MODERN MUSIC

Maybe not quite as brilliant as Sunburst Finish, but certainly an excellent collection of tunes, with a bit of a concept album feel. This record was really a forum for Bill Nelson to express his impressions and concerns about the United States after an extended tour in the country. The result is chocked full of gorgeous and infectious melodies. Nelson could almost have been a pop sensation, except for the fact that his arrangements are too complex and unusual for mainstream radio. Modern Music is less guitar oriented than any of the band's previous albums, with a more polished sound closer to New Wave, but when Bill does play, his signature style shines through. He even takes a few backwards solos. Elsewhere, the shimmering synthesizers, along with the glossy production, support Nelson's penchant for 1950's style science fiction. The lyrics are, as always, clever and impressionistic, conjuring bizarre images in the mind of the listener. I must make special mention of the multi-track title suite, which begins and ends with a simulated radio broadcast /9including snippets of songs from previous Be Bop Deluxe albums.) As suites go, this one is pretty coherent. Even though it is composed of individual songs, they flow smoothly into one another and if you're not paying attention you won't notice that anything has changed. Be Bop Deluxe put out some really great music, and it's a shame they never got wider recognition. 4 Stars.