and 2010. I'll try to keep it short and to the point. No images, just words. It's cold still. The snow that fell before Christmas only now just gone, but more is promised, apparently. It's been white and icy for a week at least...very dangerous in the backyard, and on the dark lane outside our house. The main roads have not been too bad but it has certainly felt like an old-fashioned winter around these parts. Colder and more bleak than previous years and only lacking in horse-drawn coaches and post-horns. A Dickensian Christmas card come to life. Christmas Day was spent with our good friends, Steve and Julia, who live down the lane. I brought my mother over from Wakefield to spend the day with us and them...and to stay over for boxing day when Elle and Elliot came to visit. Lights twinkling on the tree, Christmas cards suspended from the wooden beams in the living room, electric icicles and neon sparkles hung in the trees in our snow covered garden, candles and incense and the sensation of mellow, melancholy but benevolent ghosts of Christmases past, hovering and humming in the frosty air. Hornby Dublo train sets, Meccano and Dinky Toys glowing in the living room of memory. Magic hour! I was given some nice gifts, for birthday and Christmas, as always: Emiko had bought me an Andy Warhol wristwatch whilst she was in Tokyo. Made by Seiko for the Warhol Museum, it's a little beauty...(just like my lovely Emi!) Lots of books given too, which suits me just fine. My home is like a library. Got the following from Emiko: ''Perfecting Sound Forever - The Story Of Recorded Music' by Greg Milner. 'Orson Welles At Work.' (A thick, lavishly illustrated coffee table book published by Phaidon.) 'The Art Of Osamu Tezuka' by Helen McCarthy.' And from My friend Paul Gilby I received: 'Shop America. Mid Century Storefront Design-1938 to 1950.' And: ''Architecture Of The Air - The Sound And Light Environments Of Christopher Janney.' (Ironically, I also bought the same 'Shop America' book as my Christmas gift to Paul! Well, great minds think alike, etc...) Elliot and Elle bought me: 'John Barry - The Man With The Midas Touch' by Geoff Leonard, Pete Walker and Gareth Bramley. (Nicely illustrated, this one.) My friends Steve and Julia bought me 'This Is The Way To The Moon' (A reproduction of the children's classic by M. Sasek, beautifully illustrated.) And just before Christmas, I treat myself to a book or two: 'Phallic Frenzy, Ken Russell And His Films' by Joseph Lanza. 'All Is Change, The Two-Thousand Year Journey Of Buddhism To The West' by Lawrence Sutin. 'Prophet John Wroe, Virgins, Scandals And Visions' by Edward Green. 'The Barnum Museum' by Steven Millhauser. 'Death On A Branch Line' and 'The Last Train To Scarborough' (Both titles by Andrew Martin, part of his 'Jim Stringer, Steam Detective' series and the latter book signed by the author himself.) Other gifts included a quirky old Russian Nomo 'Cosmic Symbol' camera bought for me from the internet by my youngest daughter Elle, a very stylish neck-tie bought for me by Emiko from Tokyo, a box set of George Formby DVD's, (also from Emiko). A bottle of Chanel 'Egoiste' cologne, (Emiko again), and lots of light-hearted, fun, stocking-fillers. One of the most generous gifts that Emi and I received came from Steve and Julia: two tickets to Rufus Wainwright's upcoming concert at Sheffield City Hall in April of 2010. A totally unexpected treat and VERY much appreciated by both of us. As readers of this diary already know, Emi and myself are big fans of Rufus' work and we're both looking forward to seeing him perform in April. 'Borders' book store closed just before Christmas. (Did I already mention this in an earlier diary entry? Maybe not.) Browsing the York store was almost a daily ritual for me, part of my afternoon escape from the confines of my recording room. It was from Borders that I purchased American magazines that were not easily found in UK stores: 'Guitar Player', ' Vintage Guitar Magazine', ' Downbeat' jazz magazine, the now defuct '20th Century Guitar' magazine and many other imported titles, including the magnificent 'Fretboard Journal' magazine, a publication that only recently appeared on Borders' shelves here in the UK. When Borders first opened in England, it seemed like a breath of fresh air: it featured specialist sections dealing in left-field books, periodicals, CDs and DVDs, items that appealed to those of us who sought out the more unusual, less mainstream aspects of contemporary culture. Borders recognised that there was a need to cater to those whose tastes ranged beyond the populist staples.. Unfortunately, the last two or three years of the store's life has seen an erosion of such provision. The once broad-based CD racks became much diminished, not only in size but also in the quality of their contents. The jazz, folk, country, world music and classical sections all but vanished...then the rock and pop music sections began to dwindle too and have now, along with everything else the store contained, gone forever... The store closed its doors just before Christmas Eve for the very last time, never to re-open again. Another victim of the internet's ruthless undercutting of high street retail store values. I was there at the York store's closing, but walked out just five minutes before the final bell when the last customer left and the doors were locked for the last time. On that final day, Borders offered a 90% discount on previous prices, but the place looked like a jumble sale with books piled up on tables and none of them of any interest to me. Now, I have no real place to browse for my American music magazines and contemporary art periodicals on my daily, routine, stroll around town. W.H.Smith somehow doesn't have the same vibe, (or stock the same titles), nor does Waterstones, although it is now the main bookseller on the high street. A great shame I think. And even more of a shame: the helpful and once enthusiastic staff who, sadly, have been made redundant. Thankfully, York does have several small independent, antiquarian and second hand bookshops. They will, I'm sure, provide me with some unforseen discoveries, not to mention the tactile shopping experience denied to me by the internet retailers. But it's not just Borders that has suffered...so many others businesses are still floundering too, both big and small. The fashion retailer 'Ghost' has just vanished from the city after a closing down clearance sale. Far too many shops, large and small, emptied and abandoned, their leases not taken up. For all of York's boastful tourism, many traders are struggling for economic survival. The much-touted 'recovery' seems to be little more than hot air. And it seems that It may remain so for some time yet. As for music. I can definitely see the negative effect that illegal internet torrent sites and unauthorised downloading is having on the recording industry in general, including my own tiny cottage industry and others in the same modest position as myself. Whilst the internet has provided small volume, specialist artists with a new outlet for our non-mainstream work, it is also clear that it has had a negative effect on our situation. An awful lot of damage has been afflicted on the entire industry too. But, whilst the major artists and record companies are equipped to weather the storm, those of us depending on small-volume sales are gradually being swept away, never to return. We really are at the mercy of consumers and need, more than ever, an audience who value our contribution and recognise that they, as individuals, are an important component of our survival. And of the survival of music that exists beyond the corporate net.Those who buy direct from the artist are not just consumers but, more importantly, patrons and co-conspiritors, fellow collaborators, preservers of ideals. It all seems to be coming down to a choice between mediocrity or marvelousness. Will the future be blatantly banal or benevolently beautiful? And with that thought, I wish all readers of this Hyperdreamer's diary a healthy, peaceful and enlightened 2010. Much love from Bill and Emiko. xxx Top of page

Electric Atlas Bill Nelson album - 16 November 2015 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Atoms And Electrons 02) Tonight Picasso Dreams 03) Drift Of Narcissus 04) The Moment Has Gone 05) Searching For Utopia And Other Shangrilas 06) All Hail The Witching Hour 07) Mutually Enchanted 08) Golden Moments 09) I Dream Of Lightning 10) Alice In The Palace Of Stardust And Pearl 11) High Beam Sensation 12) Bubbles In The Cosmos 13) Mind Is A Harbour From Which Dreams Set Sail 14) Bright Magic ALBUM NOTES: Electric Atlas is a vocal album issued in a one-off print run of 500 copies issued on the Sonoluxe label. With seven songs in the can, Nelson revealed plans for the album (which was then untitled) on the Dreamsville forum in March 2015. By early April the album had a working title of Bright Magic , and was completed in May. The album title was changed to Electric Atlas in August, and was released on 16 November 2015. After just five days of being on sale Electric Atlas was taken off sale with the remaining copies sold through email enquiries. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "It's been a while since I've released a vocal album so I think that needs to be addressed. I have one vocal album in the queue, as mentioned elsewhere in these threads. Its title is Bright Magic , but I've kind of gone off that as an album title. So, I've now decided to re-title it Electric Atlas . It contains the same songs and even has a track titled "Bright Magic" so there's really no change other than the album title itself. "One of the reasons for that change is that Bright Magic suggests similar artwork to that used on Swoons and Levitations, i e: some sort of magical/conjuring image. I don't really feel I want to repeat that, so the title Electric Atlas sends things off in a different visual direction. I'm not sure quite what direction yet but we'll see what turns up." _____ "The meaning of the title of the album, in case anyone is wondering, is a two-fold thing: An atlas, as in a book of maps, which we can use to chart the world and our path through it whilst we inhabit this mortal coil, but brought into a contemporary context with the 'electric', (ie: digital), connotation suggesting something more akin to a sat-nav unit. And 'Atlas', as in the mythological giant, holding the world on his shoulders, as we all must do whilst incarnate, ie: Man as the creature who must carry the weight of the world by the electrical virtue of global communication and shared information." _____ "Well, I know very little about music in the 'traditional' sense, (if there is such a thing). I have no understanding of music theory, am unable to read or write music down, have given up of ever understanding much about it in an academic sense. So, does that put me in the 'non-musician' category I wonder? Well, I guess I'm on the side of non-musicians when it comes down to it. "I believe there is such a thing as 'the talented listener', people who can hear good music and appreciate it fully without having a formal background in music at all. Music is, ultimately, in the soul, not on paper nor in the head...it comes from deep in the heart and travels to other hearts without the need for explanation or mediation. It just is. And those of us capable of recognising this can appreciate and enjoy our music without ever needing to make a single sound of our own." FAN THOUGHTS: Mayor of Dreamsville: "I was sitting in my little home studio, headphones in position, deeply engrossed in Electric Atlas , when my little boy Zac trots in (he's 2 at the end of this month), he saw me with the headphones on and was dying to have a go, so I sat him down and let him listen to the track that was playing ("Mind is a Harbour From Which Dreams Set Sail"). After listening and smiling away for a while, he removed the headphones, looked at me and said, "Nice!" So, there you have it, Electric Atlas has had its first official review and it is NICE. On a personal note - this CD is an absolute gem, right up my street and highly recommended!" Peter: "From the get-go, this one just grabs you and shakes you. It is a well-named album, as it is like a tour through the Bill Nelson world. From snarling rockers, to dreamy soundscapes, Bill's in good form on this one (as always!). "Mind is a Harbour From Which Dreams Set Sail" stands out for me...along with "Drift of Narcissus", though there are a bunch of gems here. Superb, Bill!" Tourist in Wonderland: "Always great to hear a vocal album from Bill and to be honest, I think he strikes a very good balance between instrumental and vocal output, in the fact that there are obviously more instrumental only recordings released, which is fine...but, when a vocal offering does eventually surface, it's a real treat and met with rare anticipation and excitement...it's all good stuff! "Seriously, I think Electric Atlas is right up there with Bill's best recordings...Stereo Star Maps , Alchemical Adventures , Gleaming , Golden Melodies , Return to Jazz of Lights , Theatre of Falling Leaves , to name a few...Yes, I think Electric Atlas can easily sit at the same table as this exalted company!..." fricker: "Wow! Great album Bill, lovely to hear you singing. Full of lots of surprises is this album and I am loving it. Well done especially with your health probs of late, to listen you would never know. Thanks." Dar: "If I had to pick a favorite thing, it would be the uncanny ability to keep pouring out the well-articulated melodies. Guitar tone would be a close second. Along with impeccable groovesmanship, well, we're most of the way to nearly-guaranteed sonic bliss." TheMikeN: "There's no one theme or approach: some songs just rock while others are edgy and rhythmic but with guitar that finds so much room to move and explore that there is time for jazz to glow brightly from the disc. The moods, styles and genres flow in and out of each other because Bill has placed himself in easy reach and total control of all of them. Let's face it, if you are going to record and release new music for 45 years, what you're going to gain is the ability to be completely at ease within any rhythmic, melodic and lyrical structure that feels good at the time you invent it." alec: Bill Nelson Album of the Year?: "I'm tempted to say Electric Atlas at this point because all the luxurious feelings I get listening to "Tonight Picasso Dreams", and for Bill satisfying my Nelson/Foxx collaboration fantasy with the first track, "Atoms and Electrons." Quinault: "It certainly does live up to the glowing comments. I waited in anticipation, not knowing what to expect, and yet when it finally came - it exceeded my expectations! And my Bill music meter is set pretty high!" Merikan1: "Electric Atlas is simply fantastic. It has all of the elements that I love in your music. It's all there in one package... It would be a great introduction to your recent music." Albums Menu Future Past

Kid Flip And The Golden Spacemen Bill Nelson album - 26 April 2017 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Kid Flip And The Golden Spacemen 02) Atoms Orbit Around The Sun 03) I'm Dancing 04) From Another World 05) The Golden Soul Of You 06) Science Fiction Times 07) Wonder Of The Age 08) Dark Is The Spark 09) The Void Beyond The Line 10) Old Haunts 11) Emptiness Sings (A Lonely Boy) 12) Monster Man 13) Shine Your Light 14) Paradise And Purgatory 15) Shining Through 16) Hello, Hello 17) Golden Spacemen Rock N' Roll ALBUM NOTES: Kid Flip and the Golden Spacemen is a vocal album issued as a digital download only on the Tremelo Boy Records label. Work on the album commenced in mid-November 2016 and was completed in a little over 2 weeks. Nelson first announced the track listing on Dreamsville on 12 March 2017, revealing it to be a 17 track, 71 minute collection. With the mastering session booked for a few days’ time, Nelson remixed and partly re-recorded his vocal for the title track. Mastering of the album took place on 14 March 2017 concurrently with The Awakening of Dr Dream , issued later that month. Kid Flip and the Golden Spacemen was released on April 26th, 2017. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "I've got the creative bee in my bonnet at the moment and am now working on another new album. This one firmly in the rock and vocal camp for all you retrograde types out there. "I've no idea when this one will surface, as I've only just begun to work on it, and there's an absolute treasure trove of music, (of different kinds), already awaiting future release...but it's a fluid situation with albums being made available purely on a whim at the moment... "But, right now, I'm laying down tracks for this new rock/vocal album which seems to have a flavour of 'Be Bop Deluxe' about it. Tentative, and somewhat tongue-in-cheek, its title is Kid Flip And The Golden Spacemen (Tales Of An Imaginary Band)." _____ "Kid Flip is a fairly heavy, rock orientated, vocal album. Those of you who gravitate towards the more noisy rock albums, (particularly with vocals), will find Kid Flip particularly exciting." _____ "Kid Flip And The Golden Spacemen is actually about an imaginary rock band. (I guess a more contemporary version of "Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus" though musically nothing like that track...it's much more rock and less pop.) The lyrics go: "Kid Flip And The Golden Spacemen, playing blues in a bar in heaven...Kid Flip And The Golden Spacemen, turn their amps up to number eleven..." " _____ "My idea is to make it sound like an imaginary band, the 'Kid Flip And The Golden Spacemen' of the album's title. I'm picturing them playing in a big hall in some illusory world...I've produced many of the tracks to sound like a band playing live, captured with the raw edge and lo-fi qualities that often accompany live gigs. The tracks surge and pump, throb and punch as if you were hearing the music from the back of a concert hall. It sounds pretty exciting, if a bit raw and slightly punishing." FAN THOUGHTS: andygeorge: "Another little gem from Bill, highlighting his knack of 'knocking out', for want of a better phrase, instant pop.....lovely melodies here, both vocal and instrumental, from the very catchy opener "Kid Flip" to the closing track "Golden Spacemen Rock and Roll"...fantastic guitar! ...and the ones in between like "The Golden Soul of You", "Monster Man" and "I'm Dancing"...instant favourites!..." CoachMatt: "Science Fiction Times", "Dark is the Spark": "are pure gems! And the funk of "Monster Man"...o yes Bill...getting funky! "Shine Your Light" has a wonderful breezy feeling, telling us about the times we live in I believe. And "Golden Spacemen Rock N' Roll", ya gotta love the sentimental beauty this song rings out, and how Bill can undoubtedly make a guitar sing, rip, and explode with joy! I am totally enjoying the tunes through my short lunch period and looking forward to putting the headphones on!" BobK: "Blimey, I ferl like dancing! What a super fun album this is. I think i need to sit down, knees are hurting a bit....." Uncle Sam Humanoid: "I am really liking this one... Awesome album Bill, You're certainly on a roll sir!!!" December Man: "Nice to see (hear) this pop-rock manifestation of Bill(y) (the Kid) surface. First listen after downloading today and loving the vibrations of 6 heavenly strings in the skilled hands of one Mr Nelson!" major snagg: "I'm really enjoying Kid Flip . "Golden Spacemen Rock N' Roll" and "The Golden Soul of You" are firm favourites already." "How lucky we are to have so much great music as a soundtrack to our lives in these troubled times." Albums Menu Future Past

Quiet Bells Bill Nelson album - 9 March 2015 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) We Here Who Were There 02) Vapour Grey 03) The Day I Dreamed You Up 04) Shifting Sands 05) Ocean In The Sky 06) I Dream Of Waves 07) Seaglass 08) Sun On Water, Wind In Wire 09) The Fields Beyond 10) Beneath Her Dappled Apple Tree 11) Chiming Shires 12) Boy Chases Butterfly 13) Ghosts Of The Space Age 14) Transcendental Tittycups 15) A Perfect Night - The Dawn Rejoices 16) Theme From Uncanny Valley 17) Quiet Bells 18) In Dreams Awake ALBUM NOTES: Quiet Bells is an instrumental album issued in a one-off print run of 500 copies on the Sonoluxe label. The album was the first to be commenced after Nelson had been diagnosed with a hearing problem, and was deliberately styled to be quiet and discrete. Work on Quiet Bells was commenced in July 2014 and was completed by September 2014. The album was released on 9 March 2015, and like its predecessor, Shining Reflector , sold out in 7 days. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "This album is a semi-ambient guitar instrumental fantasia, situated somewhere in mood between the Rosewood acoustic albums and the more electric Dreamland to Starboard , And We Fell Into A Dream , and Signals From Realms of Light albums. "It is predominantly guitar based but with lots of AxeFX processing and features the prototype of my 'Astroluxe' signature guitar. The album contains 18 tracks and enough musical mysterioso to keep you digging deep for many months. "It is also the first album I've recorded since my uncomfortable and debilitating hearing loss. Working on this album has been a real challenge, difficult and frustrating yet, despite all that, I think it has turned out ok. By the time it has been mastered at Fairview by John Spence, I think you will find that it's more than acceptable! It has a lovely, gentle, ruminative atmosphere which will, I hope, provoke deep thoughts and technicolour dreams." _____ "John Spence, when we mastered this album, said it was 'thoughtful'. I'll agree with that too...it has some deep and dark stuff going on in it somehow. It's one of the more 'soulful' albums of mine, despite the ambient nature of it." _____ "The photograph on the back cover of the album, (with the tree and landscape), was taken by me, only a few yards away from my house. Incidentally, the interior photo's of the Buddha statue, (with Emi's flowers), and the Carp pond, (plus the dragonfly image to the right of it), are my photo's too." FAN THOUGHTS: Palladium: "Completely 'blown away' by this (Quiet Bells ) - although it's not what I'd expected from reading the above comments. Very different in texture and sound from previous 'ambient'-leaning guitar instrumentals. Seems experimental, fresh, new, invigorating - the kinds of things you don't expect from an artist who has recorded a hundred or so albums! How many times have I listened to a new BN album for the first time, and at certain points thought "this is the best thing I've ever heard". I get a lot of that with Quiet Bells - like when I listened to "A Perfect Night - The Dawn Rejoices" first time." "The first thing that struck me about Quiet Bells was its depth and coherence, given some of the reviews and BN's own typically modest comments about it leading up to its release. In other words, I didn't expect it to be the major album I think it is." Parsongs: "What a wonderful album it is. "Bill has applied his ambient sensibilities (think Chance Encounters in the Garden of Lights ) to his best instrumental guitar compositions (a la Romance of Sustain ) to produce a completely new style and mood. "The music is soothing, relaxing, meditative, introspective. I recommend playing it start to finish, then repeat! I must add that the sonic fidelity is incredible; what a great mix! You never cease to amaze us, Bill!" machman767: "I've only been able to listen once but I'm amazed at the quality. Even more astounding is that it's been created whilst suffering the hearing problem, I can only assume that we really are in the presence of a gifted musician, not that there has ever been any doubt. I don't usually "get" these style of CDs but this is something much more deeper, as Bill says, it's got soul." RJR: "It hearkens back to the very awesome Rosewood CDs and meanders through Neptune's Galaxy , Silvertone Fountains , and other non-vocal collections. But, it is unique and stands on its own. I have a hunch that this one is one that will continue to grow as the spring and summer nights become more the norm. I told my wife that this one is a "floater" (please remove the first visions that just came to your mind) in that it creates an atmosphere where it augments the visual surroundings and creates a feeling of inner levitation." Face In The Rain: "Held off posting anything about Quiet Bells to give myself a chance to listen to it a few times, just in case I was wrong. But I'm not. It's my favourite BN album. Simple as that. I think that about each new release but this time I mean it. The sound is gorgeous - plus it's Bill doing what he does best which IMHO is noodling away on an axe. Maybe it's because I'm of a certain age and in increasingly contemplative mood but this album just completely hits the spot." Alan: "This album is absolutely beautiful. Nothing short of sublime. The music on this album is seamless in its ability to entertain. "Thanks so very much Bill, for providing the soundtrack of my dreams for all these years. And, it just gets better all of the time." andygeorge: "When I die and go to Heaven, and I will 'cos I'm a good boy, this is what I expect to be playing...wonderful music Mr Nelson!" Albums Menu Future Past

Sunday 24th July 2005 -- 11:45 pm A long gap between the previous diary entry and this. Far too long. Work demands have been overwhelmingly intense and I've had little time or energy for anything else. Perhaps this is not so unusual considering how many projects I seem to regularly juggle these days... .but I do seem to have bitten off more than I can chew this time. I've been constantly struggling against physical exhaustion and a kind of mental/spiritual malaise, every day being tinted and tainted with a combination of dread, self-loathing and panic. Just too many things dragging my concentration this way and that, a sense of hopelessness gradually overwhelming whatever optimism I've attempted to muster. I've felt as if my work has suffered as a result too, 'though this may be entirely subjective. Whatever, it still feels like too little energy spread too thin. The task taking up most of my time is the continuous writing and recording of my forthcoming album. For reasons not quite clear, many of the pieces of music have turned out to be long and complex. They are mostly heavily layered, orchestrally textured songs with intricate, fussy arrangements. Each song has taken several days to complete, not just in terms of the writing but also in terms of the actual performance and recording. Mixing the finished recordings has proved problematic too, as there is so much going on just beneath the surface of the music. Getting the correct balance between the myriad interwoven components is not exactly a quick and easy job... so many details to consider. I'm still toying with the idea of remixing a couple of songs, though I'll hardly have time for such a luxury if the finished package is to be ready for the autumn release schedule. There's all the artwork/packaging to consider too. If these songs were ever to be performed in a completely live context, (ie: no use of backing tracks), they would require a large group of very broad-minded and eclectic musicians in tandem with a small symphony orchestra to duplicate the recorded effect. As I originally intended to write intimate pieces that would only require three or four musicians to perform the songs live, it's a shock that what eventually came down my cantakerous muse's pipe ended up being so densely layered and epic sounding. I haven't a clue as to why this should be, it's just as mysterious to me as to anyone else. I'm subject to the surreal dictates of my own unconscious and am often as much a victim of its unpredictability, as well as a beneficiary. The songs' lyrical content has been problematic too, reflecting, perhaps, my troubled state of mind. They're not overtly angst-ridden, heart-on-sleeve, chest beaters, but they do seem to suggest a certain world-weariness and resignation. These are confusing, dualistic, personal songs whose shiny veneer maybe hides something deeper and darker. As I so often say these days, maybe it's just a result of my age and the weird times we live in. Not entirely a waste of time, however, as the abandoned tracks have helped direct me towards some of the other pieces that I feel are much more succesful. These 'keeper' tracks are now the spiritual core of the album, which has revealed, or given birth to, a concept of sorts. (Although it is not strictly a 'concept' album in the old school sense of the term.) But... I have to consider the amount of time this music is taking to formulate and complete itself. If I were to continue at the current rate of progress, all my other creative responsibilities would have to be dropped from my agenda. (Not a good idea.) Not sure that I like being gripped quite so viciously by a single piece of work... but this one seems to be a difficult beast to escape from. I have to admit, however, that there is a part of me that says, 'just dump everything else and spend the next six to eight months concentrating exclusively on the new album.' In fact, I was actually on the point of doing this, including cancelling/postponing the autumn tour, when Adrian, at Opium's office in London, suggested a more practical, pragmatic alternative. He pointed out that it wasn't absolutely neccesary for the album to be one of my extra long, 'filled to the brim with tracks' ones. In fact, Adrian said, it might work equally as well as a 'mini-album' or an ep. This would take some of the pressure off and allow me more time to prepare the video material for the tour and also to deal more comfortably with all the other projects I'm currently juggling. (Against the odds.) An obvious solution, staring me in the face I suppose, but one which I'd somehow stupidly missed... but a very good proposal nevertheless. BUT... even if I do decide that it will be a 'mini' album, (in terms of track count), it could still turn out to be 'full length' as most of the individual tracks are unusually long, so much so that the total listening time may add up to being the same as a 'normal' album. Adrian pointed out that it is probably already as long as Anthony and The Johnsons' recent album (which apparently clocks in at approximately 32 minutes or somewhere about that). But, regardless of these thoughts, I still want to push on, to see where the current thematic or conceptual thread leads me. Luckily, the idea of making it a 'mini-album' provides a much needed safety net... At least I now know that I can 'switch off' the project and deal with the rest of my workload when the time comes to do so. A little bit less pressure, though there's still plenty more to deal with. As an explanation for my sense of urgency and panic I'll list the current workload in this diary entry, in a moment or two, BUT before I do, here is the latest information about this 'album in progress' of mine:- The songs I've decided will be on the 'possible inclusions' list are as follows:- 'The Ceremonial Arrival Of The Great Golden Cloud.’ 'Dreams Run Wild On Ghost Train Tracks.’ 'And Then The Rain.' 'The Man Who Haunted Himself.' 'Tin Sings Bones.' 'Duraflame.' All these are vocal pieces. There are also two as yet unfinished and untitled instrumentals to add to this list... The list does not include everything that I've recently recorded, i.e.: abandoned tracks or tracks that have been completed but set aside for other possible projects (as they proved unsuitable for this one). The album is very much a work in progress at this stage, although it now has a reasonably fixed title. What is the title? Well, unless I radically re-think the album, it will be called 'The Alchemical Adventures Of Sailor Bill.' There are deeply personal reasons for this apparently surreal and light-hearted title, which I may explain at some point in the future. Needless to say, it springs from my usual internal pre-occupation with the absurdity and seriousness, beauty and ugliness of our human condition, and mine in particular. So... the cut-off point with this album will be entirely dictated by the deadlines and demands of my other work... Whether 'mini' or otherwise, there WILL be a new album, depite the pressures. And here, by way of example, is the list of the work I'm attempting, as promised above:- 1. Prepare autumn tour set, including the making, choosing, mastering and assembly of performance backing tracks, both old and new. 2. Design tour advertising material, flyers, t-shirts, posters, etc, for above. 3. Shoot and edit new video material to use as back projection on the autumn tour. (An extremely time consuming job, this one.) 4. Prepare various items and performance events for Nelsonica 05 , (to be held in October), including design and preparation of all visual material, tickets, limited edition screen print poster, etc. 5. Create a Nelsonica 05 convention cd, including the selection and mastering of appropriate musical material, and suitable visual content, sleeve design, etc. 6. Create an exclusive music track for Sound On Sound's magazine's 20th anniversary issue. 7. Give a talk to music college students in September. 8. Prepare tracks, both old and new, for the early August guitar Festival performance in Lewes. (And boy, am I behind schedule with this one!) 9. Choose and assemble an appropriate selection of music onto cdr to send to Ronald Nameth with regard to a possible collaboration on the Ginsberg 'Howl For Now' event documentary film. 10. Contribute an article/written Q+A for a book being written about the above event. 11. Transfer to Mackie removable media hard drive and then mix the very early Be Bop Deluxe Decca audition tapes for possible release in autumn. 12. Design packaging for above. 13. Help to oversee the release of major label back catalogue. (Mercury and EMI.) 14. Select appropriate equipment for upcoming live shows, unwire from my studio and repair where required. Then pack and haul downstairs in preparation for transportation to venues. 15. Schedule a full day's rehearsal for autumn tour and ensure that everything is in place that needs to be. 16. Allocate sufficient time at home to allow a personal rehearsal schedule for the tour material so that the main reheasal is freed up to concentrate on technical/equipment/sound mixing matters, rather than musical ones. 17. Complete the writing and recording and mixing of the new album. 18. Decide track running order, book Fairview to master the final album and design packaging art for it. 19. Attend and possibly contribute towards the performance of Ginsberg's 'Howl' poem, annniversary reading. 20. Begin a possible collaboration with John Foxx. 21. Ditto with J. F. and Harold Budd. 22. Ditto with Cipher. (Theo Travis and Dave Sturt.) 23. Try to get back on track with my collaboration with American comic book artist Matt Howarth. 24. Open up further areas of the Dreamsville site, including the long promised 'Museum Of Memory' feature, the 'Academy Of Art' and the 'Guitar Arcade.' But, as I've already said, the priority for me at the moment is to constantly work on the new album. (11 am to 11 pm, with a 45 minute dinner break, every day, with a couple of guilty Sundays off to give Emiko some kind of life other than sitting downstairs watching tv whilst I furrow my brow in the studio.) So... this is the kind of life I lead right now:- obsessive, unhealthy, anti-social, grumpy, angst-ridden, insecure, depressive, stressful, etc. (Oh, poor, poor me, so many guitars to play!) But also, dreamlike, magical, creatively fulfilling, educational, enlightening and priveleged too. Yes... it's that special. I'm just one of those common or garden, pathetic but fabulously lucky tortured artists that you read about in tacky romantic novels... AND I've got the dysfunctional lifestyle, psychological quirks and expanding waistline to prove it. And now on to other, more serious matters:- Terrorist attacks on London. What can I or anyone else say ? The horror, disgust and revulsion that we all feel about these events requires no explanatory comment from me. Nevertheless, I'll say this, if only to release a little of the pressure in my own angry heart:- That people commit such acts of depravity in the name of religion, (whatever religion), is a sickening measure of the ignorance, stupidity, gullibility and downright self-centred, ugly righteousness of those who think of themselves as 'agents of god'. ('God' is, increasingly it seems, a convenient concept for abdicating individual responsibilty for vile criminal acts.) The indoctrinated dupes who carry out these cruel, pathetic and ultimately ineffectual attacks are deluded lost souls, terminally infatuated with the ecstasy of self-immolation, death and glory, holy-martyrdom and all the other banal, historically tested, psychologically potent appeals to the dangerous idiot within us all. These young fools bought the tired old lie of a righteous martyr's paradise... and couldn't see past the illusions weaved by their hate-filled puppet masters. What a tragic world we live in. As always, the innocent suffer the most. And don't get me started on the political issues. There's ignorance on all sides. Enough disgust from me? More than you need... let's move on. Despite my relentless work schedule, I have conspired to take a couple of Sundays off. A visit to Castle Howard and visits to the East and North Yorkshire coast, Reighton Sands, Whitby, Spurn Point. The latter two locations allowed me a chance to paddle like a kid in the ocean, to savour the waves and breath some fresh air, ('though I wish I had more time to do it properly and without guilt). I justified the time away from my studio by taking along my camera and camcorder to capture images that might prove useful for the tour's video projection, or for this very website. Some of those photo's scattered amongst this diary entry... a couple of seaside days to share with you. My trip to Reighton Sands, or 'Reighton Gap' as it was known to my family in the 'fifties, was only the second time I've been there since I was a child. (My earlier diary entries reference this.) On this latest visit, Emi and I ventured down the steep incline, cut into the cliffs, to the beach. It was the first time I'd walked on these sands since I was a very young boy. Nothing much had changed, apart from some coastal erosion, but the view of Flamborough Head from Reighton Sands was just as striking as I remembered, the beach just as sparsely populated. The crumbling ruins of the concrete World War 2 bunkers, almost exactly as they were in the early 'fifties when my family stayed at a bungalow in Reighton Gap, still stand, braving the North Sea winds and guarding the little pools in which I once, all those years ago, sailed my cream and red painted, battery powered, toy boat, 'St. Christopher.' I wrote 'Hello, Sailor Bill' in the sand with my walking cane and Emi took a photo. Emi and I then stood, trousers rolled up, at the edge of the sea, up to our calves in the incoming tide, which was cold and sharp and clear. We'd done the same thing at Spurn Point the previous weekend, (where I'd photographed the patterns made by fishermen's tractors in the sand on the Humber river side of the estuary peninsula). I love this entire stretch of coastline, its variety, its history, and never tire of it. My late father loved it too, as I've probably mentioned before... in fact, he loved the ocean and the coast generally, wherever we roamed as a family back in those simpler times. I still vividly recall standing next to him on cliff tops on the east coast, or on harbour walls in Ilfracoombe in Devon, watching the storm tossed waves. The wilder the seas, the more my father enjoyed observing them. He could be a difficult, sometimes angry and occasionally volatile, violent man, but also generous, kind, thoughtful and soulful. Certainly contradictory. Those moments standing beside him, in awe of the waves, stay stronger in my memory than his darker moods. One of my latest songs directly references my father's love of the sea. In fact, it starts with a simple statement: 'my father loved the sea, summertime, wintertime, anytime... My father longed to be, a sailor on the sea...' It sounds much better in the context of the whole song. (The song is called:- 'The Ceremonial Arrival Of The Great Golden Cloud.') It's over eight minutes long. Weather cool verging on cold today, cloudy and no sun. The recent warm weather vanished for a time, or so it seems. But it's been frustrating to have to stay in my hot, airless studio whilst the sunshine has been transforming the surrounding landscape into an archytypal English pastoral summer scene these last few weeks. It will soon be harvest time though, fields of barley have turned from green to gold already. Leaves turning before we know it too, I suspect. The seasons change so rapidly. I continue to make music and must optimistically return to the work, pushing on regardless. Minutes, hours, days, weeks, months. Time passes and life sings. All photographs by Bill Nelson. Top of page William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) July 2005 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Aug Sep Oct Dec 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013

Acquitted By Mirrors - Issue Seven - Published September 1983 Back to Top

Drastic Plastic Be Bop Deluxe album - 10 February 1978 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this box-set TRACKS: 01) Electrical Language 02) New Precision 03) New Mysteries 04) Surreal Estate 05) Love In Flames 06) Panic In The World 07) Dangerous Stranger 08) Superenigmatix 09) Visions Of Endless Hopes 10) Possession 11) Islands Of The Dead ALBUM NOTES: Drastic Plastic is the sixth and final album by BeBop Deluxe, and was recorded using the Rolling Stones Mobile Unit on location in Juan le Pins in Southern France during May and June 1977. The album was stylistically a departure from their past work and signalled a transition in Nelson's work to a more electronic approach, closer to New Wave music than 70s Rock. As a result, some fans found this change difficult to fully accept. Drastic Plastic was the fourth Be Bop Deluxe album in succession to feature the now established line up of Bill Nelson, Simon Fox, Charlie Tumahai and Andy Clarke. The album appeared on vinyl and cassette, and was promoted by the release of two singles "Panic in the World" and "Electrical Language". Like their two previous singles, both of these failed to chart. Vinyl copies were released in a single sleeve, and the record was housed in an inner sleeve featuring lyrics to all songs. In North America the album appeared with a slightly revised track listing, with the track "Visions of Endless Hope" replaced with the UK only single, "Japan". Canadian collectors were treated to a limited edition white vinyl edition. When reissued on CD in 1991, EMI elected to enhance the album by adding 3 bonus tracks, although they represent a mixed bag in the context of this album and the reissue programme as a whole. "Blimps" in chronological terms belongs with Sunburst Finish , and "Lights" with Futurama , leaving just "Lovers Are Mortal" as the only appropriate inclusion. If you no longer kept your vinyl copy of Futurama , but require song lyrics, then this CD edition satisfies that need. The informative sleeve notes penned by Kevin Cann provide useful context. In April 2017 Cherry Red and E soteric R ecordings , who, since 2011, have done so much to raise the profile of Bill Nelson's solo recordings from the period 1980 to 2002, acquired the rights to release the Be Bop Deluxe and Red Noise material issued between 1973 and 1979. While this resulted in the deletion of existing physical editions, Cherry Red kept Drastic Plastic on catalogue from 1 June 2017 via the usual download sites such as Amazon and iTunes while an expanded edition was prepared for a 2021 physical release. On 21 February 2021 Drastic Plastic became the fifth Be Bop Deluxe album to be issued as a Deluxe Edition comprising: a freshly remastered version of the original album. a 2021 remix of the full album. 9 bonus studio recordings comprising of single edits. unreleased tracks and material that later appeared on the 'Best Of And The Rest Of' retrospective compilation. previously released live 'BBC In Concert' recorded for Radio. 4 recordings from a 1978 John Peel session. a bonus CD of previously unreleased Bill Nelson demos. the original album presented in a 5.1 mix. Bill Nelson's previously released 'Be Bop In The South Of France' video. the BBC TV 'Sight And Sound In Concert' appearance from 19th January 1978. The album is presented in a triple fold out digi-pack and contains a 68 page booklet with an essay penned by Bill Nelson, previously unseen photographs from the period, postcards and a replica poster. A 2CD edition of the album is also being released at the same time as the Deluxe Edition which will also replace the standard download edition. The full track listing for the Deluxe Edition is: Disc One: 1. Electrical Language 2. New Precision 3. New Mysteries 4. Surreal Estate 5. Love In Flames 6. Panic In The World 7. Dangerous Stranger 8. Superenigmatix (Lethal Appliances For The Home With Everything) 9. Visions Of Endless Hopes 10. Possession 11. Islands Of The Dead 12. Japan 13. Futurist Manifesto 14. Panic In The World (Single Edit) 15. Blue As A Jewel 16. Electrical Language (Single Version) 17. Love In Flames (Single Version) 18. Face In The Rain 19. Islands Of The Dead (Take Four) 20. The Saxophonist (Juan Les Pins Version) Disc Two: 1. Autosexual 2. Lovers Are Mortal 3. Blimps 4. Speed Of The Wind 5. Quest Of Harvest For The Stars 6. New Precision (BBC In Concert 1978) 7. Superenigmatix (BBC In Concert 1978) 8. Possession (BBC In Concert 1978) 9. Dangerous Stranger (BBC In Concert 1978) 10. Islands Of The Dead (BBC In Concert 1978) 11. Panic In The World (BBC In Concert 1978) 12. Lovers Are Mortal (BBC In Concert 1978) 13. Love In Flames (BBC In Concert 1978) 14. Blazing Apostles (BBC In Concert 1978) 15. Superenigmatix (John Peel Session 1978) 16. Possession (John Peel Session 1978) 17. Panic In The World (John Peel Session 1978) 18. Love In Flames (John Peel Session 1978) Disc Three: 1. Electrical Language (New Stereo Mix) 2. New Precision (New Stereo Mix) 3. New Mysteries (New Stereo Mix) 4. Surreal Estate (New Stereo Mix) 5. Love In Flames (New Stereo Mix) 6. Panic In The World (New Stereo Mix) 7. Dangerous Stranger (New Stereo Mix) 8. Superenigmatix (Lethal Appliances For The Home With Everything) (New Stereo Mix) 9. Visions Of Endless Hopes (New Stereo Mix) 10. Possession (New Stereo Mix) 11. Islands Of The Dead (New Stereo Mix) 12. Japan (New Stereo Mix) 13. Futurist Manifesto (New Stereo Mix) 14. Blue As A Jewel (New Stereo Mix) 15. Autosexual (New Stereo Mix) 16. Face In The Rain (New Stereo Mix) 17. Lovers Are Mortal (New Stereo Mix) 18. Speed Of The Wind (New Stereo Mix) 19. Quest For The Harvest Of The Stars (New Stereo Mix) Disc Four: 1. Speed Of The Wind (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 2. Surreal Estate (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 3. The Saxophonist (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 4. Electrical Language (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 5. Visions Of Endless Hopes (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 6. Possession (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 7. Islands Of The Dead (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 8. New Mysteries (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 9. Japan (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 10. Dangerous Stranger (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 11. Blue As A Jewel (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 12. Autosexual (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 13. Quest For The Harvest Of The Stars (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 14. New Precision (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 15. Love In Flames (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) Disc Five: 1. Electrical Language (5.1 Surround Mix) 2. New Precision (5.1 Surround Mix) 3. New Mysteries (5.1 Surround Mix) 4. Surreal Estate (5.1 Surround Mix) 5. Love In Flames (5.1 Surround Mix) 6. Panic In The World (5.1 Surround Mix) 7. Dangerous Stranger (5.1 Surround Mix) 8. Superenigmatix (Lethal Appliances For The Home With Everything) (5.1 Surround Mix) 9. Visions Of Endless Hopes (5.1 Surround Mix) 10. Possession (5.1 Surround Mix) 11. Islands Of The Dead (5.1 Surround Mix) 12. Japan (5.1 Surround Mix) 13. Futurist Manifesto (5.1 Surround Mix) 14. Blue As A Jewel (5.1 Surround Mix) 15. Autosexual (5.1 Surround Mix) 16. Face In The Rain (5.1 Surround Mix) 17. Lovers Are Mortal (5.1 Surround Mix) 18. Speed Of The Wind (5.1 Surround Mix) 19. Quest For The Harvest Of The Stars (5.1 Surround Mix) Disc Six: Video Content: 'Be Bop Deluxe In The South Of France' - Bill Nelson's Home Movies Filmed Whilst Recording 'Drastic Plastic' BBC TV 'Sight & Sound In Concert' 19th January 1978 1. New Precision (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) 2. Superenigmatix (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) 3. Possession (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) 4. Dangerous Stranger (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) 5. Islands Of The Dead (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) 6. Lovers Are Mortal (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) 7. Panic In The World (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This 6-Disc box set is available to purchase in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "I came up with that TV heads image way back in the 1970s, before even some of you good folks might even have been old enough to notice. "It eventually was photographed for the '70s album, Drastic Plastic , (by 'Sleazy' of Throbbing Gristle), and was originally intended for a front cover, but sadly got relegated to the back cover due to Hipgnosis, (the favoured designers at EMI back then), who supposedly had a 'better' front cover image showing paint being thrown over an artificial kitchen. Well, what the heck this ever had to do with the musical concept of the album still escapes me and it is one of those record company decisions that simply baffles...But there you go...Art, in the hands of the infidel, turns to banality." _____ "Getting my first Mini-Moog was exciting because previously you would have had to invest in a bulky and very expensive modular system. The Mini-Moog brought the possibility of synthesis to a much wider range of musicians, myself included. And I wanted to break away from being stereotyped as a 'guitar hero' at that time, but mainly liked the added textures that the Moog brought to the songs." _____ "Several of the tracks on Drastic Plastic feature drum tape loops rather than 'live' playing. Basically, we recorded a few bars of Simon playing the basic beat, then mixed it to a reel of stereo tape whilst feeding it through a guitar fuzz box and compressor, then we'd cut the tape so that it contained just a couple of bars of drums, then joined the ends of the tape together so that it formed a physical tape loop and then ran this 'round and 'round, on constant repeat, copying it back to the multitrack, adding gated reverb to make it more explosive. The band then played to the tape loop rather than to a live kit. Thinking about it now, it was like an early, primitive, version of 'sampling'. The idea was to get a repetitive, neo-mechanical, machine drum feel to the rhythm, rather than the usual rock approach. The home demos I made for the album have a very similar feel and we often spent time in the studio trying to re-create the groove of those demos." _____ "Visions of Endless Hope": "from Drastic Plastic has birdsong and wind sound...but it's all live in real time, as the guitar parts were recorded in the open-air in the garden of 'Villa St George' in Juan Les Pins in the South Of France. Every bird cheep and breezy tree shimmer was picked up by a ring of microphones as I played the Ovation 12-string guitar whilst sitting in the middle of the villa's garden." ALBUM REVIEWS: Review on JP's Music Blog Review on Goldmine Review on AnneCarlini.com YouTube review by Pete Pardo Review on Daily Vault Review on Spill Magazine Review by Dmitry M. Epstein Review on Music Street Journal Review on Immersive Audio Album FAN THOUGHTS: peterc62: "When I first played Drastic Plastic and heard the song "Electrical Language". I thought WTF is this? I grew to love the track and wished there was more pure electronica like it on the album. Although I suspect Simon Fox would have been a bit hacked off not playing a real kit." Michael: "I remember back in 1978 my friend's older brother, who was the first person I ever knew with Be Bop Deluxe records, thought you had lost it with Drastic Plastic . I thought it was the best thing I'd ever heard! Perhaps that was the first but far from the last time you challenged your fanbase." Andre: "I have to say, living in this insane planet, that I bought Drastic Plastic when it was first released and I loved every song on first hearing. It is ALL hit potential...in a sane world." paul.smith: "After absorbing Drastic Plastic in early '78 I remember considering what the next development would bring...tracks like "Possession" and "Superenigmatix" were so not of the previous, and kind of gave a hint of things to come, albeit in hindsight as we now know." andygeorge: "Who would have thought that "Electrical Language" from Drastic Plastic was about people communicating via 'electronic devices' and not talking face to face?...Ring any bells with today's norm of texting and emails?...and Bill predicted this over 30 years ago!" Ian Nelson (from Music In Dreamland by Paul Sutton Reeves): "There are phrases in the English language which, if not entirely original, have passed unobtrusively into common usage after being coined by Bill. How often do you see the term 'Drastic Plastic' used as a strap line for an album review?" Jon Wallinger: "I first heard Be Bop Deluxe as I walked/cycled around the village I grew up in (and live in once again). You could pretty much hear them all around the village as they rehearsed in an old war memorial building that served as a village hall. We used to stand on our bikes to spy through the windows, then when we got a bit braver, we'd sneak into the hall to watch from the back. This will have been rehearsals for the Drastic Plastic tour as I can distinctly remember them rehearsing 'Panic In The World'. How bizarre that 30 years later, I was in a band with Bill Nelson playing some of those very same songs!!!" Albums Menu Future Past

The Dreamer's Companion Volume Two retrospective collection - 13 January 2014 Collections Menu Future Past Bill Nelson Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Superadventure (Sound On Sound) (Arcadian Salon) 02) Once More Around The Moon (Monitor Mix) (Dream Transmission Pavilion) 03) Never A Dull Day (For Les Paul) (Here Comes Mr Mercury) 04) Everything Changes With The Weather (Fantasmatron) 05) Neil Young (Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus) 06) Pilgrim (Gleaming Without Lights) 07) Mystery Vortex (Oberon Touchstone) (Clocks And Dials) 08) The Darcy Bussell Rubberwear Fantasia (Theatre Of Falling Leaves) 09) Clocks Wind Slow (Clocks And Dials) 10) Young Dreams Whirled Away (Silvertone Fountains) 11) Merry Are The Windblown Crows (Model Village) 12) Steam Radio Blues (Return To Jazz Of Lights) 13) The Sky, The Sea, The Moon And Me (Alchemical Adventures Of Sailor Bill) 14) Wonder Of The Moment (Luxury Lodge) ALBUM NOTES: The Dreamer's Companion is a three volume series of compilation albums designed to introduce both new and lapsed fans to Nelson's recordings from the 21st Century. These are significant in that they represent the point where Nelson embraced the notion of downloading as a way of generating additional interest in his music. Prior to their announcement in August 2013, there had been frequent mention by fans of the advantages that Nelson would see from going down the download route, but the artist consistently resisted doing so on the basis that he remained unconvinced that it would yield much in the way of sales. What seemed to change his opinion, or at least convince him to give it a go, was a Be Bop Deluxe Facebook page which clearly indicated that there are a significant number of fans who knew little of Nelson's work over the previous 30 years. Nelson therefore set about compiling three volumes in The Dreamer's Companion series that provided a detailed overview of his output since 2003. Even for fans who had rediscovered Nelson's music at some point in the period from 2003 to 2013, these offer some out of print material. And for the lapsed fans that knew nothing at all from this period, they offer them a chance to find out precisely what they have been missing. For those who aren't willing or able to spend £30 on a full set, each volume of The Dreamer's Companion is available at £10 each. The 42 tracks featured are taken from a total of 28 different albums, and provide a healthy mixture of vocal and instrumental pieces covering a range of styles and moods. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "There's nothing difficult or tricky about any of my music, it's all very easy to listen to. I certainly don't aim at purely esoteric targets, I just make pop music with a twist. But, if you're feeling a bit nervous about buying some albums, it doesn't get less esoteric than Fancy Planets , Joy Through Amplification , and Songs of the Blossom Tree Optimists . Easy listening all! Or, to get a great overview of my 21st Century recordings, try downloading the digital three volume compilation set, The Dreamers Companion from Bandcamp. It acts as a really nice taster or 'grazing' menu. A bit of everything on there." Collections Menu Future Past

download single - 21 December 2017 Variation on the Theme of a White Christmas Bill Nelson Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) Variation On The Theme Of A White Christmas NOTES: CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available as a free digital download on this page, or in the Free Downloads section . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "My younger brother, Ian, (who passed away almost 12 years ago now,) and I shared some very poignant memories of Christmas together. Those Christmases, in the late 1950s, were uncorrupted by the kind of 'knowing' that children have today. We were naive and innocent, in a way which would be now thought of as embarrassingly 'uncool,' yet the memory of those times burns bright and warm and meaningful. "I remember he and I sharing a bed on Christmas Eve and me reading to him from a book which contained the story of 'Peter And Pam's Christmas,' beautifully illustrated by an artist that, to this day, sadly, I have no idea of who he was. "Ian and I would become so excited by the story and what it promised for Christmas morning and, even though I suspected that Santa Claus was really just mum and dad, I never revealed my suspicions to Ian who still held on to that magical idea of a white-bearded old man with a jolly laughing face coming down the chimney with the gift of toys. "My father, (who worked as the manager of 'Broughton And Son's' shop in Hunslet, Leeds,) always made a great effort to create a magical Christmas Day morning for us. The shop sold, amongst other things (such as radios and televisions,) a selection of Dinky Toys, Meccano construction kits and Hornby 'Dublo-O' Train sets, which always found their way onto the lavish, (as I remember it,) display laid out on our living room floor on Christmas morning. "Ian and I would wake early in much excitement and await our parent's permission to go and see what 'Santa' had brought us...and it always was wonderful. "Not only Dinky Toys, Hornby trains and Meccano sets but Dan Dare ray guns, Roy Rogers cowboy outfits, magnetic Driving Test games, Magic Robot Quiz games, Eagle, Dandy, Beano, Beezer and Topper annuals, sweets and chocolates and a host of other goodies. These things would keep my brother and I occupied throughout the day whilst we had visits from relatives, my grandma, sometimes my aunt and uncle or neighbours. "And somehow, though I now know it's not really accurate, those childhood Christmases always seemed blessed by snow. There was certainly snow at times, though whether prior to, or after the Christmas festivities I'm not sure. But I can vividly recall building snowmen and, one time, an actual Igloo in the front garden of our house at 28, Conistone Crescent on Eastmoor Estate, an Igloo which was built and shared in collaboration with our upstairs neighbour's daughter (and childhood friend,) Bronwyn Jackson, who was just a little bit older than myself. She was someone I had a very warm friendship with, back in those long ago 1950s childhood days." Singles Menu Future Past

Contemplation 2007 Bill Nelson download single - 3 December 2007 Singles Menu Future Past Download here TRACKS: 1) Contemplation 2007 NOTES: "Contemplation 2007" is a re-recording of a song which was issued in demo form on ABM Club EP # 3 in 1983, and later recorded professionally for the Getting the Holy Ghost Across album in 1986. The 2007 version runs for over 11 minutes long, and was performed live at Nelsonica 07 before shortly afterwards being presented to the Dreamsville Community as a free download using a guide vocal track. The download was later added to Nelson's Bandcamp page once it was established for the very reasonable price of £1. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download from Bandcamp. BILL'S THOUGHTS: "It was kind of adapted from the version I'd performed live on the 2004 Be Bop Deluxe and Beyond Tour...by that, I mean the extended version with longer improvisational sections. I didn't refer back to the '80s recording too much but tried to give it a slight twist here and there." _____ "Contemplation" is STILL one of my favourite songs from that era, which was why I included it in the 2004 anniversary tour set with my band. And both versions of the song have their merits for me." Singles Menu Future Past

Blackwater single - 1991 Rain Tree Crow Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar on A-side. Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Live! In The Air Age Be Bop Deluxe album - 22 July 1977 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase 3-CD Set TRACKS: 01) Life In The Air Age 02) Ships In The Night 03) Piece Of Mine 04) Fair Exchange 05) Shine 06) Sister Seagull 07) Maid In Heaven 08) Mill Street Junction 09) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape 10) Blazing Apostles ALBUM NOTES: Live! In the Air Age is the fifth album by Be Bop Deluxe, and was recorded at unspecified gigs staged in 1977. It would prove to be the only live document of the band to be released during its existence. The album appeared on vinyl and cassette, but had no single release at the time to aid its promotion (which is unusual, but not unheard of). However, the album itself included a 7" EP (as sides B and C of the album) that helped push playing time to around 55 minutes - which would have been too much music for a single album. Vinyl copies were released in a single sleeve, and the record was housed in an inner sleeve bearing a few live photos and a few explanatory words concerning the album's content. For North American release, the EP included with the album was pressed on 12", and the package appeared in two pressings: standard black vinyl; and a combination of white vinyl (for the album) and black vinyl (for the EP). The musicians appearing on the live recording were the now established quartet of Bill Nelson, Simon Fox, Charlie Tumahai and Andy Clarke. Although the credits include an apparent fifth member in the shape of "Cabasa El Dubova", providing percussion on "Shine", this was in fact later revealed to be Nelson himself, who provided some post-production overdubs. When reissued on CD in 1991, EMI chose not to include any additional material, although the songs that comprise the 3 track EP were designated as "bonus tracks" and tagged on to the end of the CD, rather than being placed in the centre as they had been on the original vinyl release. As with other releases in the series, informative sleeve notes penned by Kevin Cann provide useful context. On 27 August 2021 Live! In The Air Age became the sixth Be Bop Deluxe album to be issued as a Deluxe Edition comprising: a deluxe 16 disc limited edition box set of the classic 1977 live album by Be Bop Deluxe the original album is newly remastered from the original master tapes restoring the correct album running order with an additional 14 CDs featuring every concert recorded on the Be Bop Deluxe UK tour of February and March 1977 all newly remixed from the original multi-track tapes by Sephen W. Tayler includes a BBC radio one John Peel session from January 1977 also includes a DVD (NTSC/region free) of the 'Star Rider In Concert' TV film first screened in 1977, released here for the first time includes a lavishly illustrated book with many previously unseen photographs and new essay by Bill Nelson also includes postcards and a replica poster The album is presented in a triple fold out digi-pack and contains a 68 page booklet with an essay penned by Bill Nelson, previously unseen photographs from the period, postcards and a replica poster. A 3CD edition of the album is also being released at the same time as the Deluxe Edition which will also replace the standard download edition. The full track listing for the Deluxe Edition is: Disc One: "Live! In The Air Age" Re-Mastered 01) Life In The Air Age 02) Ships In The Night 03) Piece Of Mine 04) Fair Exchange 05) Shine 06) Sister Seagull 07) Maid In Heaven 08) Mill Street Junction 09) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape 10) Blazing Apostles Bonus Tracks 11) Still Shining (BBC John Peel Session – January 1977) 12) Mill Street Junction (BBC John Peel Session – January 1977) 10) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape (BBC John Peel Session – January 1977) Disc Two: Leicester - De Montfort Hall 12th February 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Introduction - Blimps 02) Life In The Air Age 03) Fair Exchange 04) Piece Of Mine 05) Sister Seagull 06) Mill Street Junction 07) Ships In The Night 08) Swansong 09) Maid In Heaven 10) Shine 11) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape Disc Three: Leicester - De Montfort Hall 12th February 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Bill Nelson's Introduction 02) Twilight Capers 03) Modern Music Suite 04) Forbidden Lovers 05) Terminal Street 06) Blazing Apostles Disc Four: Leeds - Grand Theatre 13th February 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Introduction - Blimps 02) Life In The Air Age 03) Fair Exchange 04) Piece Of Mine 05) Sister Seagull 06) Mill Street Junction 07) Ships In The Night 08) Swansong 09) Maid In Heaven 10) Shine 11) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape Disc Five: Leeds - Grand Theatre 13th February 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Bill Nelson's Introduction 02) Twilight Capers 03) Modern Music Suite 04) Forbidden Lovers 05) Terminal Street Disc Six: Leeds - Grand Theatre 14th February 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Introduction - Blimps 02) Life In The Air Age 03) Fair Exchange 04) Piece Of Mine 05) Sister Seagull 06) Mill Street Junction 07) Ships In The Night 08) Swansong 09) Maid In Heaven 10) Shine 11) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape Disc Seven: Leeds - Grand Theatre 14th February 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Bill Nelson's Introduction 02) Twilight Capers 03) Modern Music Suite 04) Forbidden Lovers 05) Terminal Street 06) Blazing Apostles Disc Eight: London - Hammersmith Odeon 25th March 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Introduction - Blimps 02) Life In The Air Age 03) Fair Exchange 04) Piece Of Mine 05) Sister Seagull 06) Mill Street Junction 07) Ships In The Night 08) Swansong 09) Maid In Heaven 10) Shine 11) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape Disc Nine: London - Hammersmith Odeon 25th March 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Bill Nelson's Introduction 02) Twilight Capers 03) Modern Music Suite 04) Forbidden Lovers 05) Terminal Street 06) Blazing Apostles Disc Ten: London - Hammersmith Odeon 26th March 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Introduction - Blimps 02) Life In The Air Age 03) Fair Exchange 04) Piece Of Mine 05) Sister Seagull 06) Mill Street Junction 07) Ships In The Night 08) Swansong 09) Maid In Heaven 10) Shine 11) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape Disc Eleven: London - Hammersmith Odeon 26th March 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Bill Nelson's Introduction 02) Twilight Capers 03) Modern Music Suite 04) Forbidden Lovers 05) Terminal Street 06) Blazing Apostles Disc Twelve: Bristol - Colston Hall 27th March 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Introduction - Blimps 02) Life In The Air Age 03) Fair Exchange 04) Piece Of Mine 05) Sister Seagull 06) Mill Street Junction 07) Ships In The Night 08) Swansong 09) Maid In Heaven 10) Shine 11) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape Disc Thirteen: Bristol - Colston Hall 27th March 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Bill Nelson's Introduction 02) Twilight Capers 03) Modern Music Suite 04) Forbidden Lovers 05) Terminal Street 06) Blazing Apostles Disc Fourteen: Bournemouth - Winter Gardens 28th March 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Introduction - Blimps 02) Life In The Air Age 03) Fair Exchange 04) Piece Of Mine 05) Sister Seagull 06) Mill Street Junction 07) Ships In The Night 08) Swansong 09) Maid In Heaven 10) Shine 11) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape Disc Fifteen: Bournemouth - Winter Gardens 28th March 1977 Previously Unreleased 01) Bill Nelson's Introduction 02) Twilight Capers 03) Modern Music Suite 04) Forbidden Lovers 05) Terminal Street 06) Blazing Apostles Disc Sixteen: Be Bop Deluxe - Star Rider In Concert Previously Unreleased 01) Fair Exchange (Star Rider In Concert Film) 02) Ships In The Night (Star Rider In Concert Film) 03) Maid In Heaven (Star Rider In Concert Film) 04) Bring Back The Spark (Star Rider In Concert Film) 05) Blazing Apostles (Star Rider In Concert Film) On 18 June 2022 Live! In the Air Age (The Hammersmith Odeon Concert 1977) was released separately to the above Deluxe and 3CD editions as a 3LP set, pressed on white vinyl released by Esoteric Recordings in a limited edition of 3,500 copies for Record Store Day available while stocks last at participating independent record shops. The track listing for the vinyl set is: A1) Introduction - Blimps A2) Life In The Air Age A3) Fair Exchange A4) Piece Of Mine A5) Sister Seagull B1) Mill Street Junction B2) Ships In The Night B3) Swansong B4) Maid In Heaven C1) Shine C2) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape D1) Bill Nelson's Introduction D2) Twilight Capers D3) Modern Music Suite E1) Forbidden Lovers E2) Terminal Street F1) Blazing Apostles PAST RELEASES: The original edition of Live! In the Air Age was deleted sometime around 1979/80 and was never reissued on vinyl in this form. However, following the release of the Deluxe Edition by Cherry Red in 2021, one of the previously unreleased shows, that recorded at Hammersmith Odeon on 26th March 1977 was released as part of the Record Store Day on 18 June 2022. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: The 3-CD set is available for purchase in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Some of the Live! In The Air Age album was recorded there, (at the Grand Theatre), and my mother came along to one of the shows. I remember that I played a few bars of 'Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair' as part of my free-form solo guitar improv at the close of the concert for her. (Mum's name is Jean, you see.) So long ago, so far away..." _____ "The "Shine" track started life as a jam at Abbey Road studios. Charlie was away, (in New Zealand, I think), and the track was created simply by Simon, Andy and myself having a 'mess about'...a bit of fun. I played bass on the track as well as guitars. I also tried to make the bass part have some reference to Charlie's own style. In fact, we eventually did the number live with Charlie. I dreamt up the name 'Funky Phaser And His Unearthly Merchandise' to allow for the fact that it wasn't a 'proper' Be Bop Deluxe track as Charlie was missing from the equation." _____ "The recently released Futurist Manifesto 5 CD set from EMI contains the only previously unreleased Live! In The Air Age recordings in existence." * * This was correct until Cherry Red/Esoteric Recordings issued the Deluxe Edition on 27 August 2021. _____ "I also got permission from the widow of Fritz Lang to use stills from the film as cover art on Be Bop's Live! In The Air Age album." _____ [In response to a question from a fan regarding the equipment Bill used on the tour to get that guitar tone] "Although it was recorded over 40 years ago, I can tell you exactly what equipment I used: My guitar was a 1964 Gibson ES 345 STD Stereo guitar. My amp set up was two separate 100 watt Carlsbro amp heads feeding six 2x12 custom built speaker cabs. I also used a Pete Cornish custom built pedal board and an HH echo unit. The pedal board contained a Big Muff, a Little Muff, an MXR Phase 90, an Electric Mistress Flanger and a Univibe." ALBUM REVIEWS: Review on Outsider Rock Review on Echoes And Dust Review on Goldmine Review by Pete Pardo on Sea Of Tranquility FAN THOUGHTS: BFD: "Recorded in England, Spring Tour 1977 - and still one of the very best (mostly) live albums of the 70's and a hard earned Top 10 hit in the UK. We are not worthy." old_goat: "It was 1977, I'm a sophomore in high school, over at a friend's house one afternoon playing backgammon. He's at the turntable blocking my view and says, "check this out", and cues up "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" from Live in the Air Age . Eight minutes later, I'm trading my original Apple label blue album straight across for it." Paul Andrews: "Was it really thirty-five years ago I sat in my friends bedroom listening to Live! In The Air Age , ever so slightly "borrowed" from his elder brother's record collection? It was a world away from my normal listening habits at the time, hormonal teenager that I was. I remember it like the cold white light of revelation." swampboy: "I was at work when "Shine" from Live! In The Air Age came over the ceiling speaker. I slowly put down my tools and stared at the speaker as guitar licks bounced all over the room. The DJ announced the song and album and I bought it the next day. Of course, this led to me buying the rest of what Be Bop Deluxe had to offer." felixt1: "I can tell you that the live version of "Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape" from Live! In The Air Age is one of the best pieces of rock guitar I've ever heard by anyone. I put it right up there with anything that Hendrix or Clapton etc. have done." jazzman1: "For me at the time of the release of Live! In the Air Age , that album was a musical milestone. The way Bill looked, his level of playing, particularly the solo on "Adventures in A Yorkshire Landscape" raised my aspirations." Holer: "Mid-70's - hanging out in someone's bedroom, listening to records. (Do kids still do that? I guess I still do!) My buddy played "Mill Street Junction" off of the BBD Live! In the Air Age LP. That was also the first time I ever saw a White Vinyl record." Telecat: "I was at the Grand Theatre for that show and remember going down the street at the side and seeing the Trailer with the "Studio" in it. I do remember having to leave early as at the time I was still at School and had limited funds so had to catch the Bus home!" Paul Simpson (of The Wild Swans): "Last time I saw them was doing the Live! In The Air Age stuff. Wonderful group and a big influence on me." John Spence: "A few years ago, when Bill and I mixed some previously unreleased recordings from that tour, the original session sheets showed that some recording also took place at the Colston Hall, Bristol. All done using the Stones Mobile and under the watchful eye of John Leckie. An absolute delight to work on." JohnR , commenting on the 'Music In Dreamland' book: "Live! In The Air Age is stated to be based on four concerts - two at the Hammersmith Odeon, one at Bristol and one at Bournemouth. However, I went with a group of friends to a concert at a large theatre in the centre of Leeds where the Rolling Stones mobile was parked outside. I can remember it being announced that the concert was being recorded for a live album, which certainly galvanized the audience. At the end, when it came to the obligatory Terminal Street singalong, we dashed down to sit on the edge of the stage and face the audience to help drum up the singing. To my amazement, we weren't immediately booted off by bouncers and Bill seemed happy enough - we left thinking he was a top bloke!" Albums Menu Future Past

Acquitted By Mirrors - Issue Eleven - Published November 1984 Back to Top

Music Discography Buy Bill's Music Free Downloads Bill Nelson - Live! Bill's Band History

New Vibrato Wonderland Bill Nelson album - 18 December 2020 Albums Menu Past Future Purchase this CD Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Hide And Seek 02) Welcome To Wonderland 03) I Oil The Ticking Of Antique Clocks 04) Crazy Dreamer 05) The Golden Hour 06) Complicated 07) Mercuria Magnetica 08) Crazy Right Now 09) Bless Me, Bless You 10) New Vibrato Wonderland 11) The House Of A Hundred Clocks 12) In The Middle Of A Dream 13) Earthbound 14) Some Times, These Times ALBUM NOTES: New Vibrato Wonderland is an album of songs issued on the Sonoluxe label in a limited edition of 1000 copies. The album was recorded throughout 2020 and comprises 14 tracks selected from a total of well over 100 songs and instrumentals that Nelson produced between January and October that year. New Vibrato Wonderland represents the first Bill Nelson album to be released since moving to his recently established Cubase recording set-up that he had assembled in 2019 and which he began utilising from January 2020. The title of the album implies a sense of optimism although the music itself, at times, betrays that notion through its melancholic and reflective content. The album was mastered on the 16th November at Fairview Studios by John Spence with artwork created by Martin Bostock working with images selected by Nelson. With the UK still in the grip of the Coronavirus pandemic any sort of event to launch New Vibrato Wonderland was understandably out of the question and consequently the album received no such fanfare. Pre-orders for the New Vibrato Wonderland were announced by Burning Shed on 17th November 2020. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Last year I installed a Cubase Pro advanced recording system in my home studio, after my much loved Mackie hardware based system finally gave up the ghost after 20 years of constant use. I had been reluctant to go down the purely software based route but now there was no other choice. The learning curve was fairly steep and it has been a slow process but I'm gradually getting used to it. "Since installing the new system I've recorded over 100 tracks, putting ideas down spontaneously, just to get to grips with how the equipment works. It's been a sometimes frustrating process but now is the time to begin releasing some of this material. "I've chosen 14 tracks from the 100 or so recordings I've made and assembled them into an album. This is the first album to be released using the Cubase system, but more will follow. The album is titled New Vibrato Wonderland and is vocal and guitar based with a hint of modern psychedelia coupled with electro-glitch percussion sounds and a touch of string orchestra. But don't take that description as accurate, you might hear something quite different. Whatever it is, it is certainly recognisable as a 'Bill Nelson album'. How could it be otherwise? Hope you like it!" Albums Menu Future Past

Return To Jazz Of Lights Bill Nelson album - 14 October 2006 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Return To Jazz Of Lights 02) Fearless Beauty (Kisses And Cream) 03) Mysterious Chemicals Of Love 04) It's A Big World And I'm In It (The Great Rememberer) 05) October Sky 06) For You And I 07) Velocity Dansette 08) Now Is Not And Never Was 09) Windswept 10) Always You 11) Steam Radio Blues 12) All These Days Are Gone (For Ian) ALBUM NOTES: Return to Jazz of Lights is a mainly vocal album issued on the Sonoluxe label in a one off print run of 1000 copies. The cover features a photograph of Nelson's wife Emiko taken on her 20th birthday on the driveway of her parents' house in Japan in the 1960s. The final track "All These Days Are Gone (For Ian)" is a tribute to the artist's younger brother Ian Nelson, who passed away on his 50th birthday on 23 April 2006. The album was first made available at Nelsonica '06 before going on general sale through S.O.S two days later. Return to Jazz of Lights sold out in January 2014. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Secret Club For Members Only , Here Comes Mr Mercury , Arcadian Salon , Silvertone Fountains , Illuminated At Dusk , Mazda Kaleidoscope , Rosewood One , Rosewood Two , Luxury Wonder Moments , BILL'S THOUGHTS: "As some of you have discovered, (possibly to your surprise), it's not REALLY a jazz album at all, but an album that simply is inspired by jazz. At its root, it is an almost genre-less collection of melodic, positive and heartfelt songs. You'll hear touches of many of my musical interests in there, from pop and rock to blues and electronica..." _____ "As for 'jazz', there's a jazz influence in nearly all of my guitar work, even the old Be Bop Deluxe stuff! I've listened to jazz since I was a teenager, even before that, as my father played some jazz as a saxophonist. I love the genre, (which actually covers a LOT of different ground). I try to find a way to have some jazz sensibility in everything I do, without it being limited to just jazz." _____ " "Windswept" is one of my favourites on the album. I was writing that song around the time my brother passed away and it suddenly took on a new significance. One of the things I'm particularly proud of with this album is the vocals. I think I've found a comfortable place for my more 'mature' voice with these songs. It's an album that, for me at least, marries emotion and intellect in a harmonious way and without strain or pretension. It's a very direct, unmasked statement." _____ "The front cover photo' of Emiko was taken in the drive of her parents house and the Jaguar car in the background belonged to her father, (who also took the picture). The original photographs were somewhat over saturated and rather 'orangey' but I manipulated them in photoshop to create a sort of '50s/'60s technicolour movie tint. I wanted them to look as if they were stills from an early James Bond movie, something that the viewer might read a storyline into." On the cover: "The Verve/Blue Note thing was exactly what I had in mind, and my lovely wife Emiko is the perfect model. Isn't she beautiful?" _____ "I can't tell you how pleased I am at the number of positive comments I've received regarding the Return to Jazz of Lights album. It's gratifying to know that so many of you have picked up on and enjoyed its moods and also understood the general onward thrust of my music over the years. It's thanks to fans such as yourselves that I gain the confidence to follow my muse and take these leaps into what, for me, is always exciting territory." _____ "I was working up here in my studio last night. Downstairs I could hear that Emiko was playing the Return to Jazz of Lights album on the dining room stereo. After a while, it finished. A couple of seconds later, Emi appeared in the doorway of my studio room. Visibly moved, she just said, "It's SO beautiful." Well, she' bound to be biased to some degree...I am her husband after all and she IS on the cover, but she genuinely felt moved by the album. I couldn’t wish for a better appraisal. When the one you love most deeply digs your work, that's all that really matters." FAN THOUGHTS: Holer: "Bill has done it again, transcending a whole genre and taking another huge creative leap into unknown territory. Ever since the Romance of Sustain album, it seems to me, each official release seems to confound expectations as to what Bill will do next, and Jazz is certainly no exception. Whereas Sailor Bill slowly revealed (and continues to reveal) its intricate pop melodies over repeated listenings, Jazz drilled directly into my pleasure center immediately. This record has amazing energy and I can easily picture Bill and a tight little combo tearing through these tunes with vigorous abandon in a smokey jazz club. I doubt if I can add anything brilliant too all that has already been said here. Suffice to say that this is as strong a set of songs as Bill has ever produced and it’s a most worthy addition to his ever growing catalog." "Bill's vocal chops are quite extraordinary lately. Not only Arcadian Salon , but especially on Jazz of Lights . A true singers album, and I think has some of Bill's best vocal performances ever." felixt1: " Return to Jazz of Lights only comes close to what some may call Jazz on the opening title track, the rest of the album is essentially pop. It's an album that stands out in that it has its own individual style. A life affirming vibe on this album." "The guitar playing throughout the album is just sublime. The tone that Bill delivers is on a level that only the very best achieve, so warm!...It's Jazz, but it's Bill Nelson Jazz!" paul.smith: "This wonderful album is a must have...it's got less to do with jazz and more to do with Bill - if anybody is put off by the title - forget it...it's a nod to jazz in my humble opinion...and a wonderful nod at that...but it's one of Bill's best ever as far as I'm concerned...so get the bloody thing before it goes...mad if ya don't." swampboy: " Jazz of Lights turned out to be a total delight. I should have known that it wouldn't be a straight jazz album. While it is primarily a jazz album, it also features blues, pop, and other guitar styles over jazz backdrops. The song "Windswept", may be the most beautiful melody Bill has ever composed. The whole album pumps and jumps along nicely, with a wonderful energy that leaves a warm afterglow after the last song fades out. Miss this one at your own risk!" MondoJohnny: "I figured it would probably be a strictly instrumental album with really long meandering jazz tracks, with out much form, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Great album, and I find myself humming the tunes as they are stuck in my head all the time now!" Mick Winsford: "It's a great CD. Don't be fooled by the Jazz reference in the title - there are strains of Jazz for sure but its not the dominant style. The closing track "All These Days Are Gone (For Ian)" is simply pure class." Sandwich Man: " Jazz of Lights is so cool. After seeing Bill do his guitar seminar and play bits of videos of his guitar heros, it brings a real insight into this album. It's smooth, beautifully constructed like Sailor Bill and the songs are varied. Bill, how can you keep producing such great works? Totally different direction but so wonderful. The bar is raised yet again! In fact I'm going to stop typing this and listen to it again." Marshall: "Have to say it's hands down one of Nelson's best records in some time--which is exactly what I said about Satellite Songs ! In fact, his vocal records over the last two or three years have been absolutely spectacular, unexpected career highlights in an amazing career...it's instantly accessible and yet richly textured at the same time, with mind-boggling guitar playing and lush, catchy melodies." jazzman1: "My Favourite Bill Nelson albums now are Jazz of Lights and the Rosewoods . I love Bill eclecticism and diversity. I hope Bill lives long and prospers, because true individual artists are very thin on the ground in this time of production line mass produced wannabes." kreiger: "One song got my heart: "Velocity Dansette". I wonder why no one in this forum has talked about it... it's incredible! It's one of the best musics Bill has ever recorded - and this is something. The lyrics, the guitar, piano, drums, they are all wonderful. Above all, his voice in this song is something to sit back and listen. Thank you, Bill!" Catherine Bradder: "I just love Jazz of Lights , and I'm sat listening to it now, relaxing and dreaming and loving the music, it's all oh so rich. Just simply rich to sink into and enjoy. Thank you." Panoramicon: "I was (gently) blown away. Driving the rural backroads the other day and I placed Jazz of Lights in the deck for the first time; suddenly I'm back in the 'Sixties with my Dad talking about the jazz music on the radio, as he attempted to explain to me how to follow the melodies' shifts and swerves. Through "..Chemicals" and "October Sky", "Windswept" and "Steam Radio Blues" and on, happily navigating the winding roads with the music playing loud, it all came back to me. How your music manages to do this is still a sweet mystery to me, but I sure appreciate it. Dad (long gone now) was a clarinet player way back but everyday life and work took it away from him and he sorely regretted losing his chops, but I really believe he would have enjoyed this album. Even from a young rebel like you! Dig those crooning vocals, and your guitar lines never cease to pop an occasional warm tear from the corner of my eye. I'm always afraid to sound like just another sycophantic dweeb when I post but...wherever you want to go with your music...just go - you're just so damned coool!" chromiumlad: "I even hear touches of lounge and exotica in Return to Jazz of Lights . I feel the really quality stuff from that genre, like Les Baxter and Martin Denny, had lots of the same devil may care attitude of tossing up and intermingling styles and sounds from all sources. That spirit of adventure is one of the things I've always loved about your music Bill. And I have only noticed it increase with each album, especially since around the Atom Shop and Noise Candy times. Thanks once again for the music and inspiring words." Mungo: "Folks, I'm delighted. I got RTJOL a week ago and I just love it, but more to the point, so do my cows. I got 89 of Ayrshire's finest dairy cattle in Scotland and I've been playing them RTJOL during milking for a week. Not only has production gone up 6%, an enormous amount, but they are all mellow and behaving themselves. Even Jessica, who is a cantankerous and evil old crow at the best of times, has a jolly swagger in her back end when I play "Fearless Beauty". The last time I saw an effect like this was when I played Barry White to them years ago, but that made me grumpy so I gave it up. Bill, many thanks for more wonderful music and for increasing my income. It looks like I'll be able to get shoes for the bairns feet this Xmas after all." Peter: "Very evocative and timeless, it takes me back to many places I have passed through in my life, reminding me of people, places and experiences. "All These Days Are Gone" is a gorgeous tear-jerker (so beautiful, Bill), while "Steam Radio Blues" hits a chord with me, missing and always remembering my dad tinkering in his woodshop.... And the cigarette smoke was stinging my eyes listening to "Windswept' (I think the slightly world-weary blonde at the end of the bar was making eyes at me over a watered-down bourbon and soda)... I'm going to put another nickel in the jukebox (maybe "Fearless Beauty" this time) and go over and say hi to that blonde....the night is young (even if I'm not) and the music is right." Albums Menu Future Past

Stupid Serious Bill Nelson album - 13 January 2023 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this CD Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Polishing The Chromes 02) Time Is A Mechanism 03) Silver Rain (Marooned In A Fairytale) 04) Paging Mr. God 05) Lo And Behold 06) I Drift Away Amongst The Stars 07) Domain Of Echo 08) A Trembling In The Air 09) Stupid-Stupid (Deep And Serious) 10) Meek And Wild (The Ghost In Joe's Studio) 11) We Were Young 12) It's A Simple Life 13) Tongues Of Fire (Resist) 14) Nevermore 15) A Face In The Mirror 16) Dreams Turn To Dust 17) Twilight Planetarium ALBUM NOTES: Stupid/Serious is an album featuring a mixture of vocal and instrumental pieces released on the Sonoluxe label in a limited edition of 1000 copies. Work on Stupid/Serious began concurrently with the later recordings used for the Awakening of Dr Dream album back in October 2016 but the two projects have little else in common. The album was announced as "complete" in a Dreamsville forum post dated 11 January 2017 with a list of 12 tracks confirmed for inclusion with the final running order still to be decided upon. However by the time the final track listing was posted on 1 February 2017 it was evident that recording work on Stupid/Serious had continued throughout January with the album content expanded to feature a total of 17 tracks. Interestingly two tracks initially announced as being part of the album had been removed finding a home on Aqua Moon , another separate project that was largely recorded concurrently with Stupid/Serious . Once completed Stupid/Serious would be added to Nelson's list of unreleased albums which at that point totalled 14 with no indication of when it could appear. That day finally arrived almost 6 years later. The album was mastered at Fairview Studios by John Spence week commencing 21 November 2022 with artwork compiled by Martin Bostock using images selected by Nelson as the album approached release. Pre-orders for Stupid/Serious were announced by Burning Shed on 2 December 2022 with a CD release date of 13 January 2023. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Stupid/Serious is one of several albums recorded between 2016 and 2020 that have accrued in my archives whilst awaiting an opportunity for release. The album contains 17 tracks, some of which are vocal and some instrumental. The mood varies between light and dark, surreal psychedelia and avant-rock. Recorded on my old hardware-based recording system, prior to the installation of my current software-based system, the sound is richly textured and full. As always, there's a lot to take in and, hopefully, much to enjoy." Albums Menu Future Past

William's Study Diary Of A Hyperdreamer 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013

The Dreamsville Gallery Bill Nelson Pictures Ancient Guitars Essoldo Cinema Memorabilia

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) December 2011 Jan Feb Mar Apr Saturday 24th December 2011 -- 9:00 pm Good grief! My previous diary entry was in April of this year: Spring! Now we're well into December, (it's Christmas Eve as I post this), and 2011 has flown by at light speed without sight of any further diary entries until now. These increasingly long gaps between entries are, even for me, something of a concern, and this is certainly the longest gap yet. So, why the radio silence? Well, constant, off-mike activity of one kind or other I suppose...Maybe more frustrating distractions than usual, much of them taking up valuable time and diverting energy away from the creation of these pages. Plus, (I'm almost afraid to admit), an equally increasing disinclination on my part to transfer my day to day life to text, whether typed publicly on-screen or inked privately on paper. It has always seemed inconsequential and of little interest but, as the years roll by, it feels even more so than ever. My inner life manifests more naturally in the music I create, which occurs spontaneously without either presumption or resentment. It seems to require little in the way of explanation. I'll just say that it's grown-up enough to speak for itself, and to choose who it speaks to. Actually, I did attempt to write a entry in May of this year but it ended up languishing in some dusty corner of my computer's hard-drive, unloved and eventually forgotten. For the record, the following snippet is all that survives. It's dated Monday 2nd of May 2011 and reads: “A long, blank, bank-holiday weekend, plus Friday's televised Royal Wedding of the lovely Kate to the rather lucky Prince William seems to have put paid to several productive plans I had...the UK's gears appear to have have ground to a halt on an excess of sticky sentiment. Lots of domestic practicalities to sort out but everything is set against me. The main focus of my energies right now should really be my upcoming solo instrumental concert on May 7th in Sheffield at the 'Showroom' Cinema. I've only this last week assembled the concert's backing tracks over at Fairview studios with John Spence, (who will be mixing the front of house sound at the venue next Saturday), but I still need to find time to sit down with the set list and a selection of electric guitars so as to familiarise myself with the complexity of the arrangements. The 'top lines' of the majority of these pieces are improvised during the concert itself but it's useful to at least go through the motions, here in my ultra-compact studio, so that I build up a subliminal mental map of where the various key changes and mood shifts occur. Also, which damn pedals might produce the required, spur-of-the-moment sounds...it's as much about tonality and atmosphere as note choices. There are one or two new pieces to be performed too, particularly a long opening piece, complete with video.” Well...that's as far as that particular diary entry went. In the rapidly rolling and tumbling months since then, I've almost forgotten about the Sheffield concert. Nevertheless, as far as I recall, it went well and attracted a full house. The cinema's screen, behind me, provided a huge canvas for my videograms to be projected on, and I was told that it all looked, (and sounded), extremely impressive from the auditorium. As is far too often the case though, the onstage sound monitoring was not conducive to relaxation on my part. Getting sufficient clarity on stage from the pre-recorded backing tracks is an all too familiar headache. To be able to interact comfortably with these tracks requires something more akin to a full-range studio monitor speaker system, rather than the stereotypical rock-band wedges. It's frustratingly difficult to get right because everything I hear on stage emanates from these very basic monitor speakers. There are no guitar amps on stage, no other musicians or live band, no acoustically separated drum kit or individually amplified back line...just a pre-recorded, pre-mixed, fixed-forever in time backing track, fed to those relatively crude blackspeaker boxes at my feet. Even my live improvised lead guitar parts are sent to the very same speakers, (speakers which are designed to punch a vocal through a band's on-stage racket, rather than faithfully reproduce every nuance of a carefully recorded and detailed full-range backing track). All I can tell you is that it makes for an often muddy and uncomfortable performing experience, more shackled to guesswork than free improvisation. But, hey-ho...it's only rock 'n' roll, is it not? Despite the above confusions, the concert was enthusiastically greeted and I received many positive compliments from members of the audience over the following weeks. I guess it's impossible for me to hear what the audience hears...or to pre-judge their expectations. My own are often unreasonable and impractical...maybe I need to be less demanding. This year saw the delivery of a new guitar amplifier to my home. It's the revised, re-modelled signature combo made by Dave Gascoigne, the mastermind behind 'Rosewell' amplifiers. It's essentially the same technical spec as the earlier tweed version mentioned in a previous diary entry but this one is different cosmetically, having a more retro-futurist look to it. It is two-tone, dark-red and off-white and really looks the business. (See attached photo'.) Looking forward to trying it out on stage with a full band... The annual Nelsonica event had to be put on ice this year as I'd been encouraged to go out on tour instead. The master-plan was for the tour to occur in November of this year. However, I was told that it would not be possible to take the 7-piece 'Gentleman Rocketeers' band out on the road due to budgetary constraints, so I had to re-think the line-up and reduce it to a more economically viable five-piece. Not as easy as it might seem. In many ways, this would be untried territory, a technically uncertain undertaking as, for the last few years, I've become reliant upon a SEVEN-piece line up, one that, other than a couple of musician changes, I've been fortunate enough to perform live with since 2004. The same number of musicians have proved reliable and effective at Nelsonica events too, as well as at the now rather controversial 'Legends' DVD recording in March of this year. And what a peculiar project that turned out to be. Despite being told that the 'Legends' series was going to be on television in June, (which is the only reason I accepted the offer in the first place), nothing has happened other than a rush-release of a DVD of the performance. As it happens, 'The Gentleman Rocketeers' DVD went quickly into the BBC's top ten music video charts and seems to have been a big hit with fans (though I still can't bring myself to watch the damn thing...plus I'm still out of pocket with the project, due to the artist-unfriendly nature of the deal). Anyway, back to the tour: pragmatic choices had to be made for the reduced in size band: a new, experienced keyboard player, (Richard Cottle), was recommended to me and then put on stand-by, rehearsal rooms were pencilled in to prepare material for the, (allegedly), confirmed November UK tour and I began to look at potential material choices. I was also asked to come up with a concept, name and graphic art for the proposed extravaganza, and was told that this was urgently needed for promotional purposes... I cobbled something together very quickly:- I decided to call the five-piece band 'Combo Deluxe,' (an intentional and rather obvious reference to Be Bop Deluxe but with the word 'combo' suggesting something more compact than the 7-piece GR line-up). I then named the tour 'Return To Tomorrow,' (to make a connection with the older material that I'd been told was part of the tour's remit). I then designed a flyer for it, (as also did my graphic artist collaborator David Graham). Our two flyers were immediately sent, (via Opium Arts), to the promoter...Everything was in place and a sigh of relief was due...or so I thought. Two days later I was informed that the promoter had unexpectedly decided to postpone the tour until next year. The reason I was given was that there were 'too many bands out on the road in November.' But, surely, in a sane world, wasn't that rather late in the day to decide this? Surely that sort of consideration should be taken into account before getting so far into preparations? I very much suspected, (and still do), that there was far more to the alleged 'postponement' than met the eye. By now, of course, I'd abandoned all plans for a 2011 Nelsonica in favour of the UK tour so there was no time left to re-schedule the annual fan-convention. (Several months of planning are needed to put these Nelsonica events together.) As you might imagine, this unexpected postponement was a frustrating waste of time and energy. In a last-minute attempt to recover lost ground, I decided to work towards an art and memorabilia exhibition combined with an solo (plus trio), instrumental concert at Leeds University's Faculty Of Music in the university's 'Clothworker's Hall,' a beautiful venue well suited to my instrumental concerts. I'd performed there on previous occasions and very much enjoyed the experience. I was provided, (by the Faculty Of Music), with a stunningly beautiful Steinway grand piano, AND an even larger Marimba than the one I personally own but find so difficult to transport. My own Marimba is now rather careworn but was originally bought from Abbey Road studios in the late '70's/early '80's, where it had appeared on several Beatles recordings, way back when... I also took along a small selection of percussion instruments: a small gong, a selection of chimes, shakers and so on, plus, (of course), a large and interesting selection of guitars, an ebow, a small transistor radio, a now ancient Casio VL-1 Tone pocket synth AND, (very important this), my custom-built Gus G1 midi-equipped guitar. The latter has become an essential part of my kit with the 'Orchestra Futura' trio, (Dave Sturt on bass and laptop and Theo Travis on saxophone and flute), who were also appearing at the Leeds concert with me. Dave and Theo employ live looping, digital delays and treatments in their playing so it generates a very eclectic and spontaneous performance. The concert's accompanying exhibition celebrated more than 40 years of my career and placed on display several years of ephemera and memorabilia, including framed posters, artwork, (some going back as far as the psychedelic 1960's), personal letters and other previously unseen items from my musical life. I was helped in assembling and exhibiting this material by members of the Nelsonica team who did a wonderful job of mounting the visual material on the walls of the exhibition room adjoining the concert hall, as well as assisting with ticketing and so on. Due to the tour postponement, the Leeds event, (which I titled 'The Art School Ascended On Vapours Of Roses'), ended up being the only live performance to mark this year's 40th anniversary of my recordings. The tour itself became a missed opportunity. It's a shame that little focus was given to the anniversary...it could have been used as a springboard to draw attention to the body of work I've created over all these years. Rather too late now, of course. Truth is, 40 years may seem little more than ink on a page to some people, but it's a significant slice of my life as an artist. Not all was lost...A much more appreciative and welcome celebration of those 40 years came in the form of the luxurious box set of 8 CDs released, (this December), by Esoteric/Cherry Red Records. Titled 'The Practice Of Everyday Life,' this more than 150 track compilation, drawn from almost the entire span of my recording career, is the jewel in whatever crown I might presume to be wearing. Although not 100% comprehensive the box set compiles a feast of tracks from 1971 through to more recent years. I invested a fair amount of time and energy in this particular project, as archivist, interviewee, and advisor. The real mastermind behind it all though, is Mark Powell. Mark founded the 'Esoteric' record label and has been responsible for setting in motion a professional re-issue programme focussed on many of my back catalogue recordings, (mostly material drawn from the '80's and early '90's). The 40 year celebratory box set compilation, ('The Practice Of Everyday Life'), covers a wide territory...from my first solo album, 'Northern Dream,' through Be Bop Deluxe and Red Noise, including rarities, to my '80's Cocteau Records solo era and then beyond, including a selection of tracks from the last 10 years or so. It's an epic journey. The set has been beautifully packaged with brilliant attention to design detail by renowned graphic artist/designer Philip Lloyd- Smee. I'm extremely pleased with the way the whole thing has been handled and am proud of the end result. It will be, I expect, a big hit with fans and will stand as a testimony to my enthusiasm for making music, as well as chronologically illustrating the still unfolding development of my work over the years. Simultaneously with this, EMI Records have released a compilation set of Be Bop Deluxe's studio albums, comprising five CDs. The fifth CD in the set contains some previously unavailable recordings, including several of my original home demo cassette recordings of songs which were eventually recorded by the band itself. I was involved in the preparation and shape of this compilation too, particularly in the mixing of several live recordings that have, until now, never been previously available to the public. The set, (which is jewel-cased rather than boxed), is titled 'Futurist Manifesto' after a 1970's recording released by the band. These complex re-issues have taken up quite a lot of time, both in terms of preparation and promotion. I spent several days giving radio and press interviews to help spread the word to a wider audience. A very enjoyable part of the promotional work was giving an interview to Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie for their BBC 6 Music show. Two really knowledgeable and likeable fellows who genuinely care about music and have the talent to talk about it in entertaining and intelligent terms. Whilst the primary focus has been on these re-issue projects I have devoted a lot of time to new recordings. 'Fantasmatron,' 'Signals From Realms Of Light' and 'Model Village' are the three new albums that have been released this year. Two more albums have also been completed and are ready for release early in 2012. These are: 'Songs Of The Blossom Tree Optimists' and 'The Last Of The Neon Cynics.' (This latter album is the long-awaited collaboration with American comic-book artist/writer Matt Howarth.) But already on the drawing board for 2012 are a further two albums. One is a rock-style vocal-based album currently titled 'JOY THROUGH AMPLIFICATION: THE ULTRA-FUZZY WORLD OF PRIAPUS STRATOCASTER.' The other new album will be a long-form instrumental affair which, as yet, has no title. Both these albums are, at this moment in time, incomplete so I'll need to set aside some time to work further on them. My involvement with the day-to-day Dreamsville website forum seems to have increased. The site's registered membership continues to grow and I receive a larger number of private messages (or 'PMs' as they're known), than ever before. This results in a full-to-the-brim inbox which I find difficult to keep up with. It's simply become impossible to answer every single PM I get, though I try my best. I tend to focus more on the public forum on the site, engaging with fans there on a daily basis. In fact, I spend every morning just dealing with website related work. Have recently created a new Christmas videogram for the website...it's titled 'The Christmas Book' and uses images from a children's annual I had in the 1950s, when I was a very young boy. These videogram Christmas cards of mine are always nostalgic and sentimental but designed to re-create the festive spirit of more innocent times. I am, though, as usual, way behind with my Christmas shopping and the writing and posting of real Christmas cards. I've already missed the deadline for overseas cards so will have to send email greetings to my friends in other countries. There's still a lot of preparation to be done with regard to family this Christmas too. I'm bringing my mum over to us on Christmas Day and she will stay here through Boxing Day when Elle and Elliot will join us. Also on Boxing Day, my nephew Julian, (my late brother Ian's eldest son), his wife Lindsey and baby daughter Bethany will be paying us a visit. I need to clear the spare bedroom for mum to stay over on Christmas Day night. At the moment it is filled to the rafters with large framed artworks from the Leeds exhibition, plus cases of memorabilia and musical equipment, not to mention piles and piles of clothes. Where all this stuff will go is both a mystery and a problem. My guitars and musical gear occupy so much space in our modest-sized house...and there are more books on shelves and stacked on the floor than our village library could hold. Speaking of books, my recent bedtime reading has been comprised of the following: 'Austin Osman Spare: The Life And Legend Of London's Lost Artist' by Phil Baker; 'John Piper and Myfanwy Piper: Lives In Art' by Frances Spalding; 'Here And Now! The Autobiography Of Pat Martino;' by Pat Martino with Bill Milkowski; 'Go Ahead John: The Music Of John McLaughlin' by Paul Stump; 'Romantic Moderns: English Writers, Artists, and the Imagination from Virginia Woolf to John Piper' by Alexandra Harris, and 'We Called It Music' by Eddie Condon. The latter book I read a long time ago, in 1962 when in my early teens, I think, but recently picked up a copy at Ray's Jazz bookshop at Foyles in London and am enjoying re-aquainting myself with it. A very sad loss, only a couple of months ago: My cousin Ian Boyle passed away suddenly as a result of illness. Those of you who are long-term readers of my diary will recall how I re-gained contact with Ian and my other cousin Walter, (who now prefers to be known as James), after many years in the wilderness. Both were born to my father's sister, (my Aunt Nell), and had a profound influence on me when I was a child, particularly as they were both creative people and both musicians. (See my autobiography for more on that.) Cousin Ian was a painter and a talented jazz trumpeter and, in recent years, I'd helped him to embark on a home-recording hobby which he seemed to enjoy very much. He attended the 2009 Nelsonica convention in Harrogate and also came to some of my UK concerts, including the Bloomsbury Theatre show in 2004. We spoke on the telephone quite often, (though not, now, sadly, often enough), and I enjoyed his dry sense of humour. He lived a long way from here, near Cantebury, so it wasn't easy for he and I to get together socially. I liked Ian very much and was shocked and deeply saddened to hear of his passing. I'll remember him with great fondness and miss his warm and witty 'phone calls. And, even more sadness: Mike Levon, the man who was behind Wakefield's legendary HOLYGROUND record label, also passed away suddenly in September of this year. Another unwelcome shock. I had been in touch with Mike only a few weeks before his passing. I had recorded my 'Northern Dream' album at the 'Holyground' studio in 1970. (It was released, as a very limited edition, on my 'Smile Records' label in 1971.) The Holyground studio was literally a spare bedroom at Mike and Shirley Levon's Cass Yard abode, just off Kirkgate, in Wakefield. It was recorded with a simple home-made mixing desk and a two-track tape recorder. I'd first become involved with Mike and the local hippie scene in the 1960's and had donated my musical services to two independently released albums which were recorded by Mike at his Holyground 'studio.' The albums were titled 'A to Austr' and 'Astral Navigations.' There was a very small, but minty-fresh, creative local scene back then...students from Bretton Hall College mixed with various Wakefield 'heads.' 'Heads' was the slang term applied to anyone who had: A: smoked marijuana, or at least tried to get high by smoking a banana skin, (a myth which originated from Donovan's song 'Mellow Yellow'), or B: actually read 'The Politics Of Ecstasy' by Timothy Leary, or C: owned a copy of Richard Farina's 1966 novel, 'Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me.' At the time, I qualified on all counts, except that I'd never smoked dope...and the banana experience was once tried and forever abandoned as little more than a 'yellow herring.' I was also a subscriber to the 'International Times' newspaper, (or 'IT,' as it was known), and also 'OZ' magazine and various other counter-cultural publications. These were proverbial 'happy hippy days' and my youthful experiences at Holyground are still fondly remembered, as is Mike Levon and his wife Shirley, Chris Coombs and all the other colourful denizens of Cass Yard. I was terribly sorry to hear of Mike's passing and attended a memorial event at Wolley Hall on the outskirts of Wakefield where I met several old faces from those times. Mike's life was warmly celebrated by everyone and I was very glad that I was invited to attend the memorial. He will be missed by many of us. And so, another Christmas, right on the doorstep, then, one week hence, New Year...2012. The economy is still going downhill here in the UK, despite the Government's attempts to talk it up. I'm no fan of this lot at all, too smug and authoritarian. It might just be politics but the personalities involved are a complete turn-off. Can't see things improving in the short term...or even in the long run, to be honest. All I can do is stay true to whatever drives me and continue to attempt to make music, and thereby some sort of sense of the world... There are several things/events that I've omitted from this diary entry, but this will have to do for now as it has already taken up more time than I have available. There are gifts still to wrap, and I'm exhausted. Perhaps I'll try to create more regular diary entries next year, (well, at least more than I've been able to do THIS year.) So...all for now. A VERY Merry Christmas to all readers of these pages...and every good wish for 2012! bill nelson: december 2011 ***** The images accompanying this diary are as follows:- 1: Promo flyer for the abandoned November tour. 2: The cherry blossom tree in Bill's front Garden...Spring 2011. 3: A photograph of Be Bop Deluxe enjoying dinner in Villa St. George, Juan-Les-Pins, South of France, during the recording of the 'Drastic Plastic' album in the late 1970s. (Pic by John Leckie.) 4: Bill Nelson signature model Rosewell combo guitar amplifier. 5: Personal greeting card from Bill and Emiko, 2011. 6: An alternative 'Rocket Rabbit' shot by Martin Bostock. Top of page

Nelsonian Navigator - Issue Six - Published September 1997 Back to Top