Bill Nelson and the Gentlemen RocketeersOn DVD
Discussion
The Former frontman of Be-Bop Deluxe and prolific issuer of albums finally gets a Concert Video!!! I don't think many clips exist of Bill fronting any of his many bands so when ITV studios turned up asking Bill for a performance recording mosy of Bill's fans were on tenterhooks to see and hear the result. I watched and listened in LPCM Stereo but there is a DTS 5.1 mix also available. Bill did have reservations about the quality of the recording. He should not worry. First impressions are that the Stereo mix is very clear and very dynamic. The actual Stereo "effect" is very good and mimics the wide separation of the band on stage. Kudos to Bill and John Spence on that. It's as good a "live" performance as I have heard on DVD easily seeing off more expensive productions. So no problems at with the audio quality and, on my copy no Problems with "A Dream for Ian" or "For Stuart" which one viewer has had a problem with. I listened to it via my Hi Fi setup so preferred the Stereo mix and it would work as a live album the quality is that good.
The Picture quality is good and I felt it seemed to have been shot and edited pretty well. It does come across as very intimate, as Bill says, almost "erotic" but given what the production company were aiming for, it works!!! You can tell Bill has a few problems with the Monitors and does miss a few lyrics but no more than some other "live" performances I have seen.
The Main Tracks on the DVD include what many would consider Bill's Hits from the 70's onward as well as his newer work. The Four track "solo" section is well worth listening to as a snap shot of Bill's latest work as well as his command of his instruments.
All in all a "must have" DVD if you are a Bill Nelson/Be Bop Deluxe fan.
The Picture quality is good and I felt it seemed to have been shot and edited pretty well. It does come across as very intimate, as Bill says, almost "erotic" but given what the production company were aiming for, it works!!! You can tell Bill has a few problems with the Monitors and does miss a few lyrics but no more than some other "live" performances I have seen.
The Main Tracks on the DVD include what many would consider Bill's Hits from the 70's onward as well as his newer work. The Four track "solo" section is well worth listening to as a snap shot of Bill's latest work as well as his command of his instruments.
All in all a "must have" DVD if you are a Bill Nelson/Be Bop Deluxe fan.
spyder dryver said:
I saw Bill and BBDL at the De Montfort Hall in Leicester on the "Modern Music" tour.
Lucky me!
The concert was filmed IIRC, two cameras in front of the stage and at least one other in the circle.
I can't recall this footage being released or shown on TV.
Does anyone know any different?
From various posts over time at the forums at www.billnelson.com it seems that the footage exists and occasionally "escapes" on to the net. What EMI or the video company are doing with it seems to be a mystery!! EMI and Bill have a somewhat "chequered" history. However both parties are engaged in getting Bill's EMI catalogue sorted out and re-mastered. This Includes "Northern Dream". Bill releases about 4 new albums a year and usually has an event "Nelsonica" in York. This year however with the DVD and a Winter tour, "Nelsonica" was held back. The Winter Tour is currently on hold and may yet be a Spring 2012 tour.Lucky me!
The concert was filmed IIRC, two cameras in front of the stage and at least one other in the circle.
I can't recall this footage being released or shown on TV.
Does anyone know any different?
The new Albums are split along lines of what I think of of orchestral and (almost) pop vocal albums. For those who love Be-Bop Deluxe, Red Noise and "Quit Dreaming...", "The Love that Whirls", "Chimera" and "Getting the Holy Ghost Across", I'd go for such as "Satellite Songs", "Atom Shop", and latest of these albums "Fancy Planets" before delving into the "Orchestral" works. All of the Albums are Bill in his home studio creating all the sounds using his big collection of guitars and various Keyboards.
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