NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON A FRIEND

Budgie's inclusion in the annals of ProgArchives may well raise a few eyebrows(not least by the group themselves who have on at least one occasional included the phrase 'We're not progressive' on their album notes) and their subsequent post-seventies career showcases a rather straight, proto-metal outfit more in love with sharp riffing than complex instrumental arrangements. However, whilst the bulk of their material tends to eschew progressive aesthetics, this 1974 album goes gloriously against the grain. Undoubtedly the high watermark of the Welsh power-trio's lengthy career, 'Never Turn Your Back On A Friend' is the group's most expansive, inventive and eclectic work, featuring a selection of crisp rockers, a charming ballad and the superlative Budgie signature piece 'Parents'. A fan favourite, 'Parents' finds Budgie taking rare strides into progressive territory as lead vocalist Burke Shelley gently recounts a bittersweet tale of parental guidance. Its a marvellous ten-minute epic with a strangely maudlin tone, featuring cleverly used acoustic guitars and some poignant lyrical statements regarding how the people who bring us up usually know best, even if we doubt it at the time of our growing up. Yet whilst 'Parents' may well be the album's stand-out number, elsewhere on the album you have the muscular 'Breadfan' - a track famously covered by Metallica no less - the groovy, steel- riffed funk-rock number 'In The Grip Of A Tyrefitters Hand' and the dreamy acoustic ballad 'You Know I'll Always Love You', three very different tracks that help make 'Never Turn Your Back On A Friend' a truly remarkable album. They may not be a genuine progressive rock outfit, yet for a brief moment Budgie's star shone super bright with this prog-tinged proto-metal classic. A real surprise; a fantastic album. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012