SUNBURST FINISH

This is my first exposure to Be Bop Deluxe, bought on a whim due to dirt-cheap prices. My curiosity causes me to do this from time to time and a low price always catches my attention. That's not because I'm cheap. It just means I can fit another CD into my purchase, i.e., more bang for my buck.

Be Bop Deluxe reminds me more of what used to be termed as "art rock" on this site before it got relabeled "crossover." So what we have here is not the usual symphonic prog, or anything resembling the other genres that began in the 1970s. It's generally quirky pop rock with progressive leanings and performances clearly made by very skilled musicians. In fact, this group could have pulled off some really wonderful music if they could take some of their better tracks and extend them to two to three times their length.

Overall, there are some similarities with other art rock groups of the period, like Roxy Music, 10cc, and David Bowie. The quirkiness at times reminds me of Gentle Giant, but even those these musicians are talented, they aren't even close to the same league as Gentle Giant. Because of the quirkiness, the music has a very eclectic feel to it.

Sunburst Finish is clearly not in the same league as the classic progsters of the 1970s, but their music is far better than the average pop rock of the time. Those of you with an interest in quirky stuff should really like this. If it weren't for the charming quirkiness, this would be a rather bland album.

A solid three stars.