Live In Concert At Metropolis Studio is a live recording of a concert in March 2011 by Bill Nelson and the Gentlemen Rocketeers in London.
It comes as a 2 CD plus DVD set or you can buy it as an mp3 download without the video.
If you’re not familiar with Bill Nelson, he was the main man – singer, lead guitarist and songwriter – in art rock group Be Bop Deluxe.
Immediately he broke up the group, he recorded another excellent album, Sound On Sound as Bill Nelson’s Red Noise. Then he abandoned his guitar in favour of keyboards and released many albums of electronic and ambient music.
His Wikipedia entry shows how difficult it is to keep up with the music that Bill Nelson has been releasing.
he’s come back into the spotlight with a cracker.
Live In Concert At Metropolis Studio by Bill Nelson and the Gentlemen Rocketeers
My Rating – 28 out of 30 (9 + 10 + 9)
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Set List for the CDs
- The October Man – 5:46 (on the album The Love That Whirls)
- Night Creatures – 4:24 (a Be Bop Deluxe song from the Axe Victim album)
- God Man Slain – 4:25 (Blue Moons and Laughing Guitars)
- Contemplation – 9:48 ( On a Blue Wing)
- Lady You’re A Strange Girl – 3:12 (What Now, What Next?)
- Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape – 9:50 (a Be Bop Deluxe song from the Axe Victim album)
- Furniture Music – 3:17 (from Bill Nelson’s Red Noise album)
- Do You Dream In Colour – 3:34 (Quit Dreaming)
- Ships In The Night – 4:31 (a Be Bop Deluxe song from the Sunburst Finish album)
- Lovers Are Mortal – 6:38 (a Be Bop Deluxe song from the Drastic Plastic album)
- Maid In Heaven – 2:30 (a Be Bop Deluxe song from the Futurama album)
- Sister Seagull – 3:31 (a Be Bop Deluxe song from the Futurama album)
- Wonder Of the Moment – 4:04 (Luxury Lodge)
- Panic In The World – 6:50 (a Be Bop Deluxe song from the Drastic Plastic album)
- Beyond These Clouds The Sweetest Dream – 3:53
- Golden Dream Of Circus Horses – 7:35
- A Dream For Ian – 4:29
- For Stuart – 7:37
Much of the set list is excellent with Nelson selecting fine songs from his days with Be Bop Deluxe including some of the not so obvious songs and a few highlights from his solo career. We have 95 minutes of music which is acceptable but not overly generous and the last four songs are instrumentals which opened the show. As a warm-up for the main show, they are fine but not as the closing tracks for the great music that comes before them. I’m giving the set list 9/10 because I can think of many more Be Bop Deluxe songs I’d have loved to have heard played by this band.
I love the idea of combining Bill Nelson’s guitar solos with contrasting instrumental breaks from a sax or flute.
First impressions are that it’s all very beautifully done have been maintained as I’ve got to know the album better. Bill Nelson is in fine voice and sounds better in 2011 than he did in 1976. The contrast between Nelson’s guitar and the flute and saxophone of Theo Travis works exceptionally well although some may wish for Nelson to cut loose more often.
This is played in front of a small audience and, if you watch the videos, you’ll see that it is very intimate and both the band and the audience are enjoying themselves immensely.
I can’t stop playing it and think it might be the best Bill Nelson / Be Bop Deluxe live album because of the variety of songs and the superb sound. Some Be Bop Deluxe fans will still prefer Live In The Air Age because it has more of Nelson’s guitar.
Here are some videos of Bill Nelson performing live.
The October Man
Beyond These Clouds The Sweetest Dream
Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape
Sister Seagull
Maid In Heaven
Ships In The Night
Now do you believe me that you need this album?
I’m giving this album a rating of 28 out of 30 (9 for set list, 10 for performance and 9 for the atmosphere, authenticity and sound quality. Since the highest rating I’ve ever given is 29, this makes Live In Concert At Metropolis Studios one of the best live albums ever released.
What Other People Say About This Bill Nelson Live Album
There are rave reviews at Amazon that immediately convinced me to buy.
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Buying Bill Nelson Live In Concert At Metropolis Studio
You can get it from Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk – iTunes – eBay
These links will help you get to the albums quickly and easily but I recommend that you still search for the best deal.
What Do You Think About This Bill Nelson Live Album?
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