The last time I reviewed an album by this next band, I was flush with the glow of love's onset. Now I've had a little bit of separation - I still like the band but probably not as much as I did six months ago.
Disc 250 is...Never Turn Your Back On A Friend
Artist: Budgie
Year of Release: 1973
What’s Up With The Cover?: Budgie does some seriously cool album covers, many of which feature some fantastical scene where some person or creature has been given a budgie's head. In this cover, both the creature AND the person have been 'budgified' which only makes it twice as cool.
How I Came To Know It: I covered this when I reviewed "In For The Kill" back at Disc 174, but in a nutshell, my friend and fellow music lover Spence put me on to these guys. Thanks again, Spence!
How It Stacks Up: I now have 5 Budgie albums (with plans for more down the road). Of these five, I'd put "Never Turn Your Back On A Friend" 2nd or 3rd best, or roughly equal to "In For The Kill".
Rating: 4 stars.
"Never Turn Your Back On A Friend" (Hereafter referred to as "Never...") is an uneven album. It is part noodle-fest and part hard rock masterpiece, and rarely anything in between. Because the hard rock masterpiece moments outrank the noodle-fest moments, I gave it a generous 4 stars, but it is not for everyone.
What is for everyone (everyone with ears, anyway) is the opening track, "Breadfan" which has become one of Budgie's most famous songs. Never heard it before? Well, that says more about Budgie's relative fame level than it does about "Breadfan"
"Breadfan" is just over six minutes of one fine rock star, starting with a furious riff (Budgie's strong suit), descending briefly into a prog-swamp in the middle for a couple of minutes, and then re-emerging into the same furious riff. Lest you be fearful of the prog swamp, don't be. Without the brief respite, "Breadfan's" riff would cause your ears to melt off. Or in less metaphorical terms - the soft bridge in the middle helps give a little balance to the experience.
The album also has a remake of the thirties blues song "Baby Please Don't Go" which is played well, although lacking any real innovation. I've heard "Baby Please Don't Go" too many times over the years, and subsequently the song just doesn't grab me anymore, even if it is supposedly a classic.
The album also has a series of very slow ballads. Budgie takes great pride in their ability to play both 'soft' and 'hard', and every album has a few of these ballads. On "Never..." they show off some of their better stuff, particularly the fanciful "Riding My Nightmare" and the more philosophical "Parents".
"Parents" is a bit overlong at 10:22, but it is also a very insightful track about moving out of your parents place for the first time, and how all the things they taught you continue to stretch their shadow over your decisions. Whether you are following their advice, or rebelling from it, our parents shape our world view, and this is a song that takes an unflinching look at this fact.
Lest you think "Parents" is indicative of Budgie's level of lyrical insight, it is actually the exception. I find most of their lyrics next to non-sensical, and they seem more focused on a turn of phrase than any clarity. I've already mentioned "Breadfan", which may be great, but don't ask me what it's about - or even what a 'breadfan' even is.
A couple other noteables include "You're The Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk" and "In the Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand". Um...yeah. "In The Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand" is one of my favourites on the album, but don't ask me what the hell it is about - I'm not even sure what a Tyrefitter is.
As for "You're the Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk", the song begins with over two solid minutes of the most painfully uninventive drum solo you'll ever hear, and never recovers.
Since this album hits more often than it misses - and comes in at a tastefully restrained seven songs, I'm sticking with my four star rating. Budgie isn't for everyone, but if you like progressive seventies rock, and hard hitting riffs, this album could be for you.
Best tracks: Breadfan, In the Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand, Riding My Nightmare, Parents
Disc 250 is...Never Turn Your Back On A Friend
Artist: BudgieYear of Release: 1973
What’s Up With The Cover?: Budgie does some seriously cool album covers, many of which feature some fantastical scene where some person or creature has been given a budgie's head. In this cover, both the creature AND the person have been 'budgified' which only makes it twice as cool.
How I Came To Know It: I covered this when I reviewed "In For The Kill" back at Disc 174, but in a nutshell, my friend and fellow music lover Spence put me on to these guys. Thanks again, Spence!
How It Stacks Up: I now have 5 Budgie albums (with plans for more down the road). Of these five, I'd put "Never Turn Your Back On A Friend" 2nd or 3rd best, or roughly equal to "In For The Kill".
Rating: 4 stars.
"Never Turn Your Back On A Friend" (Hereafter referred to as "Never...") is an uneven album. It is part noodle-fest and part hard rock masterpiece, and rarely anything in between. Because the hard rock masterpiece moments outrank the noodle-fest moments, I gave it a generous 4 stars, but it is not for everyone.
What is for everyone (everyone with ears, anyway) is the opening track, "Breadfan" which has become one of Budgie's most famous songs. Never heard it before? Well, that says more about Budgie's relative fame level than it does about "Breadfan"
"Breadfan" is just over six minutes of one fine rock star, starting with a furious riff (Budgie's strong suit), descending briefly into a prog-swamp in the middle for a couple of minutes, and then re-emerging into the same furious riff. Lest you be fearful of the prog swamp, don't be. Without the brief respite, "Breadfan's" riff would cause your ears to melt off. Or in less metaphorical terms - the soft bridge in the middle helps give a little balance to the experience.
The album also has a remake of the thirties blues song "Baby Please Don't Go" which is played well, although lacking any real innovation. I've heard "Baby Please Don't Go" too many times over the years, and subsequently the song just doesn't grab me anymore, even if it is supposedly a classic.
The album also has a series of very slow ballads. Budgie takes great pride in their ability to play both 'soft' and 'hard', and every album has a few of these ballads. On "Never..." they show off some of their better stuff, particularly the fanciful "Riding My Nightmare" and the more philosophical "Parents".
"Parents" is a bit overlong at 10:22, but it is also a very insightful track about moving out of your parents place for the first time, and how all the things they taught you continue to stretch their shadow over your decisions. Whether you are following their advice, or rebelling from it, our parents shape our world view, and this is a song that takes an unflinching look at this fact.
Lest you think "Parents" is indicative of Budgie's level of lyrical insight, it is actually the exception. I find most of their lyrics next to non-sensical, and they seem more focused on a turn of phrase than any clarity. I've already mentioned "Breadfan", which may be great, but don't ask me what it's about - or even what a 'breadfan' even is.
A couple other noteables include "You're The Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk" and "In the Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand". Um...yeah. "In The Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand" is one of my favourites on the album, but don't ask me what the hell it is about - I'm not even sure what a Tyrefitter is.
As for "You're the Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk", the song begins with over two solid minutes of the most painfully uninventive drum solo you'll ever hear, and never recovers.
Since this album hits more often than it misses - and comes in at a tastefully restrained seven songs, I'm sticking with my four star rating. Budgie isn't for everyone, but if you like progressive seventies rock, and hard hitting riffs, this album could be for you.
Best tracks: Breadfan, In the Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand, Riding My Nightmare, Parents
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