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By The Dawn's Early Light album - 1991 Harold Budd Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Electric and Acoustic Guitars. Co-Writer on one track, "The Place of Dead Roads". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Animals They Dream About album - 2016 The Units Production/Contribution Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) Animals They Dream About 02) Bones 03) More Alike 04) Blue Or White 05) Interstate 5 06) Straight Lines 07) Jack 08) Get That Funky Thang Off Of My Shoe 09) Warpaint 10) Your Face 11) Sidewalk Reel BILL: Co-Producer. Synthesizer, Guitar and Drums. NOTES: Recorded in 1981, but unreleased until 2016. Scott Ryser: "It just so happened that at the same time, Bill Nelson, of Be-Bop Deluxe and Red Noise fame, had also changed his musical direction, and had embarked on his "Practical Dreamers" tour in May of 1981 after the long-delayed release of his Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam LP. He was a fan of our music and we had been corresponding for a while. When his tour passed through San Francisco we finally met him. We were fans the Quit Dreaming LP, but also really liked the instrumental music he had recently finished, Das Kabinett (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) album in 1981 as well as the La Belle et La Bete (Beauty and the Beast) soundtrack LP he had recently composed. "He asked if we'd like to collaborate on something and we invited him to fly out to San Francisco, sleep on our couch in our little one bedroom apartment for a couple of weeks and try co-producing the second album we were working on, Animals They Dream About . To our surprise Bill said yes. We already had all the material and had been rehearsing it and playing some of it live, but just like our first three records, we hadn't signed anything with a record label yet. We all figured some label would pick it up and several labels eventually made offers…but they were all really bad offers. We couldn't afford to release it ourselves at that point, and were all busy working on other projects. So those tapes we worked on in our studio with my 8 track tape machine have been sitting in closets in all the apartments and houses Rachel and I have occupied in San Francisco and New York for close to 35 years now." ______ Check out these Facebook and Bandcamp links for the Units. Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

La Rocca! album - 1981 Snips Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Keyboards BILL'S THOUGHTS: "I was asked to play on the album by Snips himself, (real name Steve Parsons) who was originally, I think, a musician from Hull who had a background with various Hull bands, including 'Throbbing Gristle' in their earliest days, (though he wasn't really involved with that music, but just a friend of Cosey Fanni Tutti's). The album was produced by guitarist Chris Spedding, a great player who had been a session musician on many pop singles, (including 'The Wombles' novelty hit), but who also had a respectable jazz background. Chris played on Jack Bruce's wonderful, 'Songs For A Tailor' album as well as on several other respected recordings. Chris later went on to be a member of 'Sharks', a band which also featured Snips as vocalist and who, I recall, supported Roxy Music back in the day. I bought the Sharks album when it first came out and loved it, particularly the track 'Snakes And Swallowtails'. That album was played in the van in the earliest days of Be Bop Deluxe when we'd be driving from Wakefield to Leeds for a gig at 'The Staging Post' pub or wherever. Sharks also had the late Andy Fraser (from 'Free') on bass too. (I'd once been asked to join a 'supergroup' that Island Records were attempting to put together with Andy Fraser on bass and ex-Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell on drums). Anyway, jumping forward in time, Snips asked me to play keyboards on the album 'La Rocca'. I was surprised by this as I'd always considered my keyboard playing to be secondary to my guitar playing but, because I'd been such a fan of Sharks' music, I agreed to do it. I was incredibly nervous during the session, especially as Chris Spending was the producer and guitarist. I struggled through as best I could on an instrument I'd never had to deliver on in that kind of situation. I recall inordinate amounts of booze being consumed by both Chris and Snips during the session but I was too nervous to partake myself and desperately tried to stay focused and professional. It was one of those, dive in, sink or swim moments. Having said that, I think I acquitted myself reasonably well, without my guitar in hand. Played mostly Mini-Moog as far as I recall. A long time ago now. I still love what Snips and Chris do." Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Hot Valves Be Bop Deluxe ep - 5 November 1976 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A1) Maid In Heaven A2) Bring Back The Spark B1) Blazing Apostles B2) Jet Silver & The Dolls Of Venus ORIGINALLY: All four tracks were album tracks, one taken from each of their four albums released up to that point. NOTES: The Hot Valves EP was the seventh Be Bop Deluxe single issued during the band's existence. The EP came in a picture sleeve (the first of their singles to do so). Promo copies exist with the words "Demo Record Not For Sale" and a large 'A' printed on the label. PAST RELEASES: "Maid in Heaven" was the track used to plug this EP, which finally earned the band a minor hit, although it deserved to peak higher than No. 36. Both "Jet Silver and the Dolls of Venus" and "Maid in Heaven" made it onto the Singles As and Bs compilation (1981) on the basis that they had also been issued as singles in their own right. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: On 24 November 2023 the Hot Valves EP was reissued on 10" vinyl by Cherry Red with fully restored artwork and remastered from the original master recordings. Singles Menu Future Past

Revolt Into Style Bill Nelson's Red Noise single - 30 March 1979 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: 7" Single: A) Revolt Into Style B) Out Of Touch (Live) 12" Single: A) Revolt Into Style B1) Stay Young (Live) B2) Out Of Touch (Live) 7" Reissue Single: A) Revolt Into Style B1) Stay Young B2) Furniture Music 12" Reissue Single: A1) Revolt Into Style A2) Furniture Music B1) Stay Young (Live) B2) Out Of Touch (Live) ORIGINALLY: The studio tracks were identical to the album versions from the preceding Sound-On-Sound album. The live versions were recorded at Leicester de Montfort Hall on 8 March 1979, and were originally found in studio form on the preceding Sound-On-Sound album. NOTES: Revolt into Style was the second and final single to be lifted off the Sound-On-Sound album, and would (reissues aside) turn out to be Nelson's final record under his deal with EMI. The single was issued in 7" and 12" formats, and was Nelson's first release on the latter format. The 7" single was available in a picture sleeve in blue vinyl (limited edition) and black vinyl, and sold sufficiently well to reach No. 69 in the UK charts. The 12" was in standard black vinyl, also in a picture sleeve. Note that the 7" label states that "Revolt Into Style" was recorded live at Leicester De Montfort Hall, but in fact the version is taken straight from Sound-On-Sound . The tracks on the b-side are live versions, correctly identified as being from the Leicester De Montfort Hall show from 8 March 1979 during Red Noise's only tour (which was comprised of just 12 UK dates). For the tour, the line-up featured Nelson, Andy Clark, Rick Ford and Ian Nelson, with Steve Peer brought in on drums. PAST RELEASES: Both b-sides were included on the 1989 and 2012 CD reissues of Sound-On-Sound . CURRENT AVAILABILITY: All of the single tracks were featured on the 2012 CD reissue of Sound-On-Sound, which is now out of print in physical form, but available as digital download on Amazon and iTunes. Both b-sides are available on The Practice of Everyday Life box set (2011), which is now out of print in physical form, but available as digital download on Amazon and iTunes. BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The Red Noise album featured myself playing drums on all but four of the songs. I always played drums on my home demos, even for the Be Bop songs, so to keep the feel as close to the demos as possible, I played drums on the actual album too. The four songs I didn't play drums on were taken care of by legendary drummer Dave Mattacks whose playing I had long admired. Those four songs required something a little more 'sophisticated' than my basic drum technique allowed and Dave did an absolutely wonderful job, particularly on the song "Revolt Into Style" which was quite an energetic and challenging piece. I also played some bass guitar on the album and some synth and piano too, though the bass and keys were mainly covered by Rick Ford and Andy Clark respectively. The tracks were mainly recorded in overdubbed layers, rather than as a 'live' band...despite the album's apparent edginess it was a carefully produced thing, tightly controlled with a definite, neo-futuristic style in mind." _____ "Be Bop didn't make promo videos as they were not considered an essential part of promoting a band at that time so EMI Records never bothered with them. Later, however, I did make a promo video for Red Noise, for the song "Revolt Into Style". Sadly, I never had a copy of it, 'though I believe my ex-manager Mark Rye 'appropriated' a copy when he left his day job at EMI as an A+R man to become more intimately involved with his artist's income. Anyway, the Red Noise video was based around a concept I had of a kind of ironic retro 'swinging London/Carnaby Street' pastiche. It featured shop window mannequins dressed in sixties psychedelia and mod outfits and was shot in a private drinking establishment in London's west end. It was a quirky and hip video, way ahead of the contemporary 'boutique fashion' revival thing and the sixties resurgence of recent years. A genuine rarity." 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

Fantasmatron Bill Nelson album - 8 August 2011 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) When God Was A Rabbit And Buddha Was A Mouse (Over The Moon Two) 02) The Captain's In The Wheelhouse (Fabled Quixote) 03) Everything Changes With The Weather 04) Fantasmatron 05) Melancholia Lagoons 06) Signal Destinations 07) Slinky Incantations 08) Kaleidoscopic Windows 09) Lights Shine When We Dream 10) Lampdownlowland 11) A Reliable Bicycle And A Map Of The Heart (Trip Two) 12) My Wild Atomic Wedding Day 13) The Thought That Counts 14) Art Is Long And Time Is Fleeting ALBUM NOTES: Fantasmatron is an album of vocal pieces released on the Sonoluxe label issued in a single print run of 1000 copies. The album was first mentioned by that name in a diary entry posted in April 2011, but in fact had slowly taken shape over the previous seven months, having begun life as Lamplowdownlowland . Progress on the album had to compete with other priorities including overseeing reissues (for Esoteric/Cherry Red and EMI) and preparing material for live performances included a projected tour in November that unfortunately never took place. The album sold out in July 2019. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Dreamshire Chronicles , Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus , Swoons and Levitations , Stereo Star Maps , Golden Melodies of Tomorrow , The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill , Fables and Dreamsongs BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The closest I can come in an attempt to describe the music it contains is 'neo-psychedelic' pop-rock with a subtle hint of twisty electronica. (One clue is in the album's title:- a combination of the words 'fantasy', 'phantasm' and 'electronic.') It's a melodic, 99.9% vocal based guitar and keyboard driven album with plenty of colourful textural details and semi-surreal twists and turns." _____ "Fantasmatron ? Ooooh, darling! Pop via strange antennea...Crystal Set music for sensual supermen, erotic noise for sexy sailors and sailorettes, big blue dreams for dig it now, kids, rough and tumble for the refined of mind. Be there with it, or forever be square!" "Lampdownlowland": "a rather emotive track for me too...It attempts to capture those moments of quiet melancholy sitting in front of a fire on a cold winter's night when our thoughts turn to matters of mortality and the poignant beauty and suffering of the human condition. Ghosts of the past, distant memories, a kind of universal garden of eden from which we have all been, too soon, expelled." FAN THOUGHTS: neill_burgess: "Just had my first listen to Fantasmatron , and I have to say I am blown away. This is the album I've wanted Bill to make for years (even if I could not have defined what I wanted before hearing it!). "While still recognisably a BN album, to my ears it goes somewhere new, combining some of the spikey instrumental pieces we've heard previously with matching, edgy vocals. In some ways, it could be seen as a successor to the similarly "experimental" vocal album Golden Melodies , but whereas that had pastoral instrumentation the music here is more avant-garde rock... So, from me it's definitely a big thumbs up from the first listen - well done Bill!" steve lyles: "I am absolutely blown away by Bill's new album. I love the atmospheres and "feel" of this music...I find myself getting huge emotional surges as I am listening....no drugs required - just me and the music and it's a chemical romance. The track "Signal Destinations" is so truly epic...it's like a 21st century hymn...as I have thought hundreds of time before with Bill Nelson's music...just how does it get better than this ?...and then it does...extraordinary..." BobK: "Must say, I am blown away as well. This well and truly hits the spot. "I suppose you could describe the album as a collection of melodic, almost trippy, tunes. The word 'ethereal' springs to mind. Has hints of Golden Melodies and Fables about it and a suitable amount of strangeness. There are so many beautiful melodies here and some great stuff going on behind the top line melody, (listen on headphones!). "What more can ya say? Bill sings wonderfully, some terrific guitar playing, beautifully produced and mastered and loads of jolly nice weird blippy noises. I love it!" alec: "I'm all about Fantasmatron lately. Can't get enough of it. Can't make up my mind what my favourite track from it is!" Holer: "Holy crap! This one caught me completely by surprise. It's nice going into a new BN record with absolutely no idea as to what to expect. Honestly, I thought it was going to be another trippy instrumental record, which would have been more than alright with me, but POW! So much more! "I enjoy all of Bill's releases at some level, but every few years, he releases an album that really makes a statement - Sailor Bill , Golden Melodies , the Mazda trilogy, Non-Stop Mystery Action , among others. I think Fantasmatron is one of those records. Another classic, and one of Bill's weirdest pop albums to date! Hey, that's a GOOD thing!" Chimera Man: "Everything Changes with the Weather": "is simply gorgeous and I can't stop playing it... I do love it when Bill hits us with a laid-back vibe (is that adjective still in use?!), a sumptuous melody line and a really rich sounding composition." JohnR: "My favourite albums from Bill's recent output change with time, but there is still one that stands out for me as the No. 1, and that is Fantasmatron . It's got everything, including my favourite spine-shivering track - "Everything Changes with the Weather". Andre: "Art is Long and Time is Fleeting": "and your voice is untouched by time. Your voice sounds as warn as it did 40 years ago!" "Fantasmatron , to me, has got to be easily the best Bill Nelson has put out." "It kills me, because something like "Everything Changes with the Weather" should be all over the radio. We live on one strange planet!" Serge Ruel: "What an absolutely superb fusion and development of your musical avenues. Wow, am I ever so glad to be around to hear this...a dream come true." Alan: "Once again, Bill takes us along on his musical journey through new regions in Nelsonic lands. Like so many of Bill's albums, this one has its own personality." "Definitely one of my favorites. If you don't have this one, do yourself a favor and buy it now." Returningman: "My own favourite (and choosing one is not an easy task) is the album I just keep returning to - Fantasmatron . In my eyes (and ears) it is Bill's most rounded and complete set of musical statements in many years." "Like a fine wine this album gains depth with age (and playtime). Worth digging out the headphones for this one as there is lots of stuff deep in the mix. "Most artists of a "certain age" recorded their best work many moons ago. Bill seems to be in a golden phase of his artistic career at present, and is releasing some absolute gems." novemberman: "Fantasmatron instantly hit me as exceptional. I didn't want it end!" Albums Menu Future Past

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) April 2011 Jan Feb Mar Dec Thursday 22nd April 2011 -- 8:00 pm As always, there's so much to tell, but I'm far too busy to tell it in detail so I'll attempt to condense things a little, turn the last few weeks into signals, ciphers and semaphore. Just read between the lines... The 'Legends' TV performance ended up being something of a trial, (as readers of my Dreamsville forum will already be aware). The audience genuinely seemed to love it and were loudly and positively enthusiastic, but the band and myself were less than happy with the uncomfortable conditions we were expected to perform under. And, as the artist with 'his name on the tin,' I was equally frustrated by the end result. The 7-piece 'Gentleman Rocketeers' band was hindered by a makeshift stage barely big enough for us to be squeezed onto. We suffered from a muddy, uninspiring and confusing monitor mix and were physically unsettled by an environment that felt more like a sauna than a performance space. (My clothes were literally stuck to my body with sweat when I changed after the show.) The heat did no favours to the tuning stability of the guitars either. After over 30 years of playing in all sorts of concert environments, this particular situation came as a genuine low-point. Truth is, I'd rather not perform at all than let my musical dreams down so spectacularly. The band's entire performance was an uphill struggle from start to finish, just deeply unsatisfying. Had it merely been a 'get through it and then forget it' type of concert, perhaps we could have accepted the situation and moved on...Unfortunately, much more was at stake than a simple one-off gig. The concert was being set in digital cement... (of the quick-drying variety too). The production company's rush to get a DVD commercially released (by the end of May apparently), meant that deeper scrutiny would soon be applied to the entire show. For ever... After the concert I was given a set of CDrs of stereo mixes of the performance but, after listening to them at home I became, er...(I'm sorry, there are no other words for it), utterly depressed and disillusioned by the result. This was not a fair representation of what we had spent several days putting together at rehearsals. It was a band shackled by technical and physical conditions beyond our control. It immediately became apparent that there was little choice but to accept the option of mixing the multi-track recordings of the performance independently, (although the contract apparently stated that this option could only be taken up at my own expense). I'm afraid I couldn't have lived with the recording as it was. Consequently, I'm now over £1,000 out of pocket as a result of having to spend four intense days in Fairview studios, trying to nudge things a little closer to the usual standard, (with the help of ace engineer John Spence, of course...plus some careful repairing of certain 'unstable' aspects of the performance itself, the majority of which were a direct result of the situation we'd found ourselves in.) The upside of all this is that the recording now sounds much better than it did...and perhaps it now comes closer to doing justice to all the hard work that the band and myself put into rehearsals. Having said that though, the concert still lingers in the memory as being a very uncomfortable and, (dare I say it), controversial experience for us. Such a shame that something so 'permanent' fell so profoundly short of what we'd hoped for. However, the thing that concerns me most right now is whether the series will be broadcast on UK television or not. When the opportunity was offered to put a band together and perform in front of the cameras, it was pitched first and foremost as a television series which would be broadcast in June of this year. The impression given was that the DVD would be a secondary thing, an offshoot, as it were, of the television broadcast. Unfortunately, at this point in time, I've not been informed that there will a definite UK TV broadcast. It seems that there's no guarantee that this will actually happen. However, the DVD has already been scheduled for an end of May release and has been advertised. I have to say that I didn't decide to take on this project simply for a DVD release. I genuinely believed that a UK television broadcast was the first and foremost reason for doing it. I was pursuaded that the publicity generated by a tv broadcast might outweigh the old-school, 'sign-it-all-away' nature of the contract. Anyway, perhaps I should withhold final judgement for now...I could be jumping to wrong conclusions. Perhaps my past career experiences and consequent distrust of the industry regarding this sort of thing are unduly colouring my interpretation of events...but, let's just say that I'll await further developments with interest. For now, all I can say is that I'm substantially out of pocket as a result of my involvement with the project. Perhaps I would not have chosen to enter into it, had I fully understood what was in store for us. Moving on... Spring has sprung! Wonderfully and joyously. Two weeks of deliciously warm and sunny weather. Weather that would have graced Summer magnificently, but, considering that this is only April, it seems little short of miraculous. The cherry blossom tree in our front garden has become...what's the word, fecund? Prolific? Ecstatic with pinkness? Well, pretty marvellous, anyway. Apple tree blossoms in the back garden too, and, divinely... pear! Yesterday was our wedding anniversary. Emi and I have been happily married for, what? 18 years? Well, we lived together for a couple of years before we tied the knot. I think it was '93 when we began our life together in England, though we'd spent time together in Tokyo first and had originally met way back in 1984. (Oh, the romance of it!) The nice thing is that it doesn't feel like so long ago at all. Our relationship is still fresh and tender. Emiko is a wonderful person and life without her would be unbearable. Last night we went to one of our favourite restaurants and afterwards came home to a bottle of champagne. I was given a book of Gnostic parables from Emi and I bought her a Nicole Farhi skirt that she'd spotted in a local store and very much liked. Our favourite clothes designers are Nichol Farhi, Margaret Howell, Adolfo Dominguez, Toast, Oska and some of the less, erm, 'blingy' Armani designs. Our taste leans towards the less commercially demonstrative brands but on a limited budget, it's hard to avoid the 'noisier' items these days. Most fashionistas seem hell bent on advertising, 'on jacket or shirt,' whatever particular brand of clothing they wear. Escaping label-brainwashing is not as easy as it might seem, although, for me, it is something to avoid whenever possible. Spending good money for the dubious privelege of becoming a walking billboard for some company or other seems like an insult to me. I simply want the clothes I purchase to flatter me, (as much as is possible at my somewhat advanced age), and to reflect my personal aesthetic taste. I don't give a damn whether it is considered fashionable, 'cool,' or not. Fashion is slavery, an illusion...but STYLE is beyond price, and timeless. Tomorrow is an anniversary of a much more melancholy sort. It will be five years ago tomorrow, (23 rd of April), that my much loved brother Ian passed away. Time flies so fast. Ian's photograph hangs on the wall of my studio, (as it has done these last five years). In the photograph, he is perpetually fixed at the age he was when we last toured together in 2004, his saxophone forever in his hands, eternally blowing his own personal blues. If only I could share a stage with him now. I've said this before but, I don't think I'll never recover from the shock of losing Ian. He left me, my mum, his family, with an emotional scar that never seems to heal. In that sense, we carry sweet Ian with us to the end of our days. We each of us, family members, bear him up in our own way, conjure his presence, remember his life, over and over and over again. My mother admitted to me the other day that she can't let Ian go, despite the passing of time. I understand perfectly how she feels, 'though I worry about how unhealthy this might be for her at the age of 82. Mum has become a constant source of concern for me. The unfair, shameful and cruel treatment she suffered as a result of the combination of losing her youngest son and then, a few years later, her husband, is hard to deal with. I try so hard to persuade her that life is still open for her, that she should seize opportunities and break out of the darkness that she has inherited, but her sense of loss and betrayal is hard to vanquish, though I continue to encourage her towards that goal. Last weekend, we took Mum to Knaresborough and Harrogate for the day. Sitting in the open air by the River Nidd in Knaresborough, eating warm apple pie and cold ice cream in the pleasant spring sunshine was a simple but lovely treat for us. We later had dinner at Graveley's Fish Restaurant in Harrogate, which Mum always enjoys whenever we take her there. But, sunshine aside, work is ever present . I've been pre-occupied with the EMI Be Bop Deluxe re-issues, (which are progressing at a veritable snail's pace). Lots going on with this, project but not enough to make sufficient progress, despite the time it seems to be stealing from my life. Until this thing is completed and put to bed it seems that the Cherry Red career retrospective box set will be on hold. I've spent many weeks, and indeed months, dealing with the proverbial 'Past' this year. I'm often accused of being dismissive of my career history, (though not without cause, in my opinion). You know, it's not as if I haven't given birth to a single musical idea since the 1970's, (unlike some artists). The opposite is the truth. The '70's constitute a fraction of my creative life. If anything, they are the aberration, the 'blip,' the wobble in the ether that surrounds me. In retrospect, they don't define my deeper sensibilities at all. Still, maybe this year is a consolidation of things, an illuminated viewing of the bigger picture, not just a lazy reflection of some cobwebby, long lost, teenage nostalgic past. Next month, (7th of May), I'm giving a concert in Sheffield as part of the city's annual 'Sensoria' festival. This will offer a deliberate contrast to the recent 'Legends' show. No '70's material will be performed whatsoever...no Be Bop Deluxe material or Red Noise either, in fact, no singing or rock music at all. Just me, solo, with a handful of shining guitars, a selection of my videograms, slo-mo, home-thoughts, drifting dreams. A gentle release, freedom, a pleasant opportunity to be absolutely myself rather than the ghost of someone else's past. I'm very much looking forward to it. Before then, LOTS to do. A new 12 minute long piece titled 'Happy Realms Of Light,' to work on, plus the mastering of backing tracks, (at Fairview, with John Spence), of the 15 other instrumental pieces set for inclusion at the Sheffield concert. A haircut to book with Steve too, before then. Also, videograms to co-ordinate, (with Paul's DVD assembly assistance), plus all sorts of other concert-live performance issues related to the upcoming Sheffield show. I'm way behind with all of this and, as usual, really should not be writing up diary entries. But: I feel guilty if I don't and guilty if I do... Books by my bed at the moment are: 'Homage To Pan.' (a book about the art and occult practices of Rosaleen Norton) by Neville Drury. 'Eighty Years Of Book Cover Design' by Joseph Connolly. 'The Wonderful Future That Never Was' by Gregory Benford. 'Ode To The Countryside, Poems To Celebrate The British Landscape.' (Edited by Samuel Carr.) 'The Gift (How The Creative Spirit Transforms The World.)' by Lewis Hide and 'Did You Really Shoot The Television? (A Family Fable.)' by Max Hastings. Meanwhile the Easter Caravan Tide overwhelms us: The seemingly endless arrival of mobile homes in the two fields next to our house...obese people with dogs parading up and down the lane, our kitchen window like a tv set attracting their curiosity: "Oooh, look! Country folk eating their dinner!" It resembles a crowded mobile housing estate out there at the moment. An infinity of little white boxes on wheels. I can't see the attraction of this sort of thing at all...getting away from home, only to park shoulder to shoulder with a couple of hundred other caravans packed into the same field? Not my idea of an escape from the daily grind, I'm afraid. But I guess some people prefer being amongst a crowd to quiet solitude. I guess I'm simply not the social type. Unfinished album projects: 'Model Village' and now, it seems, 'Fantasmatron.' (More of which later.) Enough diary for today. ***** The images accompanying this diary entry are as follows:- 1: Bill at Castle Howard surrounded by Spring. 2: Bill's Mum and Emi at Castle Howard, Spring 2011. 3: Bill's original artwork for the limited edition 'Sensoria' performance t-shirt. 4: Bethany Nelson, Ian Nelson's grand-daughter. 5: Ian's grave in Wakefield Cemetary, Spring 2011. 6: A flyer/advert for the 'Fantasmatron' album. Top of page

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

Pink and Clean ep - 1998 Honeytone Cody Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

The Best of and the Rest of Be Bop Deluxe retrospective collection - December 1978 Be Bop Deluxe Collections Menu Future Past TRACKS: A1) Axe Victim A2) Maid In Heaven A3) Music In Dreamland A4) Sister Seagull A5) Sleep That Burns A6) Ships In The Night B1) Blazing Apostles B2) Kiss Of Light B3) Dance Of The Uncle Sam Humanoids B4) Forbidden Lovers B5) Panic In The World C1) Blimps C2) Autosexual C3) Lovers Are Mortal C4) Shine C5) Quest For The Harvest Of The Stars D1) Japan D2) Speed Of The Wind D3) Lights D4) Blue As A Jewel D5) Face In The Rain D6) Futurist Manifesto NOTES: The Best of and the Rest of Be Bop Deluxe is a double album that brilliantly brought together an album of highlights taken from the band's five studio albums and an album of rarities, including at the time of release, 6 previously unreleased tracks and 5 non album 'A' side or 'B' side cuts. Housed in a wonderfully illustrated gatefold sleeve with inner sleeves bearing lyrics and musician credits for all tracks, the album was a fitting tribute to a band that had bowed out less than six months earlier. Despite a number of subsequent reissues and archive releases issued since this impressive collection first appeared, one of the previously unreleased tracks, "Face in the Rain", remained exclusive to this set right up until Esoteric Recordings produced their super-deluxe box sets. The rest of the rarities have re-appeared first as bonus cuts on the Be Bop Deluxe albums when released on CD in 1991, and more recently on the Futurist Manifesto 1974-1978 box set issued in 2012. PAST RELEASES: 16 of the 22 tracks on this compilation album had originally appeared spread across the band's five albums and four of the band's 7" singles issued on Harvest between 1974 and 1978. See individual entries of those albums and singles for full details. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This compilation is now out of print. Collections Menu Future Past

Sunburst Finish Be Bop Deluxe album - 9 January 1976 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this box set Purchase this double CD TRACKS: 01) Fair Exchange 02) Heavenly Homes 03) Ships In The Night 04) Crying To The Sky 05) Sleep That Burns 06) Beauty Secrets 07) Life In The Air Age 08) Like An Old Blues 09) Crystal Gazing 10) Blazing Apostles ALBUM NOTES: Sunburst Finish is the third album by Be Bop Deluxe. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London during October 1975, and represents the band's commercial breakthrough. The band lineup on Sunburst Finish is that established for Futurama - Bill Nelson, Charles Tumahai and Simon Fox, with the addition of new member Andy Clarke on keyboards. The album appeared on vinyl and cassette and was promoted by the release of the single Ships in the Night , which became a Top 30 hit in the UK, and exposed the band to a much wider audience. Vinyl copies were released in a single sleeve, and the record was housed in an inner sleeve bearing lyrics to all songs. For the North American market an 'Airplay' edition of the album was pressed for radio use only. This comprises the same material as the commercial release but the segued tracks are individually banded. 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. "Shine" stems from the same period as the Sunburst Finish album (albeit recorded after the album sessions, without Charlie Tumahai), but was released in tandem with the follow up album Modern Music as a single 'B' side, so arguably belongs with Modern Music . Both of the other 2 bonus tracks hail from the Drastic Plastic period, and one of them, "Speed of the Wind", is a bonus track on Futurama , so shouldn't have been included on both albums. Conversely, the experimental track "Blimps" which can be found as a bonus track on the Drastic Plastic reissue in the same series, was recorded around the same time as Sunburst Finish and should have been included on that album instead. If you no longer kept your vinyl copy, and require song lyrics, then this CD edition satisfies that need, and 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 Sunburst Finish on catalogue from 1 June 2017 via the usual download sites such as Amazon and iTunes while an expanded edition was prepared for a 2018 physical release. On 23 November 2018 Sunburst Finish became the first Be Bop Deluxe album to be issued as a Deluxe Edition comprising: a freshly remastered version of the original album, a 2018 remix of the full album. 6 unreleased studio recordings. previously released live and studio material recorded for Radio 1. the original album presented in a 5.1 mix and three filmed performances. the previously released OGWT appearance from 13 January 1976. a super rare promo video for Ships in the Night that was made in 1976 but never shown on TV. The album is presented in a triple fold out digi-pack and contains a 68 page booklet with an essay penned by Bill Nelson, reminiscing about the recording of the album at Abbey Road Studio, previously unseen photographs from the period and a couple of reproductions of advertising posters. A 2CD edition of the album is also being released at the same time as the Deluxe Edition featuring Discs 1 and 2 which will also replace the standard download edition. The full track listing for the Deluxe Edition is: Disc 1: 01) Fair Exchange 02) Heavenly Homes 03) Ships In The Night 04) Crying To The Sky 05) Sleep That Burns 06) Beauty Secrets 07) Life In The Air Age 08) Like An Old Blues 09) Crystal Gazing 10) Blazing Apostles Disc 2: 01) Fair Exchange (New Stereo Mix) 02) Heavenly Homes (New Stereo Mix) 03) Ships In The Night (New Stereo Mix) 04) Crying To The Sky (New Stereo Mix) 05) Sleep That Burns (New Stereo Mix) 06) Beauty Secrets (New Stereo Mix) 07) Life In The Air Age (New Stereo Mix) 08) Like An Old Blues (New Stereo Mix) 09) Crystal Gazing (New Stereo Mix) 10) Blazing Apostles (New Stereo Mix 11) Ships In The Night (First Version) 12) Beauty Secrets (First Version) 13) The Mystery Demo 14) Crystal Gazing (Alternate Vocal Version) 15) Crying To The Sky (First Version) 16) Ships In The Night (Alternate Vocal Version) Disc 3: 01) Life In The Air Age (BBC Radio 1 In Concert 15 January 1976) 02) Sister Seagull (BBC Radio 1 In Concert 15 January 1976) 03) Ships In The Night (BBC Radio 1 In Concert 15 January 1976) 04) Maid In Heaven (BBC Radio 1 In Concert 15 January 1976) 05) Third Floor Heaven (BBC Radio 1 In Concert 15 January 1976) 06) Blazing Apostles (BBC Radio 1 In Concert 15 January 1976) 07) Crying To The Sky (John Peel Session 10 February 1976) 08) Piece Of Mine (John Peel Session 10 February 1976) 09) Blazing Apostles (John Peel Session 10 February 1976) Disc 4: 01) Fair Exchange (5.1 Surround Mix) 02) Heavenly Homes (5.1 Surround Mix) 03) Ships In The Night (5.1 Surround Mix) 04) Crying To The Sky (5.1 Surround Mix) 05) Sleep That Burns (5.1 Surround Mix) 06) Beauty Secrets (5.1 Surround Mix) 07) Life In The Air Age (5.1 Surround Mix) 08) Like An Old Blues (5.1 Surround Mix) 09) Crystal Gazing (5.1 Surround Mix) 10) Blazing Apostles (5.1 Surround Mix) 11) Ships In The Night (BBC 2 Old Grey Whistle Test 13 January 1976) 12) Fair Exchange (BBC 2 Old Grey Whistle Test 13 January 1976) 13) Ships In The Night (Unreleased Promo Video 1976) PAST RELEASES: The original edition of Sunburst Finish was deleted sometime around 1979/80, but was reissued as a budget release in 1982 by EMI on their Fame imprint. The album was reissued again on Revolver in 1986. Neither reissue came with the benefit of the lyrics on the inner sleeve. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: The deluxe box set and the 2-CD set is available for purchase in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "On Sunburst I had more control. The song "Crying To The Sky" on that is still my favourite Be-Bop track - it was called 'ecstatic' guitar. I wanted to get away from the bombast of Led Zeppelin and follow Hendrix; "Crying To The Sky" was my homage to Hendrix. I used a Gibson ES345 stereo and a Carlsboro 100 watt amp. I'm always asked how I got the sound on it but there was no gadgetry or secret devices. The amp was just put right at the back of Studio Two at Abbey Road, where the Beatles used to work, right at the back wall. I turned it up until I couldn't turn it up any further, stood right at the other end with a very long lead, to avoid feedback, and just played. I approached it from the angle that Hendrix had approached his more lyrical pieces." (from an interview in Guitarist Magazine, September 1991). _____ "There were THREE perspex cylinders on that tour. They were used to make a visual connection between the Sunburst Finish album sleeve image and the tour itself. They were also inspired by my fondness for a cult 1950's sci-fi film, 'This Island Earth'. (If you've seen the film you'll recall the scene where the hero and heroine step into perspex tubes that turn their flesh transparent, revealing the underlying physical structure of muscles and skeleton.) "The show that Be Bop presented back then was designed around a stage set that included our own theatre-style procenium arch, complete with scarlet velvet curtains with the band's name embossed in gold at the top. The curtains would part to reveal the stage in semi-darkness with the three cylinders spread out at the front. The cylinders had tracer lights inside them and were filled with dry ice. (Not smoke.) Charlie was in one tube, Andy in another, and myself in the central one. Simon was hidden behind us, up on his drum riser at the rear of the stage. The tubes would be winched up and out of sight, revealing Charlie, Andy and myself, before we'd pick up our instruments to play. All this was choreographed to a tape of opening music...(Which, I think, was the abstract instrumental "Blimps"). There were three projection screens at the rear and sides of the stage, the central screen being used for specially edited film and the side screens for slide images of old pulp magazine covers from the 40's and 50's. Again, everything was co-ordinated to music cues and all the images were chosen to reflect the musical content. Once the stage lights went up, we'd go straight into the first song of the show which used clips from the Fritz Lang film 'Metropolis'." _____ "Actually, I have silver discs on my studio walls for Sunburst Finish and Modern Music . These represent sales to the value of "more than £100,000" according to the little plaque mounted under each disc. I guess the ambiguity lies in the words 'more than'. It could, I suppose, amount to a heck of a lot 'more than', but no one's telling. I do remember being told that Sunburst had gone gold towards the end of the band's career but I was never given a gold disc." ALBUM REVIEW: Review by Dmitry M. Epstein Review on ProgNaut FAN THOUGHTS: Tim Barr: "It was with Sunburst Finish that the band achieved their most significant commercial success, reaching the charts with both the album itself and the "Ships In The Night" single. Stretching out across ten tracks, Sunburst Finish sounded like the product of some weird, future jukebox; from the Hendrix stylings of "Crying To The Sky" and the dreaminess of "Heavenly Homes" to the raw, vamped-up punk of "Blazing Apostles". Outside of the band's increasingly obvious "signature sound" it was evident that something special was happening." (Interviewer for Guitarist Magazine) Returningman: "Sunburst Finish - the ultimate 70's album (and album cover)." Old Darkness: "One day in 1976 my world changed forever when an older friend (to whom I shall be eternally grateful) introduced me to Be-Bop Deluxe via Sunburst Finish . From the very first listening I recognized that here was something very special and unique. Be-Bop had it all, the music, the lyrics, the voice, the perfect triumvirat for the perfect musical storm." aquiresville: "I consistantly return to those incredible soaring guitar runs that Bill crafted for the dynamo-of-a-song "Sleep That Burns", a track that, once I bought the CD (and lovingly shelved my vinyl), I had to resist (and fail) multiple "repeat" playbacks. Sunburst Finish is an incredible collection of art, each track a beauty, story-sets blazing with characters, drama, location and energy." quitdreaming: "In my mind it is more aggressive, edgier, rawer - more basic - but at the same time so polished and honed to within an inch of perfection. There is incredible beauty & poetry in the slower compositions ("Heavenly Homes" being an absolute gem - along with, of course, "Crying To The Sky") balanced with the sheer energy of "Fair Exchange" and "Blazing Apostles". The soundtrack of my youth and an absolute classic." mvande2: "I was on a "cosmic cruise" in my buddy's Mercury at night navigating the two-tracks in local forests. He had recently purchased 8 track tapes of Sunburst Finish and Futurama because he like the covers. I've been forever hooked. Peter: "Was at home doing my homework and listening to KSAN, a local AOR station that was my favorite at the time. On comes this amazing song! I was transfixed and transported. I waiting for the DJ to give the title and it turned out the be "Fair Exchange". I decided that BBD deserved another chance. I went out and bought Sunburst Finish and an obsession was born." soteloscope: "I was waking up for another 2nd grade school day when my big brother put on "Beauty Secrets" on Sunburst Finish . The opening guitar with its folky chords and almost Spanish solo notes were magical to me." Prey: "I went into K-Mart (1976) to look through the limited record rack... there was a naked girl in a tube holding a flaming guitar on the cover of an album, I thought even if the music sucked the cover was cool, I bought it. Side one was awesome, turned it over and side two was defective after track 2, so I went back to K-Mart to get another, they offered me my money back... I kept the album defects and all rather than give it up altogether. It was years later I got to hear the 'rest' of Sunburst Finish ." Puzzleoyster: "I listened to the entire Sunburst Finish album, in the car last weekend and was once more blown away by the quality and freshness of the music - there's STILL no other band like Be Bop Deluxe...I will certainly continue to enjoy them, along with all of Bill's more recent music." Quinault: "I won Sunburst Finish off the radio, went to the concert later that week and have bought everything I could get my hands on ever since." John Leckie: "I first met Bill Nelson in 1974 when I mixed most of the album called Axe Victim over a weekend. I then went on to co-produce and engineer Sunburst Finish , Modern Music , Live! In the Air Age , Drastic Plastic and Red Noise and Bill's solo album Quit Dreaming ." Albums Menu Future Past

The Essoldo Cinema Welcome to Bill's private cinema. Pull up a seat, select your film and enjoy the show! Christmas Greetings Videos Films Created For Nelsonicas And Live Shows Bill's Solo Videos Be Bop Deluxe Miscellaneous

Furniture Music Bill Nelson's Red Noise single - 09 February 1979 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A) Furniture Music B1) Wonder Toys That Last Forever B2) Acquitted By Mirrors ORIGINALLY: A) was from the upcoming Sound-On-Sound album B-sides) were both non-album tracks NOTES: Furniture Music was Nelson's first solo release since the Northern Dream album in 1971, and it appeared one week ahead of the Sound-On-Sound album, providing a glimpse of the abrupt change in style that Nelson's Red Noise project represented compared to Be Bop Deluxe. Red Noise comprised a semi-fluid line up, which on their debut single featured a trio of Andy Clark, retained from Be Bop Deluxe on piano and synthesisers, Rick Ford on bass guitar, and Nelson playing drums, Mini Moog, electric guitars and vocals. Furniture Music was available in red vinyl (limited edition) as well as black vinyl, with both editions coming in a picture sleeve. Interest in the single was sufficient to take it to No. 59 in the UK charts. PAST RELEASES: B1 was also available on the US version of Cocteau Signature Tunes comp (out of print). B2 was also available on The Strangest Things comp (out of print). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: All 3 songs were added to the remastered Sound-On-Sound CD from Harvest in 2012, which is now out of print in physical form, but available as digital download on Amazon and iTunes.. BILL'S THOUGHTS: "It was a relief [to go solo]...the doors were opened, windows too, and everything seemed possible. No need to explain myself to others, no need to adapt my ideas to musicians who might have found it difficult to understand where I was coming from, no compromises required other than those which I personally felt justifiable, no need to reflect anything other than my own hard-won experience, my own true story. No need to follow fickle fashion or the desperate dictates of an industry that, even then, was floundering and becoming lost. Going 'solo' gave me permission to express my personal, private world, my own 'vision', without need for discussion or dilution. In a word: It brought me the FREEDOM to be 100% creative!" _____ "I simply took the idea of 'white noise', (which is the presence of every possible frequency happening at the same time), and changed it to 'Red' to suggest something fast and fiery and also to hint at the socialist/communist image we adapted, partly from the Beatles Shea Stadium stage outfits, partly from Maoist Chinese revolutionary suits but also nodding towards a retro-futuristic Orwellian dystopia ." _____ "Remember...the same heart and mind that created Northern Dream and all the Be Bop Deluxe variations also created everything else I've released. From Northern Dream to Sailor Bill and all the stops in between, the one consistent thread is that mind and the idealistic pursuit of excellence. I've never experimented just for the sake of experimentation...I'm simply trying to define and refine my musical vision." Singles Menu Future Past

Acquitted By Mirrors - Issue Two - Published June 1982 Back to Top

A collection of Bill Nelson memorabilia, pictures submitted by fans. Fan Memorabilia A collection of memorabilia pictures submitted by fans! If you would like yours included, please get in touch

Ancient Guitars A collection of Bill's guitars and various other stringed instruments... More coming soon!

Chill & Kiss album - 1992 Ramon Tikaram Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Co-Producer, Guitar, Percussion and Synthesizer Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) September 2009 Jan Jul Aug Oct Nov Dec Thursday 24th September 2009 -- 8:20 pm This diary entry begins in almost exactly the same way as the previous entry of 20th August, that is to say with Emiko departing, once again, for Japan. She left very early this morning and will be away for an indefinite length of time, looking after her seriously ill mother in Tokyo. (I'll write in more detail about this latest trip towards the end of today's diary entry.) Emi was away, last time, for two weeks, but, even though I had a long list of Nelsonica preparations to occupy me, her absence felt more like two months. As always, I missed her terribly and found it very hard to fulfill my Nelsonica duties whilst having to deal with various home commitments plus responsibilities to my own mother. For Emi, the situation in Tokyo was very difficult. Her mother came home from hospital where she had become very depressed and insular. It seems that there's little that can be done for her in physical terms but it was hoped that the return to her apartment, coupled with Emi's presence and personal care, would raise her mum's spirits. It did so, noticably, but required constant attention on Emi's part and a daily care routine that hardly allowed Emi to leave her mother's apartment the whole time she was in Japan. Nevertheless, Emi WAS able to briefly return to the U.K, just in time to help with the final period of my convention preparations, taking care of domestic issues whilst I concentrated on the work remaining to be done. This included the selection, assembly and mastering of my live performance backing tracks and the last minute creation of several drawings for the Nelsonica auction along with the custom decoration of an Eastwood 'Ichiban' guitar, (generously donated by Eastwood boss Mike Robinson), for the Grand Prize Draw. I also took time out to arrange some essential guitar repairs with Gordon White at Music Ground in Leeds, the very nice man who does all my guitar set-up work for me: (www.singlecoil.co.uk ) I had Gordon apply his talents to the Gibson 'Black Beauty' Les Paul Custom guitar generously gifted to me by the late Michael Grime and his very kind wife Kate, (I had a new nut and heavier strings fitted and a general set-up). Gordon also worked on my Campbell Nelsonic Transitone signature guitar, (a slight lowering of the action and an intonation adjustment in this case). Two days before Nelsonica I'd spent a busy afternoon in a Leeds rehearsal room with guitar tech Pete Harwood and sound engineer Ian Thorpe, making sure that my full stage equipment set-up was functioning properly whilst reminding myself of its myriad features. Unfortunately, I don't have enough space in my home studio to accomodate this rather complex live performance rig, so it's essential that I hire a room big enough to wire everything up and get to grips with its various pedals and sounds before I give any concerts. As I only perform live once a year these days, an awful lot rides on that brief afternoon of rehearsal. Whilst Emi had been away in Japan, (from 20th August until the 4th September), I'd individually signed 250 special presentation tins that were designed to hold the Nelsonica convention album and various other 'welcome pack' items. (The autographing of these tins took far longer than I'd originally anticipated. In fact it took me several evenings and two permanent marker pens to complete the task!) During this time I also put finishing touches to the two new presentation audio-visual pieces created for the convention, ('Materialisation Phenomena' and 'Welcome To The Dream Transmission Pavilion'), as well as beginning and completing an eight minute long video piece designed to accompany a new 'Orchestra Futura' live performance track titled 'Machines Of Loving Grace.' Along with the above, I also managed to record 12 new backing tracks for the Nelsonica concert. However, I found it impossible to fit them all into the set list as I needed to leave enough space to include several older pieces alongside the newer material. I actually spent a few fraught days assembling draft running orders and changing them around until eventually arriving at a version that came close to satisfying me...but even then, I was forced to leave out several other pieces that I'd hoped to perform. Nevertheless, the final result was a live solo set lasting over 70 minutes and consisting of 14 numbers with a further three tracks on reserve as potential extras, plus seven extended improvisation 'Orchestra Futura' pieces for the separate live trio set. 'Orchestra Futura' musicians Dave Sturt and Theo Travis each contributed their own starting points/backing tracks to add to my own two Futura pieces, so this year we had a full set to present to the audience rather than the brief 'taster' of last year. Another unique feature of this year's convention was a live on-stage interview with legendary record producer John Leckie and myself. John and I co-produced Be Bop Deluxe's recordings from the 'Sunburst Finish' album onwards, plus the Red Noise 'Sound-On-Sound' album and also my 'Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam' solo album. We've kept in touch over the intervening years and I count John amongst my dearest friends, even though his busy schedule and my own crazy work ethic makes it difficult to actually meet up as often as we'd like. Luckily, this year John had a gap in his usually packed diary and contacted me to say that he'd like to come up to Yorkshire to attend Nelsonica. I immediately asked him if he'd be willing to take part in an on-stage interview alongside me and he very kindly accepted. Plans had already been put in place for me to take part in a live interview, (to be conducted by Nelsonica team member Ian Haydock), on the subject of Red Noise's 'Sound-On-Sound' album, but a last minute adjustment switched the theme over to the broader topic of the work that John and I had accomplished together in the past, plus some more general questions about John's extensive post Be Bop Deluxe production career. It was lovely to see John again...we always seem to resume where we left off, no matter how much water passes under the proverbial bridge in between our meetings. I guess we've always had a natural rapport which made the experience of working together a happy and comfortable one. The actual convention was very well attended and enthusiastically received. My two nephews, (my late brother Ian's two sons), came along, as did my mother and my cousin Ian. Guitarist/singer/artist Brendan Croker also was a guest, as was Kate Grime and Michael Grime's sister Sheila and her husband Brian. Kate had travelled from France to attend. Ian Gilby of 'Sound-On-Sound' magazine joined in with his brother Paul to enjoy the day too. My only regret with these things is that I'm so constantly 'on-call' throughout the event that I don't get enough time to properly attend to the needs of my guests. My mind is always whirling around, thinking ahead to the next part of the day's programme, stressing out about one thing or another, racing to get clothes changed between live performance sets, trying to speak to fans who come up to me with compliments or questions, etc, etc. However hard I try to relax and enjoy the day, I always end up worrying that I've not given enough time to everyone as a result of my pre-occupation with the event's performance and presentation duties. Anyway, the live music performances apparently went well, despite some very frustrating on-stage monitor problems encountered by myself during my solo set. Working with pre-recorded backing tracks, plus direct to pa system guitar feeds means, for me, that every single component of my performance exists only in the monitor speakers at my feet. There are no guitar amps, drums, acoustic instruments, etc on stage with me...the entire 'virtual band,' as it were, along with my live guitar playing and vocals, are only audible to myself via those basic on-stage monitors. This always presents problems of one sort or another, particularly as rock band pa monitors do not behave like studio monitor speakers. Bass frequencies and high frequencies tend to become over emphasised whilst the middle frequencies, (where much of the important detail resides), often gets overlooked or simply muddied by the extended low bass drones. Couple this imbalance with a hollow wooden stage that inadvertantly acts as a kind of huge, boomy bass cabinet, plus a hall that throws the front of house sound back at the stage as if from a long reverberant tunnel and you end up with a guitarist struggling to guess exactly where he is in the track. It was very difficult, on Saturday, for me to hear the cues and chord changes essential to finding my way through the music. Unsurprisingly, my playing always suffers because of this problem and so I ended up being a very disheartened bunny indeed. But, judging by the many positive comments I later recieved from the audience, it seems that the front-of-house sound was more than fine. This was, I'm sure, due to the care applied at the mixing desk by my good friend John Spence who was looking after the sound mix in the hall itself. I just wish I could have had something more comfortable to work with on-stage. 'In-ear' monitoring has been suggested as one possible alternative to the problem...but it's an expensive solution and one I'm not sure of. Actually, one of the best live performance experiences I've had was at two Leeds University School Of Music concerts when the on-stage monitoring was handled by a pair of in-house Genelec recording studio speakers, rather than the usual rock n' roll monitors. The sound was clear, detailed and inspiring to play to. My own selfish concerns aside, Nelsonica 09 was a big success and the friendship, warmth and kindness of everyone involved, from the fabulous and talented Nelsonica team, through to the various guests and the fans themselves, made it a wonderful day. I've said it before but these conventions have evolved to the point that they're more like extended family gatherings than fan conventions. I'm very lucky to have found such loyal and enthusiastic support for my music and I'm extremely grateful to everyone involved. But now, only four days since the hustle and bustle and human interaction of Nelsonica, I'm once again alone in the house, typing these words in an empty silence and wondering how long it will be before I see my wife again. Emiko's mother is still very ill but it seems that there is no way to estimate the speed of the disease's progress. Her condition has fluctuated, some days being worse than others but with occassional flashes of respite. We simply don't know what the future holds, other than an inevitably sad conclusion. When Emi returned to England on the 4th September, her mother went back into hospital, but now that Emi is, once again, on her way back to Japan, her mother will come out of hospital so that Emi can take care of her at her mum's Tokyo apartment. There is no social or free health care in Japan, everything has to be paid for and hospital costs are high. Emi's mum has no health insurance, nor enough money to deal with extensive and expensive medical costs, so being cared for at home by her family and friends as long as possible seems like the only practical solution. In any case, Emi's mum has not felt happy in hospital and prefers to be at home with Emi looking after her. And Emi is glad to be able to spend some time caring for her mother at this depressing and painful time. This morning, we were both up at 5 am to get ready for Emi's departure. Last time, she flew from Yeadon airport to Japan, via Amsterdam. As I noted in my previous diary entry, Yeadon (Leeds/Bradford airport) is very convenient for us but we just couldn't get a suitable flight from there this time. The only alternative was for Emi to fly to Tokyo via Helsinki from Manchester airport. And the most comfortable way to get to Manchester airport from here is by train, although the journey takes a while. So I drove Emi to York station at 6 am this morning and put her on the Manchester Airport train. After waving goodbye to her from the platform, I drove back home feeling predictably miserable and lost. Walking into our home, these sad feelings were magnified. It's just not a home without Emiko, only bricks and mortar. Since beginning this diary entry, Emi has called me from Manchester airport to let me know that she'd arrived safely there and checked in at the departure desk for her flight to Finland. Then, just over three hours later, she called again from Helsinki to say that she was awaiting her connecting flight to Tokyo. It is now 3:35 pm, (U.K. time), and Emi will be 15 minutes into her flight from Helsinki to Japan. This leg of the journey will take around 12 hours so she will arrive at Narita airport sometime around 3:20 am tomorrow morning. I've told her that it's o.k. to telephone me at any time, night or day, so I'm hoping to be woken in the early hours by her calling to let me know she's arrived safely. Then she will have to take the more than two hour coach ride from Narita airport into Tokyo itself, then a taxi to her mother's apartment. All told, a frustratingly long and exhausting journey. It is Emiko's 61st birthday next month, (4th of October), and it will be the first time since we've been together as a couple that we will not be able to celebrate her birthday together. I bought her two birthday gifts on Tuesday...one of which she has opened already, the other which I've insisted she pack in her suitcase and not open until October 4th in Tokyo. It's going to be tough, one way or another, because we will be apart for a much longer time than on her previous trip. Emi has an open-ended return ticket and the earliest she can estimate coming back home is the 19th of October. She also has a prestigious flower display commision for the Lord Mayor's Mansion House in November so will need to return to deal with that at some point anyway. But, meanwhile, I must keep my chin up, telephone her every day in Tokyo, take care of our cats, remember to feed myself properly, keep the house clean, help my mother with her still unresolved legal matter, try not to panic or stay awake all night worrying about this and that...and so on. Oh, and maybe make a start on the final preparations for my next two album releases, 'Non-Stop Mystery Action' and 'Picture Post.' There's packaging artwork to come up with for both of these projects, plus running orders need to be finalised and tracks mastered at Fairview studios with John Spence. And maybe, because time passes more quickly when I'm making music, I should also turn my recording equipment on, pick up a guitar and see what loneliness might bring to my solitary musical table. ***** The images accompanying this diary entry are as follows:- 1: An outake from 'The Love That Whirls' photo session. 2: A filtered outake from the 'Do You Dream In Colour' photo session. 3: Bill on stage in the 1980's. 4: Bill passport photo from the '80's with goatee beard. 5: Bill's photography for Nelsonica '09. 6: Bill's old resonator guitar which he painted in the mid 1960's. Top of page

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) November 2007 Jan Feb Apr May Jul Sep Oct Dec Saturday 3rd November 2007 -- 4:00 pm Although the following diary entry has only just been posted, I began writing it on the 29th of October, intending to post the following day. However, various post-Nelsonica distractions have taken up the time that I intended to devote to it. So, rather than re-write the whole thing to suit its later appearance on my website, I'll add the most recent section at the end. Monday 29th October 2007 -- 6:00 pm. Still trying to take in the fact that this year's Nelsonica convention was, on Saturday, finally seen through to its proper conclusion. And with real style and panache too. I'm now able to wake up without the sense of panic that has filled my life these last couple of months. The event was a joy on all levels. The feedback from attendees, both on the day and afterwards on the Dreamsville forum, has been joyously positive. The most commonly expressed opinion is that this was the best Nelsonica to date and in the best venue so far. A happy result, especially after all the hard work that the convention team and myself had put into the creation of the event. I've recently found myself wondering whether Nelsonica is a sensible thing to continue to stage, especially when so many other projects demand my attention throughout the year. And this year has seen one task bleed seamlessly into another, leaving no time to gather my wits or recover energy. I'm ashamed to admit that all kinds of things have suffered as a result. I'm way behind with answering emails from friends, even close friends. My family haven't had the attention from me that they deserve, and I feel as if my emotional and physical batteries have been drained to the point where the world flows through me with hardly a blip on my internal radar. These last few months I've been working in a kind of fog, a mysterious, hypnotic state, guided by things beyond my control. It's been instinct and improvisation, thinking on my feet, flying by the seat of my pants, playing it by ear. Somehow, though, it gets there in the end. Things fall into place and the target is hit, albeit with the collusion of smoke and mirrors. The life of an independent artist certainly imposes peculiar and surreal demands, demands that I never had to think about when I was, (many years ago now), somewhat more 'gainfully employed.' People I worked with at that time said "don't give up your day job..." The truth is, despite the inevitable struggles and frustrations, I think I'd put up with just about anything not to have to return to the life I lived before I threw myself 100% into the arms of the muse. The work I do now makes the desk job I once held down feel like sonambulism. Those days of shuffling paperwork from one side of the desk to another and back, the glassy-eyed answering of office telephones and the ritual morning and evening clocking in and out, the endless rattling of filing cabinets and the gossipy whisper of inter-departmental political intrigue. All the sly, prejudiced comments I endured, simply because I wore a pink satin tie to work or didn't happen to have taken in last night's football on tv, or watched a popular soap opera or game show, or 'gone down the pub' with the boys or bought the latest Eurovision hit single. Hard to believe, nowadays, the insults that my disinterest in these things aroused in ostensibly, superficially decent people. But I've learned, over all these years, that fear of the unfamiliar or 'the different,' drives vitriol through the fuse. And, by the standards of local government politics back then, I must have appeared very unfamiliar. Sometimes, it was purgatory. So much so that I often dreaded going to work, simply because of the sly ridicule I'd have to endure. Liberal attitudes, an open mind, any sense of cultural adventure or notions of racial and sexual tolerance, (in fact ALL the hard-won advances of the 'sixties counter-culture), were regarded by these staunchly conservative fundamentalists as some kind of left-wing plot. It wasn't that I didn't TRY to communicate with my fellow workers, but the look of incomprehension in their eyes if I tried to explain what kind of things turned me on and why. Well...looking back now, it seems astonishing that such self-imposed limits of taste and ambition were regarded as some kind of 'standard.' I did what I could to understand and accept these attitudes but still found them disturbing, even a little frightening. I certainly felt intimidated. Things have changed these days though...haven't they? Well, we like to think so but I suspect we're not much further down the road to enlightenment. Thatcher's bastard offspring are everywhere, even in the damned government. Bearing in mind my natural inclination to plough my own furrow, I suppose it was inevitable that I would be regarded by certain captains of the office ship as some sort of freak from the deep, caught up in the local government net by an accident ofindiscriminate trawling. Certainly not one of their own but an unwelcome and uncertain entity. Maybe even, (check out that pink silk tie, boys), a raving queer! The first week I worked there, I accidentally overheard an office conversation. It went something like this: " Have you seen the new boy? He looks ill, like a skelton, too skinny, too pale. Something's wrong. I think he's on drugs. Dresses like a homo too. Wouldn't surprise me..." The speaker didn't know I'd overheard him. But I was just the other side of an office partition when these words were spoken. I've never forgotten them. Why? Because they didn't know or understand the first thing about me yet were prepared to pronounce judgement in such a dissmissive way. In truth, I couldn't have cared less about their accusations of homosexuality. I'd never been remotely homophobic, though from their derisory tone, I could tell they were probably typical of their generation. Back then, the slightest sartorial flamboyance got you labelled 'a puff.' I was actually mildly amused by the fact that they couldn't really work that side of me out. I considered myself to be reasonably sophisticated regarding sexual matters, knew exactly which side of the fence I sat on and was confident enough about my own hetrosexual orientation not to need to rush to its defence in these situations. What really got to me was the implication that I was ill, or strung out on something or other, no, maybe not even that, just the sheer audacity that they could presume to sum me up in such banal, conservative and inaccurate terms. The John Lennon/Yoko Ono 'Two Virgins' calendar that I pinned on the wall next to my desk in the office didn't help matters either. I soon found out that it was o.k. to pin up the usual cheescake busty nudes from the men's mags of the day but a naked John and Yoko was one nipple too far, even though they had their backs turned to the camera. Two obviously deviant perverts was how they were seen by the people sitting in the office with me. In their eyes John n' Yoko were nothing but anarchistic, dope-smoking hippies...filth, symbolising everything that was wrong with the country, eroders of 'true British values,' (and one of 'em was bloody Japanese for Christs sakes! Didn't we fight a war to rid ourselves of these types?) They gazed at the calendar, then gazed at me in horror. I was told to take it down or face serious consequences. Truth be told, I wore their angry glances like glittering medals. Their hatred felt like a badge of honour. I was glad to be the office enigma. But then, I was young, idealistic, enthusiastic, culturally ambitious. I shared none of their traditional aspirations although I quietly envied what seemed to me their lack of any philosophical complexity. The world to them was a simple thing, subject to a black and white moral and ethical absoluteness. There were no shades of grey and certainly no spectrum of colours. They regarded themselves as guardians of the British flame and anyone who dared disagree was labelled weird, crazy or worse. Of course, in many ways, I was just as ignorant of them as they were of me. Let's just say, I was ill equipped to be a local government officer. The beaurocratic ink was dry in my well. Nevertheless, I did try. I stuck it out, switching off at five pm every day, like everyone else, and never giving it another thought 'till next morn. The evenings were all mine, for writing, for drawing, for playing guitars and dreaming. I eventually was able to take those youthful dreams and blew air into them, float them over Wakefield's grey skies, and set their sails for tomorrow. And the only compass I had to guide me was that of my imagination. I had to escape and my need to do so may sometimes have appeared to others as ruthless, 'though that wasn't my intention. But that's what I did. One day, I walked away from it. And here I am now, doing what I once could only dream of. And now I complain that I'm exhausted. And still misunderstood. But, in reality..? I'm blessed. It's been a long hard struggle in many ways but I lead the life of an artist, not a pop star or rock guitarist. I've fought for the right to be free of all that. I hope it goes a little deeper. As always, I've drifted off-topic. I was trying to come to terms with the possibility of abdicating from the annual Nelsonica pressure. I don't think that I really could though. Abandon the convention, I mean. Whatever the mental uncertainties and physical stresses and strains, after Saturday's warm reception from the Nelsonica audience, and the wonderful support from the team, it's hard for me to think about drawing a line under the convention at all. It's become a surrogate family gathering with a group of people at its core who have been with me for some years. They're as committed and inventive as ever and it's impossible not to be swept along on their waves of energy and enthusiasm. I hope that they realise just how much their support means to me. Sometimes, it's difficult to communicate this without appearing maudlin or overly sentimental, but they're absolute gems, every one of them. I suppose I've never been particularly adept at expressing emotion, other than through my music. Other people, those really close to me, may disagree with this damning self-analysis, but that's my sorry take on it. Maybe it's because I'm frightened of pain and mortality and therefore scared of losing people who I deeply care for, (who isn't?) Perhaps I build barriers against losing them, or, even more so, them losing me. It's that old Buddhist thing of suffering though, isn't it? Existence is suffering. He was spot on, old Siddhartha. Absolutely on the money. Nevertheless, despite his realisation of suffering, (or because of it), he became a healer of souls and minds, an optimist, a viewer of the bigger picture. No one deserves trouble, no one deserves illness, no one deserves death and depression. The cruelty is that, whatever we DO deserve, we rarely achieve it. Things are generally unfair. Shit hits the fan with a regular dull thud. Suffering is as much our lot as breathing. To witness the struggle of others to maintain some sort of decency in the teeth of life's hurricane is often so heartbreaking that we avert our gaze. I've turned mine away too many times to presume the slightest hint of strength or honour in these matters. I look to those who prevail and endure and maintain their dignity in difficult circumstances with nothing but envy and admiration. And a deep sense of my own inadequecy and shame. And that's enough self-immolation for now, thank you very much. I'm going to open a bottle of wine and taste the sunshine. It's now Friday, 2nd of November. Time has moved on, as usual. Some of the above was written at intervals during the last week. I won't bother to date each tiny section, just the largest chunks. Nelsonica 07 was one week ago tomorrow. The pace hasn't slowed and I still owe some good people emails. Went to see Honeytone Cody at 'Fibbers' on Wednesday. The sound mix lost too much of Elliot's guitar for my liking but they played with their usual dark energy and mysterious atmospheres...and in Halloween costumes too. Even the staff in our village Co-op looked like extras from a Hammer horror movie. The young man who served me my 'Independent' newspaper was wrapped from head to toe in white bandages, like an Egyptian mummy. The parts of his face that were visible were covered in white makeup with dark rings shaded around his eyes. Fake blood oozed from gaps in the bandages at certain points of his body. He took my money and handed me the change as if there was nothing unusual about his appearance whatsoever . "You're looking well," I said. Elliot called 'round today to show me his new car. He's very proud of it and rightly so. My old banger is rotting on it's wheels. rust oozing from the inside out. Just had to spend almost four hundred pounds to get it through its MOT certificate. Two new tyres, a new silencer, couple of other things. I've had the car some years now and need to change it before it becomes totally worthless. But there are household/domestic priorities that need money spending on too. They're getting to the point where they can't go on in their present condition much longer. It's the same old story: As soon as any earnings come in, they're immediately spoken for. But, that's life. Dug out some black n' white photos that I took when I was working with The Skids in Rockfield Studios in Wales, a LONG time ago now. I'd created a cartoon/graffiti drawing, on the studio control room doors, of an alien family. I'd built it up a little at a time, over the duration that we were working there. (I've attached the pictures to this diary.) Also found some photos of myself with Elle and Elliot taken in the South Of France whilst on holiday. (Holiday? What's that?) Must have been a long time ago because they are so young. And I was so slim! Also found another picture of the first house I owned, 27, Anderson St. Wakefield. And a black n' white photo' taken of Haddlesey House from part way down the garden. It brought home the distance I'd travelled from Anderson Street to West Haddlesey. Quite a contrast! And all on the strings of a guitar. Things change constantly, of course, and that wonderful 3-acre garden is now a bland executive housing estate. And, in the intervening years since I lived there, I've been without a home of my own, then living with friends in Japan, then in rented accomodation, (for which I had to sell my guitars to pay the rent), and now in a home bought by my sweet Emiko from the sale of her Tokyo apartment. And I've got guitars again. Things are always in flux but two things I've learned to trust are love and music. It's 10:20 pm and I've had enough of sitting in front of this screen for today. I'll try to complete this entry tomorrow, 'though there are several things already scheduled to take my attention away from it. My friend Dave Standeven is calling round in the morning to collect Steve (Cook's) keyboards and amps which he left here last week, after Nelsonica. Dave's van should be able to accomodate them and then I can shift my own gear upstairs. It's all still in the hall and dining room as I need to clear Steve's stuff before I can find space in the spare bedroom to store everything. It's a real jigsaw puzzle, getting it all to fit into the house. Saturday 3rd November 2007 -- Afternoon. Dave called and we put Steve's gear in the van. Steve's ancient Fender Rhodes piano, which has been stored here since the 2004 tour, was a real backbreaker to get down stairs. How people used to lug those things around on a regular basis back in the '70's is beyond me. My lower back muscles have gone into spasm just dragging it from the spare bedroom downstairs and out to Dave's van. We're going to our friend's bonfire/fireworks party tonight. Lots of booms and whizz bangs. If my back holds out. Must make sure the cats are safely inside though. Just the two of them now...the two we've domesticated, 'Tink' and 'Django.' The others fell victim to our neighbours' desire to rid the area of them. Some went to the Cat's Protection League, some to a farm elsewhere, some mysteriously disappeared, and one, gentle and elegant Gizmo, was hit and killed by a speeding driver travelling at hellish speed down the lane outside our house. The two we've domesticated, (they were originally semi-feral), are funny, affectionate and dependent upon us. We'll have to sort out a cattery for the four days we're away in Paris. Something else to organise as soon as possible. Looking forward to our Paris break. I've finally got everything booked, Eurostar and a hotel. Have to decide on clothes to take yet though. Must make an effort to be stylish...it is Paris, after all. I'll make a start on the packing next week. I'm about to telephone my mother for a chat now, so will close here. Hard to take in that Nelsonica was exactly one week ago today. Time, as one strange scientific theory has it, is definitely speeding up. ***** The images accompanying this diary entry are as follows:- 1: Dreamsville Art Advert. 2: Bill Nelson on stage in the USA, 1980's. 3: Bill, Elle and Elliot in St. Paul, France. '80's. 4: Bill's Rockfield Studio art . 5: 27, Anderson St. 6: Haddlesey House, early '80's. Top of page Thursday 29th November 2007 -- 8:00 pm. Got back from Paris just over one week ago, 'though it now feels much longer than that. The timing of our French break was a little unfortunate as it coincided with a civil service strike which shut down the Metro system and caused traffic chaos in the city for the duration of our stay. It was difficult to get around and as a result, taxi's were almost impossible to find unoccupied. Emi and I eventually resigned ourselves to walking almost everywhere. Of course, walking in Paris is no great ordeal as the architecture is so breathtakingly beautiful, but the weather was cold and wet and we were glad of the warm clothing we'd packed. Despite the cold, we found ourselves stopping regularly to admire the exquisite details of the buildings, pointing out to each other little twists and turns of ironwork, the patina on door handles, the sculpting of stonework, the proportions of window frames, the art-nouveau richness of the stained-glass and so on. We also discovered exquisite, independent shops and galleries in the narrow streets of St. Germain Des Pres, not too far from our hotel in Montparnasse. I bought books at the 'Village Voice' bookshop and some beautiful little ruby red cut-glass, engraved goblets at a very chic interior design boutique. We also enjoyed browsing in the 'Agnes B' boutique, (one of our favourite designers, along with Margaret Howell, Paul Smith and Dries Van Noten), though the prices were high enough to be thought of as silly and certainly beyond our reach.. However, Emiko DID buy me an Agnes B black scarf that I took a shine to. It is to be one of my Christmas presents from her so has been hidden away until then. Our hotel, ('Hotel Raspail'), was situated on the junction of Boulevard Montparnasse and Boulevard Raspail, (actually on 'Place Pablo Picasso'), just across the road from three legendary restaurants, 'Le Dome,' 'La Coupole' and 'La Rotonde.' Whilst these venerable establishments are not quite what they were in the days when Montparnasse was an artist's village, the ghosts of Picasso, Man Ray, Leger, Kiki, Cocteau, Hemmingway, and even Lenin and Trotsky still haunt this area. It was once a vortex of creative energy, lit by the electricity of new ideas. Emi and I breakfasted at 'La Rotonde' and ate lunch at 'Cafe Flore' and 'Les Deaux Magots,' savouring the atmosphere and watching the elegant Parisians go about their daily business. I'm sure Emi caught me admiring the French babes out of the corner of my eye too, but she's magnaminous enough to not make a fuss. Jealousy is, thankfully, not her suite, 'though I'm sure she'd let me know if I ever overstepped the mark! On the Monday, we walked all the way to the Musee D'Orsay, only to find it closed. Damn, should have made enquiries first. So we walked a little further, crossed the Seine via Pont Royal and continued to the Louvre where we enjoyed a satisfying lunch with wine and an afternoon wandering through the museum's antiquities section, marvelling at the endless treasures on display. Afterwards, I bought myself cologne at the 'Fragonard' shop before ambling gently back through the charming streets of St. Germain (and the wintery weather), to our hotel, pausing to inspect more magical shop discoveries en route. That evening we went to the 'Casino D'Paris' to catch Rufus Wainwright in concert. He was his usual utterly charming and humungously talented self, chatting amusingly in French throughout the show and singing his heart out like the 21st Century Diva he is. This is the third time we've seen him perform live. I'm not in the habit of going to see concerts at all, these days, let alone three by the same artist in a concentrated period of time. But there's something about the boy. My only regret about this particular show is that I lost my favourite hat there, a black 'beanie' style cap that I often wore on stage at my own concerts. (Most recently at Nelsonica.) It suited me and is kind of irreplacable as that particular style isn't easy to come by at this point in time, at least in the U.K. (Not high street fashion, I suppose.) Anyway, I'd stuffed it into my coat pocket during the Rufus' concert, only to discover later that it had gone missing. I also lost my bio-magnetic bracelet in Paris, though I can't say that the aches and pains I bought it to relieve have become worse since it fell from my wrist somewhere in the Parisian streets, or maybe on the train coming back to the U.K. Getting a taxi back to Montparnasse after Rufus' concert wasn't easy. We'd met up with four of our friends from York at the show, (they'd travelled by car and ferry whilst we'd opted for Eurostar). We had dinner with them at a swish restaurant the previous evening. It was the first time they'd seen Rufus live and were duly impressed. I particularly enjoyed his beautifully sung version of 'A Foggy Day In London Town,' but then I'm a sucker for those old standards. After the show, we all decided to find a cafe bar to hole up in until the audience had dispersed, (beer and frites all round), then we waited at a taxi-rank until cabs arrived. Emi and I eventually got back to our hotel in the early hours and then packed in preparation for Tuesday's trip back home to England. On Tuesday morning, there was some panic about getting to Gare Du Nord from our hotel. The hotel receptionist said, with a stereotypical French waving of arms in the air, that it would prove impossible to get a cab but, miraculously, one arrived within minutes of our requesting it and we got to the station in plenty of time. I'm very impresssed with Eurostar. It was quick and comfortable and we were served champagne, wine and reasonably decent food. It really felt quite effortless. In fact, the least comfortable part of the journey was that from London back to Yorkshire on the standard GNER train, not least because of the boorish yobs in some of the coaches. I've reached the age where 'youthful high spirits' translates as 'ignorant louts,' I'm afraid. But this kind of senior-citizen grumpiness comes to us all, in time, I presume. Since returning home, it's been domestic catch-up time. The Nelsonica preparations occupied me for many weeks and, as a result, more prosaic tasks have accumulated. Mountains of emails to answer too. One of the first things we did on returning from Paris was to spring Django and Tink, (our feline friends), from the cattery where we'd left them. It was the first time they'd been away from their home environment and I was concerned about them whilst we were away...Needless to say, they appeared pleased to be back in familiar surroundings. Since we decided to look after them as domestic pets, (earlier this year), they've become a soulful part of the family and our home wouldn't feel the same without them now. Even though there's a LOT to occupy me domestically, I'm still thinking about musical work. Whenever am I not? I'm currently assembling an 'experimental' running order of tracks that will probably make up my next album. The album's title is 'SILVERTONE FOUNTAINS' and, at this moment in time, it consists of 16 instrumentals, a few of them left over from the now abandoned 'Frankie Ukelele And The Fire In The Lake' album. I'm planning to give the Nelsonica Team members a home burned cdr of the album's draft running order, (each CDr with an individually hand-drawn cover), at the annual team dinner party on the 1st December. Last year, I gave each of the team members framed drawings but thought that a preview of 'Fountains' with home-made packaging might be a nice idea for this year's dinner get-together. The album is still a work in progress though...I may yet decide to set aside some of the tracks for next year's limited edition Nelsonica album, whilst continuing to record further pieces for possible inclusion on 'Silvertone Fountains.' We'll see. here's the experimental track listing. (It will most likely channge by the time the album is released though.) 'Silvertone Fountains.' -BILL NELSON- (Experimental assembly only.) 1: 'The Fabulous Whirligig Of Now.' 2: 'Silvertone Fountains.' 3: 'Switch On The Sky, Light Up The Stars.' 4: 'The Walls Of Which Are Made Of Clouds.' 5: 'Marvelous Model Kit.' 6: 'No Memories Here To Make You Sad.' 7: 'Art Is My Aeroplane.' 8: 'The Standard Fireworks Stomp.' 9: 'Silver Sailboat On Samsara Sea.' 10: 'Summer Over Soon.' 11: 'Frankie Ukelele And The Fire In The Lake.' 12: 'The Phonograph Bird.' 13: 'Lakeside.' 14: 'The Lost Art Of Doing Nothing.' 15: 'Frankie Surfs The Milky Way.' 16: 'We Vanish At Shadowfall.' It's one of those albums that seems to be slowly evolving or mutating into something I can't yet quite grasp. The album has already been through several changes, giving birth to the 'And We Fell Into A Dream' album and parts of 'Secret Club' en route. And all this started from the 'Frankie Ukelele' concept. I wonder what the final result will be? The pleasure, for me, of course, is in the finding out, rather than in the end product itself. Once I feel it's arrived at its musical destination, I'll move on to the next thing, with my usual lack of interest in work completed. Current reading: 'Tripmaster Monkey, His Fake Book' by Maxine Hong Kingston. 'The Underground Man' by Mick Jackson. And 'Considering Genius, Writings On Jazz,' by Stanley Crouch. Oh, and Eric Clapton's autobiography, (this last a gift from a generous fan at Nelsonica). Current listening, (mostly in my car): Les Paul, Johnny Smith, Bill Frisell, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins and a selection of 1930's popular songs by various long dead artists. Nothing remotely modern, rock-oriented or new. Must be that age thing again. My problem is that I've heard so much music during my lifetime that work by younger artists rarely surprises me anymore. (There are a few exceptions, of course.) It all seems to be a re-hash of something originally made years ago at a time when the idea was really fresh. Even current day contemporary composition, the nouveau avant-garde, seems to be going over old ground. Some of it very nicely raked, but not startlingly cultivated or filled with beautiful and exotic blooms. Perhaps it's no longer possible, (or even important), to come up with anything truly new. Nevertheless, I tend to listen to music where the process of making it is invisible to me, where I can't quite understand how it's put together, technically or academically. I crave the surprise of not-knowing. Listening to ancient, promitive recordings of beautifully written and arranged music by the great composers and songwriters from the '30's and '40's appeals because, as well as being aesthetically beautiful, the music's inner clockwork remains a mystery to me. And, even more than this, I can hear time itself crackling in the ploughed circular furrows of the music's black plastic sound field. It conveys a poetic quality, a wistful, yearning dreaminess, a sophisticated, elegant sensibility transmitted from an imagined 'Golden Age.' At least, that's how I feel as I type these words. I may feel less romantic about it tomorrow. But mellow is my mood right now. ***** Images accompanying this diary are:- 1: Hotel Raspail, Paris. 2: Bill Nelson in Paris. November 2007. 3: Dreamsville windmill ad. 4: Dreamsville girl ad. 5: Dreamsville ad. Top of page

Guitar Tablature A fantastic selection of songs that Dreamsville regular Twilightcapers has give n his very own interpretation of. These may not be 100% accurate, we'll leave it for you to decide! After all...only Bill knows how they were actually played!!! If you're new to guitar tablature, check out this handy tutorial! Be Bop Deluxe Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape Autosexual Axe Victim Beauty Secrets Between The Worlds Bird Charmers Destiny Blazing Apostles Blue As A Jewel Bring Back The Spark Crying To The Sky Crystal Gazing Dangerous Stranger Darkness (L'Immoraliste) Red Noise A Better Home In The Phantom Zone Acquitted By Mirrors Art/Empire/Industry Atom Age Don't Touch Me (I'm Electric) For Young Moderns Furniture Music Out Of Touch Radar In My Heart Stay Young Stop/Go/Stop Substitute Flesh Wonder Toys That Last Forever Down On Terminal Street Electrical Language Face In The Rain Fair Exchange Forbidden Lovers The Gold At The End Of My Rainbow Heavenly Homes Islands Of The Dead Jean Cocteau Jets At Dawn Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus Kiss Of Light Life In The Air Age Lights Like An Old Blues Love In Flames Love Is Swift Arrows Lovers Are Mortal Love With The Madman Maid In Heaven Make The Music Magic Mill Street Junction Modern Music Suite Music In Dreamland New Mysteries New Precision Night Creatures No Trains To Heaven Orphans Of Babylon Panic In The World Piece Of Mine Possession Quest For The Harvest Of The Stars Rocket Catherdrals Shine (Live Version) Ships In The Night Sister Seagull Sleep That Burns Soundtrack Bill Nelson - Solo A Kind Of Loving A Month Without A Moon A Private View Banal Bloo Blooz Chymepeace (An Ending) Contemplation Decline And Fall Do You Dream In Colour? Dream Ships Set Sail End Of The Seasons Eros Arriving Flaming Desire Flesh The Golden Days Of Radio House Of Sand Kid With Cowboy Tie Lacuna The Lamp Of Invisible Light Living In My Limousine Love's A Way Mr. Magnetism Himself My Electrical Empire Northern Dreamer November Fires The Ocean, The Night And The Big, Big Wheel The October Man October Sky The Passion Photograph (A Beginning) The Raindrop Collector Rejoice Sad Feelings See It Through The Weather Song White Sound Speed Of The Wind Stage Whispers Superenigmatix Surreal Estate Swansong Third Floor Heaven Twilight Capers

The Dead We Wake With Upstairs Drums Bill Nelson single - 1992 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: 1) The Dead We Wake With Upstairs Drums 2) Boat To Forever 3) So It Goes NOTES: The Dead We Wake With Upstairs Drums is a CD single issued by Venture (Virgin) Records to promote the Blue Moons and Laughing Guitars album. All 3 tracks were lifted from that forthcoming album. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Although the single is long out of print, the Blue Moons and Laughing Guitars album is available as a digital download. Singles Menu Future Past

Acquitted By Mirrors - Issue Three - Published October 1982 Back to Top

The Jewel Bill Nelson album - 9 April 2020 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) The Jewel 02) Girl From A Satellite Town 03) Twilight Crescent 04) Bikini Avanti 05) Dream Guitar 06) California Boombox 07) Royal Blue 08) Radio Control 09) That Sunburst Sound 10) Chroma 11) The Retro Modernist 12) Ablaze With Glory 13) Little Cosmos 14) The Great Magnetiser ALBUM NOTES: The Jewel is an album of guitar instrumental pieces issued on the Sonoluxe label in a limited edition of 600 copies. The album was first mentioned by Nelson as "almost finished" in a Dreamsville forum post dated 27 May 2016, with the album's running order announced just five days later on 1 June 2016. This brought the tally of unreleased albums to 13 at that point, a fact that caused Nelson sufficient anxiety to immediately begin work on a 14th album, which would in time be titled Powertron. While the album was fresh in Nelson's thoughts, he was sufficiently enthusiastic about The Jewel to consider issuing it as his next but one release (following New Northern Dream issued in October 2016) providing mastering and artwork duties could be completed reasonably quickly. However this plan was abandoned and the album would take almost 4 years to appear. The album was mastered at Fairview Studios by John Spence on 19th February 2020, with artwork compiled by Martin Bostock using images selected by Nelson as the album approached release. Pre-sale orders were taken by Burning Shed from 5th March 2020, with numbers being pressed to satisfy pre-sale orders. The album was released simultaneously as a digital download on Bandcamp on the 9th April 2020. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The album was actually recorded in 2016 but has laid dormant for some years, (as so many other unreleased albums of mine have.) It's an instrumental album, not exactly what I might think of as 'easily accessible,' (though I'm sure some fans will disagree with that statement.) "It's an album of abstract guitar improvisations with ambient jazz interludes. Hopefully an album that will slowly worm its wicked way into listener's ears." _____ "To a certain degree, it's a 'niche' album, one that will appeal to fans of my more introspective guitar work. It's certainly not a 'rock' album. Nevertheless, those who enjoy less mainstream music may find that it resonates with them." _____ "The Jewel is just one of many previously unreleased albums that have been sitting in my archives for several years. Recorded in 2016 it is an instrumental work, an album of abstract, impressionistic guitarscapes and the occasional ambient jazz excursion, an album that will, hopefully, reveal more of its secrets with extended listening." Albums Menu Future Past

Fables And Dreamsongs Bill Nelson album - 26 November 2010 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) A Window Open Onto Eden 02) Wireless World 03) Machines Of Loving Grace 04) Indoor Astronomy (Bella Luna) 05) The Shining Staircase 06) My Wonder Book Of Wings And Sails 07) Beautiful Diamonds Are Falling From The Clouds 08) Stranger Flowers Now Than Ever 09) Way Back When 10) The Drawing Room 11) Pondering The Mystery 12) Moon Gold Palladium ALBUM NOTES: Fables and Dreamsongs (A Golden Book of Experimental Ballads) features a mix of vocal and instrumental tracks. It was released on the Sonoluxe label in a single print run of 1000 copies. The album had begun life with a working title of Moon Gold Palladium , but Nelson revised his plans in the summer of 2010. The album was initially made available on pre-release on the same day as Nelsonica ‘10 before going on general sale 5 days later through SOS. Fables And Dreamsongs sold out in September 2019. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Theatre of Falling Leaves , Non-Stop Mystery Action , Palace of Strange Voltages , Luxury Wonder Moments , Golden Melodies of Tomorrow, Sailor Bill , Dreamshire Chronicles, , Stereo Star Maps BILL'S THOUGHTS: "An album for thinkers, dreamers and poets, though not one that surrenders much to the mainstream." _____ "Fables and Dreamsongs was inspired, in part, from the 'Golden Wonder Books' that my mother owned as a child, and from which she read to me when I was a little boy. These thick, beautifully illustrated compendiums contained classic fables and stories by Britains best authors and artists. Looking at them now, what strikes me is how high the standard of writing was. The vocabulary used, (though they were children's stories), was so much more sophisticated than our modern day approach to children's literature. I suspect that many of these tales would prove difficult for contemporary adults to grasp, let alone children. There certainly was no 'talking down' involved. Back when these books were published, in the 1920s and '30s, the elegance, descriptive and emotive properties of the English language magically connected with children, even at an early age. (Well, they certainly did with me, thanks to my mother reading to me from these books when I was still an infant.) So, whilst Fables and Dreamsongs is a book of experimental ballads, it is also firmly rooted in the feelings I had when I sat by my mother's side as an infant, as she read to me from these wonderful collections of classic children's literature." _____ "Two of the pieces, "Machines of Loving Grace" and "Stranger Flowers Now Than Ever" were actually premiered live as part of the 'Orchestra Futura' set at Nelsonica '09 . The versions on Fables and Dreamsongs are solo studio versions. "The Drawing Room" was first performed as part of my solo live set at Nelsonica '09 . Again, this is a studio version of the piece. None of the other tracks have been heard outside of my studio before." FAN THOUGHTS: BenTucker: "Totally different, unexpected, psychedelic and utterly mind-blowing is my reaction to this album after just a few listens. But really it's too early to comment for me, as this seems like a very complex, sophisticated masterpiece. The first track alone (a quite stunningly wonderful experience) contains enough richness to fill a whole album, but that's only the beginning..." " Fables and Dreamsongs is Be Bop Deluxe on acid. Unmissable." Andre: " Fables and Dreamsongs is definitely a trip. "For madmen only", as was the club found by the Steppenwolf. Complete with weeping werewolves and machines of loving grace. This is some great stuff !" jetboy: "I love this album to bits, the musical equivalent of Halloween orange flickering on the back parlour wall...a f@xxing classic!" Palladium: "A very accessible, beautifully melodic and satisfying record. "Moon Gold Palladium", for instance, could easily be Be Bop Deluxe from an alternative universe where some of the parameters have been tinkered with a little (in a good, weird way)." mthom: "Had a first listen last night and was pretty much blown away, and dare I say "surprised"? This is uniquely different for Bill. Not so much jazzy or bluesy with some beautiful, yet edgy, ambient soundscapes and some down right rockin' drums. Nice mix of vocals here and there. Fantastic sound quality. I seem to recall Bill saying this is a cross between Sailor Bill and Golden Melodies , and that is an apt description (if he didn't say it, then I did!). This is one to play for the friends who need converting. Great stuff!!!" Wasp In Aspic: "This one could just be one of Bill's most special albums. I would place it near the nexus of Sailor Bill , Golden Melodies of Tomorrow , and Non-Stop Mystery Action . It has a winning balance between enchanted instrumental tracks and passages and beautiful romantic songs." BobK: "Must say I am rather taken by Fables . One of those albums which is initially very likable and then after a few more plays starts to really hit the spot. How to describe it? Whilst it has moments that remind me of Sailor Bill and Golden Melodies , it is more pastoral and dreamlike and, in places, rather strange and mysterious... For some reason I keep thinking it could be the perfect soundtrack to accompany you whilst walking round an old stately home. One that is occupied, but you never see the occupants and one that carries many memories...Does that make sense?" tommaso: " Fables and Dreamsongs immediately gripped me. It seems indeed to be a continuation of Sailor Bill and Golden Melodies , but it is perhaps even more introspective and heartfelt. I like the slow tempo of the album, and its musical complexity, with some quite long tracks which nevertheless seem very accessible. "Moon Gold Palladium" is stunning, but it's only the final highlight of what seems to me one of the best Nelson albums of the last few years." felixt1: " Fables and Dreamsongs is a gem of an album, and "Beautiful Diamonds..." is one of my absolute favourite songs, by anyone!" "Completely blew my socks off!" Tourist in Wonderland: "I think, for the want of better words, Bill has really gone to a different level with this one, and for me, it is rapidly shaping to become one of Mr.N's greatest works. I do not use these words lightly, a masterpiece...and I would urge any Bill Nelson fan who hasn't got this one yet, to get a copy...you won't regret it." Albums Menu Future Past

Six String Super Apparatus Bill Nelson album - 1 December 2016 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Blackpool Pleasure Beach And The Road To Enlightenment 02) Nebulous Trolleybus 03) Andromeda Gardens 04) A Telescope Full Of Stars 05) Dance Of The Cosmic Signaller No. 2 06) Preamp 07) Hotel On Wheels 08) Spacehopper 09) Naughty Boy, Dirty Girl 10) When The World Was Beautiful 11) Happily Haunted 12) Two Brothers Test The Kite Flying Winds ALBUM NOTES: Six String Super Apparatus (Painting with Guitars Volume Three) is an instrumental album issued on Nelson’s own Tremelo Boy Records. The album is the third volume in an ongoing series entitled Painting with Guitars , which collects songs that Nelson had been performing live over the previous two decades, but which had yet to find their way onto albums. The first volume was The Romance of Sustain , the second was Plectrajet , and the fourth will be Astral Overdrive (scheduled to be released in 2017). Volumes two through four of the series were assembled during a 1 month stretch starting in February 2015. The project was the fulfillment of a long-standing promise by the artist to release the hoard of tracks, some of which had become favourites of fans who attended his live performances. In fact, the final track selection for these volumes were partly shaped by a small number of Dreamsville members who would remind Nelson of particular tracks they remembered fondly. The series also marked the end of an era for Nelson, who had all but given up live performances, due to continuing problems with his hearing. Six String Super Apparatus was issued as a download only release on December 1st, 2016. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Romance of Sustain , Plectrajet , Practically Wired , Fantastic Guitars, Plaything , The Awakening of Dr Dream , Confessions of a Hyperdreamer , Modern Moods for Mighty Atoms , Luxury Lodge , Tripping The Light Fantastic BILL'S THOUGHTS: "There are a few rarities amongst these...some pieces that have only been performed live once or twice, but some more regular numbers too, which have featured in my solo concerts more frequently." _____ "It's an album loaded with guitars and will form a further component in the gathering together of tracks from my concerts.” _____ "There's a certain adjunct between rock music and jazz which can often be missed by the casual listener. I'm thinking here of the free-flowing lines of Jimi Hendrix which have often been compared to the 'sheets of sound', or 'constant flux' approach to music such as those of jazz luminaries like John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Albert Ayler and Ornette Coleman, (to mention just a few possibilities). This open-ended, unscripted, spontaneous attitude towards playing is frought with dangers but also potential wonders. It requires a kind of bravery, a willingness to step out beyond the familiar, pre-scripted lines that most musicians rely on and literally 'launch one's self off the cliff' and hope that fair winds and flying boats will carry the music into the blue sky. As the years go by, (and weigh more heavily on me), I'm increasingly drawn to the potential for entirely spontaneous playing, a sort of instant composition approach, but with nothing in mind other than the starting point with everything else being left entirely to chance. Sometimes this will bring melodic ideas to bear, other times abrasive ones, other times subtle inflections and sophisticated nuances, and othertimes just a sheer, exuberant, torrent of sound. Listening to today's transfer of my live solo concert tracks for the Six String Super Apparatus album, I was struck with the apparent open-ended, improvistional approach that emerged from the recordings. I'm not for one second implying that my music is in the exalted John Coltrane sphere...but, at times, it does seem to have something of the same spirit. A free, blowing, 'go wherever it will' attitude, which I find both flawed and yet perfect at the same time. It creates something with a combination of beauty and grit." FAN THOUGHTS: Big Dunc: "First impressions...Bloody Superb" andygeorge: "This is pure guitar heaven! Bill will probably dismiss this as a side project, something he can knock out in his sleep, (which he probably can!)...but, boy, this sounds soooo good!" Coach Matt: "Blackpool Pleasure Beach and the Road to Enlightenment": "Need I say anymore, as the hair elevates on my skin. This track grabbed me right away. Just makes me want to plug in, crank it up and play along. Fabulous guitar playing over a smashing, smooth bottom groove. Takes you sailing away on blissful roller coaster ride. I just dig this style of Bill and can never get enough! The groove and guitar is edgy, yet charming." Peter: "It is a guitar lover's dream come true – it has rock, jazz, blues, ambient...it has everything, the entire Bill Nelson canon collected in one place. Every technique, every effect...all interwoven into Bill's usual sterling compositions. Each song offers moments of "Oh, wow..." and "Oh, that's SO good". All instrumentals, this album has power, emotion, style, delicacy, grace, polish, joy...it is a showcase of Bill's mastery of both songwriting and guitar playing. It is a masterpiece." Pathdude: "This is another album of gorgeous Bill Nelson guitar music. If you liked Romance of Sustain or Plectrajet , you'll like this one. Quite a variety of sounds and styles. Personal favorite track right now is "When the World was Beautiful". Bravo Bill, another masterpiece!" Comsat Angel: "As always, another outstanding album!" RJR: "Very nice collection of songs. I don't know if it was intended, but at times there seem to be certain guitar playing that hearken back to the 80's, even some BBD." Neill_Burgess: "Six String Super Apparatus is a treat for anyone fortunate enough to have seen and heard Bill playing any of these tracks live in recent years, and it's a treat for anyone who missed the concerts. So, basically, it's a treat!" "It's a fairly varied set (space blues, big guitar heroics, gentler numbers) and the tracks fit together to form a coherent whole. Personal favourite is the joyous opener "Blackpool Pleasure Beech and the Road to Enlightenment". If you like Practically Wired , or the aforementioned The Romance of Sustain and Plectrajet , you'll love this." Sauropod: "I'm finding nowadays that whenever Bill releases a new album, it usually takes several listens to take it all in, even approaching things from a guitarist's point of view. They have a consistently high quality to them which I really appreciate and enjoy. "Andromeda Gardens" - This still remains my favorite track from the album after repeated listens. The use of a baritone guitar (?) on it sets the song apart from all the others on the album. One word sums it up - sublime. "Happily Haunted" - This is the one song from the record with a really memorable hook. If I were a record exec, this would be the one I would choose as the single. Summary/rating: I would rate this as a "must buy". It is, in my opinion, amongst the top 10% of Bill's output." james warner: "As has been the case with previous relatively low-key releases, I find myself enjoying this album more immediately than some of the 'fanfare' releases. Maybe it's because there is no concept to it, just a collection of really good tunes. There is a sense of sass and strut about many of the tracks, suggesting Bill was relaxed and having fun recording it. There are dreamy interludes, too, so this is an album with something for everyone." Prey: "WOW, the wizard of Wakefield brings the big notes to us for Christmas! An amazing journey through guitar heaven, thank you!" Albums Menu Future Past

That Old Mysterioso Bill Nelson album - 29 January 2018 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Queen Of The Infra-Red 02) Time Is A Thief 03) That Old Mysterioso 04) Reflect On This 05) A Dizzy Spell 06) The Nebulous Land Of Nod 07) Melancholy Dreams 08) Travels In The Spirit World 09) What Have We Got To Show For This? 10) To Disappear 11) Singing My Life Away 12) The Man Who Dreamed Of Glory 13) Loco-Motive (Off The Track) 14) Trembling Rainbows 15) Well, Well, Well (Rock N' Roll It) 16) Celestina Swoons 17) End Of The Future ALBUM NOTES: That Old Mysterioso is an album mixing vocal pieces and guitar instrumentals released on the Sonoluxe label in a limited print run of 500 copies. An album with this title was first mentioned on the Dreamsville Forum as long ago as 7 May 2012 but it failed to make much impact into Nelson’s busy schedule that year that would see him undertake the final Nelsonica. That Old Mysterioso would be referred to again on 10 July 2013 in another post on the Dreamsville Forum in which Nelson referred to it as a tentative title for an incomplete album project that he was then currently assembling. However it appears that material originally earmarked for the original version of That Old Mysterioso would be transferred to other, as yet unconfirmed, projects arising from this time. No further mention of the album by this title would be made by Nelson for over 3 years. Eventually though, in another post on the Dreamsville Forum dated 6 April 2016, Nelson revealed that a new album, tentatively titled That Old Mysterioso was "sounding good right now" and would go on to confirm that a "15 track album" was complete on 25 April 2016. By the time Nelson revealed the track listing for the album on 8 May 2016, it had gained an extra track and shortly after that, he added 'Time is a Thief' to finally complete it. Artwork for the album was also commenced around this time, the main image being "a rather sinister and surreal" photo of Nelson taken by Martin Bostock. Mastering of the album was undertaken with John Spence on 16 November 2017 at Fairview concurrently with another "download only" album called The Unrealist with the artwork for That Old Mysterioso completed later that month. The album was released on 29 January 2018. It only took 7 days to sell out. The album was then released as a digital download on 15 March 2018. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Golden Melodies of Tomorrow , Songs for Ghosts , Fantasmatron , Stereo Star Maps , Blip !, The Dreamshire Chronicles , Perfect Monsters , Electric Atlas , The Awakening of Dr. Dream BILL'S THOUGHTS: Upon having the album mastered, Bill wrote: " I was very pleasantly surprised by That Old Mysterioso . I haven't heard it since I completed mixing and assembling the draft running order sometime last year. But, I have to say that it's sounding very good, far better than I'd remembered. I'm extremely pleased with it and excited for you to hear it. John [Spence] said that he thought it would become a firm favourite with fans, though I think it will take several listens to really sink in for most listeners as it's a somewhat oblique and complex album, but also, perhaps, sweet and melodic and warm. The lyrics, which were written in a 'stream of consciousness' kind of way, seemed opaque at the time of putting them to paper, but now a definite theme seems to have emerged. Strange how even their author was unaware of their meaning until quite some time after. So, the concept, or theme, seems to be about my current pre-occupation with ageing, the quickness of time, the fragility of life, the persistence of memory, the shift between reality and dreams, the nature of love and longing and the acceptance of the inevitable. All wrapped up in a kind of 'psychedelic-prog-jazz,-pop-rock' musical style for want of a better description. Strangely, (though not planned,) the words, 'drifting away' re-occur on several songs for some reason or other... But, in other words...business as unusual." _____ "The visual theme for That Old Mysterioso will be a series of mysterious photographs of myself wearing different face masks." "This album will sport a fantastic cover photo of me by Martin Bostock. It's rather sinister and surreal." "The other photographs in the package will be a number of photographic self-portraits, manipulated by myself." "The photo's I've taken of myself are heavily treated and have an intensely graphic effect. I'm wearing various masks for the pictures, most of them strange or weirdly disturbing..." _____ "That Old Mysterioso is destined, I think, to become one of my favourite things. It has its own atmosphere but sits nicely alongside such albums as Golden Melodies of Tomorrow , Fantasmatron , Stereo Star Maps and The Dreamshire Chronicles . The album is mainly vocal-based but with a sprinkling of instrumentals. The tracks feature a cosmic combination of guitars, keyboards and electronics. The front cover features a surreal photograph of myself taken by Martin Bostock and the rest of the package has a range of bizarre self-portraiture. As always with my work, it will reward repeated listenings and, I'm sure, become one of your favourites as well as mine." FAN THOUGHTS: felixt1: "I have to say, I agree with what Bill wrote back at the time of release...I think it's destined to become one of my favourite albums also! I had a couple of listens earlier this evening and it is indeed an instant hit with me. Typical of my personal favourite kind of Bill Nelson album - lush, gentle strings, lovely melodies, beautiful guitar tone... It was truly an absolute joy to once again experience the thrill of receiving a new, Bill Nelson, album and be able to instantly put it on the CD player...life is good and balance is restored to the universe once again." Palladium: "Very much agree. That Old Mysterioso is album of the year for me so far. Really beautiful songs." The Sound: "This is certainly a special album. They all are. However, this strikes me on my first listen to be BN at his pinnacle so far. 'Songs for Ghosts' was resplendent but this improves on that stunning recording. Think I'll give it another play before bedtime." Returningman: "After a few detailed listens this seems to be destined to become one of my "go to" albums, without doubt one of the strongest albums released over the past 3 years or so (and that is an impressive feat). Track 8 - 'Travels In The Spirit World' absolute fire. Tracks like this are why I buy these albums, wonderful evocative music that takes you away and shows you places that you never thought could even exist. Joy...More please. CoachMatt: "There is no bones about it, Bill is relaying that time is ticking, and for us all. The album is full of deep, dark textures, yet has a sentimental beauty about it. So many layers of sound that only Bill can deliver. The maturity of Bill's music has come full swing for me and I am honored and pleased to have come for the ride since the mid 70's." Tourist: A great album...'Time Is A Thief' a personal favourite. Albums Menu Future Past

The Years Bill Nelson album - 22 June 2015 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Capricious Skies 02) The Bel-Air Rocketman 03) Atlantika 04) Southport 05) In The Realm Of The Super-Cute 06) The Invisible City Of Christian Rosenkruetz 07) A Charming Trick 08) Method Acting 09) A Garden That Sings To The Sky 10) Odeon 11) The Years 12) The Last Romantic ALBUM NOTES: The Years is an instrumental album issued in a one-off print run of 500 copies on the Sonoluxe label. Nelson revealed little in the way of detail about the development of this particular album, but it's likely that it progressed over a period of some time, and only really took shape once he had assembled sufficient material to make an album from his symphonic-based instrumentals. A posting on the Dreamsville forum from February 2014 refers to him nearly having completed "an epic neo-classical, pastoral, symphonic piece" during the writing sessions for the Velorama film soundtrack which may well have ended up on The Years album. The title The Years was first announced on the Dreamsville forum in late January 2015 when Nelson revealed it as an album he was then working on, and for which the final track running order was confirmed just a few weeks later. The album was originally to be issued after Loom , but once Nelson heard the mastered version he decided to bring its release date forward. It was also intended to be the third in the 'Super Listener Series' but in the end Nelson deemed The Years to be insufficiently challenging to be awarded that status, and it was given a normal Sonoluxe catalogue number. The album went on sale on 22 June 2015, and was in stock for a month before finally selling out on 1 August. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The Years could mean the many years of making music, or the 66 years of being on this planet, or the 'wear and tear' of the years, or a looking back at them...I wanted it to be enigmatic, and slightly melancholy and nostalgic. "However, the music on the album, in the main, is kind of kitsch and easy-listening, quite jolly in parts but with deeper reflective moments. As always, it's not turned out quite the way I expected. It's not as pure or perfect as I'd hoped, but it's been made very spontaneously with a feeling of urgency. It's not an album that I've pondered too deeply or furrowed my brow about. It's emerged almost of its own accord. No doubt it will find its place, in time. "It's all instrumental, uses orchestral sounds with some guitar parts. Neo-classical/light music forms. The nearest thing to it would be parts of Picture Post , Pedalscope and the instrumental tracks from The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill. It's a strange thing in some ways, seems quite straight and easy on the surface but has a complexity in structure that undermines that. It's not quite what it appears to be!" _____ "Neo-classical composition isn't really about playing technique...it's more of a compositional approach. It takes classical music and re-frames it in a kind of 'post-modernist' atmosphere, referencing much older musical forms but with a twist. On this album, I pick up on the kind of music you might hear in those old black and white, between the wars and WW2 documentary films, (you know, those GPO film unit productions like 'Listen to Britain' by Humphrey Jennings, etc.) I'm particularly fond of that era and musical style but bring a more contemporary feel to bear on this album. It appears deliberately kitsch in places, superficially verging on easy listening but revealing more complexities and conundrums on deeper listening. It's meant to offer a somewhat enigmatic listening experience which never completely resolves itself." _____ "Not a 'down' album at all, despite my health issues and general darkness. It's an album of hope, of positivity, of beauty triumphing over drabness, a transcendent album, with a tinge of nostalgia and gentle melancholy at the heart of it." FAN THOUGHTS: felixt1: "I tell you what - it's a bloody great album! It actually took me a few days to really understand what's going on. It's kind of like what happens if a UFO lands in Model Village . The cinematic quality of the music cannot be exaggerated and there are some truly great moments from start to finish. The Years , is for me yet another special release. It hit me today, like a sledgehammer - really stopped me in my tracks. Gobsmacked" andygeorge: " The Years is a delightful collection of music and, as some have said, sits well with Model Village. But, as I sit here on a sunny Sunday morning in my study, with a cup of tea, catching up on paper work and other bits and pieces with The Years playing I can straight away hear that it is a rather more complex composition than Model Village punctuated with wonderful, sweet guitar sounds that only Bill can pull off..."Capricious Skies", "Southport", "Method Acting", "The Years'...all truly stunning!" Tourist in Wonderland: 'This new release really demands your attention...lots going on (in a good way)...many questions, much to discover, much wow-factor-ness. Initially blown away by "The Invisible City of Christian Rosenkruetz", "A Charming Trick", "Odeon", "The Years", "The Last Romantic". Can't stand chatting all day...got some seriously jaw-dropping music to listen to." Palladium: "The guitar (as you won't be surprised to hear) is blissful, and combines wonderfully with the ' orchestral ' sound/arrangements. A complex album, I think, which will take more than a few listens to get a proper sense of it." mark smith: "Once again the more you play it the more it makes sense, in my opinion. Another Bill Nelson masterpiece. It seems to sound even better listened to very late at night. Thank you again Mr Nelson." December Man: "After I'd finished listening to it on day two, I absent-mindedly pushed the FM button on my stereo, which was on the classical music station, and went outside for a bit, and when I returned I became aware of this beautiful sound coming out of my speakers and assumed it was still The Years that was playing! This went on for a good while before I realized what had happened! (Sometimes aging brings with it these little miracles of absent-minded fun.) But that kinda sums up this album in a strange way. It is 'deceptive' as Bill has stated. Each day that I've listened, it feels like I'm playing a whole new album! This is not unique in itself as many of Bill's albums do this, but The Years seems to make me more aware that this is happening somehow. This album also has a Bill Frisell kinda vibe to it (in its subtlety and strange beauty). Definitely one of Bill's best ever recordings." Albums Menu Future Past

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

Luminous Bill Nelson album - 15 April 1991 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download Tracks: 01) A Luminous Kind Of Guy 02) Tiny Aeroplanes 03) Bright Sparks 04) Is This Alchemy? 05) Language Of The Birds 06) All I Am Is You 07) Life In Reverse 08) Telepathic Cats 09) Two Hearts Beating 10) Blood Off The Wall 11) She's Got Me Floating 12) It's Ok 13) Burning Down 14) Her True And Perfect Serpent 15) Wait For Tomorrow Digital download version bonus tracks: 16) A Luminous Kind Of Guy (Acoustic Version) 17) Her True And Perfect Serpent (Acoustic Version) ALBUM NOTES: Luminous is a vocal album issued on vinyl, cassette and CD, in what turned out to be a one – off album deal with Imaginary Records, a UK independent company. It would also be Nelson's final album to appear on vinyl or cassette, CD having become the dominant format by the time he was ready to release the follow up in 1992. The songs included on Luminous partly came from an aborted attempt to form a new version of Be Bop Deluxe, but the project stalled with the musicians having undertaken a week long rehearsal in 1990. When the demos for that project had no natural home, Nelson used them to fill approximately half of the Luminous album. The material on Luminous was recorded at the newly christened Studio Rose-Croix, Nelson's home studio set-up that had supplanted the Echo Observatory. Imaginary Records eventually lived up to its name and ceased to exist from 1994, and Nelson has stated he received little if any payment for his work. The album was deleted and remained out of print for 18 years. A remastered version of Luminous, was reissued in 2012 under the Esoteric/Cherry Red record label. In April 2025, the digital download version of Luminous was released which included two bonus tracks: A Luminous Kind Of Guy (Acoustic Version) and Her True And Perfect Serpent (Acoustic Version), which were recorded during the same sessions that produced the original album and were exclusive to the digital download at the time of release. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Some of the demo tapes I made for Be Bop Mk 2 found their way, eventually, onto the Luminous album, and a couple more of these may also have surfaced even later, on Blue Moons . But they were not recorded for that purpose originally. They were simply home-made demos, (for the band to learn the songs from), with me playing all the instruments, rather than finished, polished recordings. Then again, almost everything I released during the mid 80's through the 90's I regarded as demos or rough sketches. I was hoping for a chance to re-record some of the songs with a proper band in a proper studio but, as this never materialised, I ended up releasing the rough tracks as albums." _____ "Whilst I often referred, in my sleeve notes, to that period of my music as being of 'demo' quality, I think it's fair to say that such descriptions were down to my own subjective hyper-self-critical sensibilities, more than to any reasonable objective assessment. Time has placed these recordings less in the demo category and more into the 'cool lo-fi' bag. I don't think there's anything for a listener to be cautious about or for me to apologise for. Considering the primitive technical resources that were available to be at the time, they're little miracles of sound and song." FAN THOUGHTS: mr manchester: "This is an album I know well (one of my favorites) and I was pleasantly surprised at the remastering, the sound is certainly different than the original, a warmer sound with a less harsh top end. Whatever it is, I find it hard to describe...but it's great. To mind, it's not Lo-Fi...(that always brings to mind overly distorted, badly played guitar, plodding fuzz bass and navel-gazing muttered vocals)...it does have a simplicity and economy of instrumentation that works well for the songs, they have space to breathe." "One of my faves is "Two Hearts Beating"...I love the opening line of the song, "It's raining all over the world". The album contains some of the most beautiful, yearning lyrics and heartfelt melodies ever committed to tape. It's hard to believe these songs were created so rapidly. "Improvised, spontaneous songwriting" indeed! It's a while since I listened to an album in such depth and I really enjoyed listening properly." felixt1: "I am a great believer in 'first takes'...let the soul command the body, use the force, etc." WalterDigsTunes: "That little gem of a disc was responsible for really kickstarting my addiction to Bill's music." Fraser: "I've always had a soft spot for Luminous Bill, I think it's a cracking little album." Returningman: "Not one to be forgotten that's for sure. Jam-packed with luscious melodies and strangeness." Quinault: "Stronger than Blue Moons." alec: "Luminous is fantastic, through and through, and listening again, it's another masterpiece." "Love the vox riffing on "The Language of the Birds", and the overall sense of doubt and simultaneous spiritual high therein." Holer: "The standout tracks are "Burning Down", a funky, guitar driven throw-down of a number with Bill singing some wonderfully abandoned falsetto, and the incredibly weird "Language of the Birds", which features Bill chanting his lyrics over a semi-industrial soundscape before breaking into another crazy falsetto workout. This last tune is reminiscent of the more experimental sound Bill seemed to be moving toward around the time of Love that Whirls and really stands out as a strange and unique track." soteloscope: "Luminous has been a mainstay on the car radio during our family drives these past months. My 4 year old son requests "Tiny Aeroplanes" over and over." Alan Cawthorne: "The songs on the albums are demos with Bill wishing to capture the idea - the birth of a song in its barest state. Listeners have to appreciate the idea when listening." Opium: "Not many musicians are artists. Nor can you often delve so easily through notes and tremolo as you can through the strokes of a brush. I'm sitting listening to Luminous , both guilty and illuminated. The lyrics proposition. The hearts beat a bass line, the climax a searing guitar solo. I would guess it requires a contempt for the past in order to achieve self portrait after self portrait. Taking further manifestations for granted so that our truest loves are never a part of the past." tommaso: "All in all, it's really one of those albums of Bill's that I cherish most." Albums Menu Future Past