FUTURAMA

I cannot believe that I am the first person to review this album! This has got to be one of the most overlooked bands ever along with The Enid and Greenslade. The quality of their music has nothing to do with that sad fact, however - they are top notch musicians and Bill Nelson's songwriting is immensely creative. In fact if someone asked me to define Art Rock, I would name Be Bop Deluxe as a definitive Art Rock group, along with Van Der Graaf Generator and Curved Air.

This album in particular is amazing for its instrumental prowess, songwriting originality and heart-felt vocals. Production is equally good. The album is a define move into a more progressive direction, with guitar doing most of the work, although its predecessor has progressive elements as well. Arrangements are getting more sophisticated, and lyrics more futuristic.

Don't get fooled by David Bowie comparisons - this band is a hundred times more sophisticated - maybe they also did some "posing" in the days of Glam Rock, but they have solid musical skills to back them up, in fact Bill Nelson is one of the best guitars players in rock, good enough to challenge the fabled Steve Howe or Jan Akkerman.

If you don't own it, you don't know what you are missing.

At last, Billy Nelson is accepted by the proggy. Not that he would care, I imagine. Regardless, Be Bop Deluxe did some great prog/glam fusion in the mid seventies. I would argue that Modern Music, which isn't listed here, is their best, but Futurama is one hell of an album. Nelson is definitely one of the giants of rock lead guitar, but despite what the All Music Guide may say, I never find on this record that his leads take away from the rest of the music. If you are a devotee of rock guitar and haven't heard him play, you are missing out on some awe-inspiring lead playing, fast but never shreddy. The songs are short, but they pack a melodic punch while still being fairly complex for rock music at the time. Nelson's vocals have also been criticized, but they sound very strong to me and he has a very pleasant tone. The mood of the record is unapologetically grandiose, not quite as pomp as Queen but in the same vein. This is "Big Music", to quote Mike Scott of the Waterboys, so snarky indie rockers need not apply. The lyrics are very intelligent as well, mostly dense but poetic, including a fond ode to Jean Cocteau, a major influence on Nelson. Instrumentally, though there was no keyboard player in the band at that time (Nelson played 'em), the sound is full, even featuring a silver band on "Dreamland", and the rhythm section of Tumahai and Fox is very impressive. This record is a joy, plain and simple, perhaps even the apex of glam rock. It's as good as Night at the Opera or any of Bowie's best works. What's really impressive is that the band would make two records as good or better before the decade was over. Yet today they are all but forgotten, except for the very knowledgable rock collector, and Nelson remains a cult figure. It's a real shame, but you can help redress the balance by obtaining this album!

I was surprised to see Be Bop Deluxe here but pleased all the same. Bill Nelson's guitar playing is nothing short of sublime and combined with his lyrics, made BBD one of my all time favourite bands. If you want to hear lead guitar without all the meaningless noodling then this is for you. I saw Bill a few years ago at North Ferriby and he still had the touch. As Heptade says - Bill remains a cult figure but if you want to hear truely brilliant lead guitar get hold of this album.

"Futurama" is the second full-length studio album by UK rock act Be Bop Deluxe. The album was released through Harvest Records in July 1975. It was produced by Roy Thomas Baker (who among others also produced some of Queen´s albums). After the tour supporting Be Bop Deluxe´s June 1974 debut album "Axe Victim", frontman and guitarist William Nelson opted to dissolve the band and start over with a completely new lineup. Nelson recruited bassist Charlie Tumahai and drummer Simon Fox and the new trio lineup recorded the material featured on "Futurama".

Stylistically the material on "Futurama" is a bit more eclectic and at times even progressive leaning than the predominantly 60s UK blues rock influenced material from the debut album, although that sound is definitely still a dominant element of Be Bop Deluxe´s soundscape. Most tracks are are three minutes long vers/chorus structured rock songs, so it´s not because of adventurous song structures that Be Bop Deluxe are sometimes referred to as a progressive rock band, but it´s some of the songwriting ideas within these otherwise relatively normal vers/chorus structured songs, which are a bit more interesting than your every day regular rock album from those days. Again it´s more in the arrangements and the way some things are played and presented that Be Bop Deluxe sometimes border progressive rock lands. The two longer tracks featured on the album ("Sound Track" and "Swan Song") are the best examples of the band´s most progressive songwriting ideas and arrangements.

The musicianship is through the roof. These guys are incredibly well playing and although Nelson doesn´t have the most powerful or the most distinct sounding voice, he gets the job done pretty well. His guitar playing on the other hand is fantastic. He is such an intuitive and honest guitar player and it shines through every note he plays. The new rhythm section are well playing too and brings a lot of drive and power to the album. "Futurama" features an organic, powerful, and detailed sound production too, so all in all it´s a good quality sophomore studio album from Be Bop Deluxe, showing growth in the songwriting department and featuring some strong and powerful musical performances. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

This 1975 release by Be Bop Deluxe finds the band moving beyond the grit of their debut album, Axe Victim. While still quite guitar-heavy, Futurama exhibits a grace and polish lending itself to a nice sonic sheen while showing the real beauty of Be Bop Deluxe, which is their inability to be pigeonholed.

The songs on Futurama are generally short and quite melodic, but the lyrics and subject matter are a bit too highbrow (Jean Cocteau), and the performances are perhaps too passionate for mainstream rock radio. However, outside the mainstream and inside the progressive realm, Be Bop Deluxe is right at home.

Bill Nelson's guitar playing and tone are absolutely exquisite throughout. Stage Whispers, Maid In Heaven, Sister Seagull, and Between the Worlds are masterclass examples of taste and tone. They also demonstrate the sonic possibilities of the Gibson ES-345 and how in the right hands it can compete with a Les Paul or Stratocaster. Nelson's vocals, on the other hand, may not reach the same heights as his guitar work, but they fit the music perfectly. Furthermore, the late great Charlie Tumahai and Simon Fox prove a worthy rhythm section for Nelson's guitar heroics by adding dynamic flair and staying tight from beginning to end.

Futurama is perhaps Be Bop Deluxe's finest work, and it would be an excellent addition to the prog connoisseur's collection. It would also be a good starting point for anyone new to this fine but too often overlooked band. Highly recommended!

This album perspires the freshness, fun, amusement, joy and . nostalgia. It is not really fitting the prog standards but it is a fine piece of good rock music again: a glam album in these post-glam years.

This was already the characteristics of their good debut album, and this one shouldn't be a deception for the fans who loved Axe Victim. The recipe is identical, which means that Bill Nelson is showing again his immense skills on the lead guitar and delivers a fantastic work on Futurama.

He might not be the best vocalist in the world, but he is fitting his role perfectly in this glam-rock style of music. This album is more personal than their debut one, which was reaaaaaally close to Bowie's work (Ziggy, A Lad Insane).

The album weakens a bit in the middle part (Sound Track and Music In Dreamland) but the whole remains pretty decent and appealing. I am not sure that progheads would be tempted in listening to such a work: and I am just confirmed in this feeling when I see the very few reviews from this album (and all their other ones as well).

There is some time to breathe with Jean Cocteau: a smooth and jazzy ballad with some fine and light percussions. It contrasts dramatically with the next and disjointed Between The Worlds which is a new wave track avant la lettre. Pastiche and decadent. I like it.

Some bonus tracks are available on the CD release: the single version of Between The Worlds, the very much Mott The Hoople oriented Maid In Heaven and an unreleased album track (featured on some compilation work). A nice addition to the original work which I rate with three stars.

I only have the LP version of this one, so alas, I can not judge the bonus tracks.

The album starts with the somewhat proggy, but over-produced Stage Whisper. This is a pretty good tune, but it gets lost in the aforementioned production. The swirling phasing on the guitar and drums ruins the entire affect of the piece. Love With The Madman is a fairly standard midtempo ballad, saved by some fine guitar by Bill Nelson. Maid In Heaven is a somewhat forgettable guitar heavy rock song. Sister Seagull is a slow, slightly psychedelic tune, again helped by Nelson's guitar, It almost sounds Hendrix inspired. . Sound Tracks brings back some prog, but not a whole lot of prog.

Side two begins with Music In Dreamland, that has sort of an early-Yes sound. Jean Cocteau sound a bit like Brazilian jazz. Between The Worlds may be the proggiest song on the album. And my favorite here. It sugues into Swan Song, another good proggy piece.

So about half of this album definitely has prog elements, and it deserves a place here. I would compare it to the middle years of Todd Rundgren's Utopia, before they became completely a pop band.

I have been listening to this CD for a while and I cannot get a hold of It. The music is beyond me, there´s no one single track to put above the rest. What kind of music is this? I don´t know and I can see exactly why Be Bop Deluxe was never a mainstream act. There's no singles in here. The music is not bad at all, the guitar playing is top-notch but It is a strange record to say the least. So if You are in the mood to discover new glam-prog-jazzy sounds this my be the way to do It. Three stars because I don't think this would be an excellent addition to anyone's collection.

it was 1973/4 - I had had Ziggy and lost, I had had Roxy Mk1 and lost and was desperate to find another act that I could immerse myself in. Thank God for Radio1 staging late night sessions and Album reviews and I got to hear of Bill Nelson and his exquisite Gibson 345 fueled licks and riffs and a big side dollop of synthy keys.

I was a burgeoning young green-teen guitar player looking for any clues in the day before the net and DVD(!) - anyone who offered a glimmer was idolised and revered and Maid In Heaven was all it took. The opening wammy bar note sounded exactly as my Yamaha RD200 electric start did on power-up and as I swung my leg over to blast off onto the mid 1970s streets with this song in my head it made me feel vital and relevant.

The Album's soaring guitar deliveries created a life-long love of the classic Gibson Semi and I eventually got to own one too!

I may not have all the riffs and licks off to pat even now, but I have squared the circle. Hell I even got to discuss his technique and gear with him direct on his Dreamsville Inn Forum at billnelson.com - - Maid an ageing '16' year old feel In Heaven all over again!

Thanks Bill!

BE BOP DELUXE were quite active in the 70's releasing five studio albums but they never made it to the 80's. "Futurama" is album number two from 1975. They were a trio of guitar, bass and drums and Bill Nelson is the man in control here, the lead guitarist, composer, singer etc. I honestly thought with their band name that they would be all about the humour like OINGO BOINGO but no. This comes across like AOR material, they are tagged as Glam Rock by many. To over simplify it, it feels like your either hearing Bill sing or perform a flashy guitar solo. And this is more than that of course but there's a lot of radio friendly songs and I quite enjoyed my time with this one.

Nine tracks over 35 minutes and how about the first sounds that we hear on that opener "Stage Whispers" as in screaming guitar. The flashy solos will continue on this one. "Love With The Madman" is a top three for me. They slow it down after that energetic opener and the vocals sound different, better. Some emotion. "Maid In Heaven" sounds like a single. "Sister Seagull" is another top three. The melancholy does it for me along with the guitar solos.

"Sound Track" and the closer "Swan Song" are about the two proggiest songs on here which isn't saying a lot. Both the longest tunes here clocking in around 6 minutes. Some orchestral stuff on "Music In Dreamland", some brass. "Between The Worlds" is an uptempo rocker while "Jean Cocteau" is trippy and relaxed and I like it better than the rocker. The closer "Swan Song" is my final top three by the way.

I've seen Bill's name so often over the years so it's finally good to hear him play and sing. A solid 3 stars.