CD Odyssey Disc 1513: Budgie

A combination of long workdays and a busy social calendar meant that I spent a lot more time getting to know this next record than it probably warranted. Here’s what I discovered.

Disc 1513 is….  If I Were Britannia I’d Waive the Rules

Artist: Budgie

Year of Release: 1976

What’s up with the Cover? As usual, Budgie gives us a bird-themed cover. Here we have some budgie-people locked in a space battle. They’re armed with rockets, which is pretty cool but they’re going to find their maneuverability limited given wings don’t work in the vacuum of space.

Also of note, the budgie in the middle has clearly been working out. Check out the bubble butt on that bird. I mean…squawk!

How I Came To Know It: My buddy Spence initially introduced me to Budgie, but these later records are me just digging through their catalogue.

How It Stacks Up: I have seven Budgie albums. One of them has to be my least favourite, and this one is it.

Ratings: 2 stars but almost 3

It’s rare for a band’s sixth album have the same magic as their previous five. There are exceptions to the rule, yes, but “If I Were Britannia I’d Waive the Rules” (hereafter referred to as “Britannia”) is not one of them.

All the usual ingredients for a good Budgie record are present. There are innovative guitar riffs counterbalanced with creative drumbeats and shifting prog-rock melodic structures. Like Rush, Budgie songs often feel like the band gets bored halfway through and decides to graft on a whole new song. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.

On “Britannia” it works a lot less than I’d like. A good example is the title track, which has a passably groovy guitar riff at the front, an even cooler (but different) guitar riff at the end and a whole lot of atmospheric filler in between them. Did it try my patience? Yes, reader, yes it did.

The album also has a bit more of a hippy dippy feel to some of the songs, as Budgie feels the influence of mellow mid-seventies radio rock going on around them. “You’re Opening Doors” even has a bit of jazz flute which was entirely unwelcome.

The band loves long and weird song titles, often inserting dad jokes and puns for good measure. “Britannia” has plenty of this, starting with the clever word swap in the title track. The worst offender is “Anne Neggen” which I think is them having a laugh at how the chorus of “and again! And again!” could be interpreted as a woman’s name. It is the kind of joke that is funny at 2 a.m. when you are still at the studio, a few joints in and feeling loopy. It is not the kind of joke that translates to the audience. Is it as bad as the risible “Napoleon Bona Parts 1 & 2” from “Bandolier”? Not quite, but close.

The best of the “weird title” songs is “Quacktors and Bureaucrats” which has a chugging bass line, and while it has about four different movements, they all fit together nicely, aided at critical junctures by the best friend of seventies rock, the cowbell.

While “Quacktors and Bureaucrats” is carefully planned and arranged, other songs like “Sky High Percentage” feel like a rock and blues band jamming at the bar. Their jamming at a high level, but that kind of experience isn’t my…er…jam. See that, Budgie? You’re not the only one who can force a little word play.

After a terribly schmaltzy “Heaven Knows Our Name” where Budgie tries (and fails) to get romantic, the album ends with “Black Velvet Stallion”. This song is glorious. It is a third dreamy and diffuse, a third crunching guitar, and a third “let the rhythm section hit ‘em” and it rolls through these iterations in a wheel of awesome for its full eight plus minutes.

My best guess is this song is about Budgie ruminating on one of those seventies black velvet paintings of a horse. A rather hilarious and of-its-time notion, made more awesome by deep thoughts like this:

“Black velvet stallion you're my child
Flower of tenderness growing wild
Look through my wilderness
No one would ever guess you're me
What I am seeing is me”

Don’t worry, boys; the drugs will wear off in a few hours and it’ll just be a painting of a horse again.

As over the top as it is, “Black Velvet Stallion” ends the record on a high note. Or at least it should. My version is once again one of those mid-oughts remastered copies, that features 2006 versions of both “You’re Opening Doors” and “Black Velvet Stallion”. These later recordings of the originals add nothing to the record, other than infuriating me. When I listen to “Britannia” outside of the “full listen, monkey” requirements, these are mercifully excluded from the experience. Even here after the one obligatory run through, I decided to…ahem…waive the rules.

The real question is, am I going to keep this album or let it go? I waffled considerably on this, and I expect if I’d had a couple fewer listens I’d probably have let it go. Instead, despite its faults it grew on me, which I’m taking as a good sign for the future.

Best tracks: about half of “If I Were Britannia I’d Waive the Rules”, Quacktors and Bureaucrats, Black Velvet Stallion

CD Odyssey Disc 1460: Budgie

It has been over eight years since I last reviewed an album by this next band. Welcome back, Budgie!

Disc 1460 is…. Self-Titled

Artist: Budgie

Year of Release: 1971

What’s up with the Cover?  Yet another depiction of a budgie-headed man riding a flying horse through the clouds. How predictable.

How I Came To Know It: My friend Spence put me onto this album – and the band generally. I can even remember where it happened. He played the song “Homicidal Suicidal” in his car. I even remember where we were, driving down Yates Street. I don’t remember the year, because years have all begun to bleed into one another as “Pre-Covid Times” but a long time ago – over ten years at least. I do remember he played it loud, which is how this record is best enjoyed.

How It Stacks Up: It has been so long since I reviewed my last Budgie album that I have added two more to my collection and now own seven. I had been saving first place for this record, but in the end it landed in third, just behind “In for the Kill” and “Never Turn Your Back on a Friend.”

Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4

If you are one of those people who praise an album with expressions like, “dude, it is so heavy” then this record is for you. While later Budgie could be thought of as a cross between Black Sabbath and Rush, their debut replaces the Rush in that equation with Cream. Gone are the proggy musings, replaced with even more sludgy riffs and a healthy dollop of acid-rock.

The record is blast after blast of six to eight minute hard rock awesomeness, with short little hippy guitar noodles that serve as a palate cleanser before the next song shoves your head back under again. The heaviness of the record should not be compared to the metallic crunch of later metal. Their sound is rounded at the edges, and very bluesy, while holding to that aggressive metal style.

Ray Phillips drumming lands with dull but powerful thuds, reminding me favourably of Black Sabbath’s Bill Ward. On “Nude Disintegrating Parachute Woman” Phillips delivers some of his best hits, the strikes coming slow and off-kilter, stumbling toward you like an artful drunk. The song also features some of guitarist’s Tony Bourge best work. Bourge is playing around with blues solos here, but he takes them into the land of psychedelia. “Nude Disintegrating Parachute Woman” is eight and a half minutes of your life you won’t get back, but you won’t want to either.

Oh, and if that song title inspired you and are wondering what it is about, the answer is…not much more than that image, possibly viewed through a drugged or alcoholic haze. Budgie sings about weird shit, but the lyrics are often less important than a general mood they’re trying to invoke. That’s the case here.

The album’s true masterpiece (and the song my buddy first hooked me with) is the album’s final track, “Homicidal Suicidal.” This song has the same brilliant riff/drum combo of Phillips/Bourge but the riff is even better. It is a riff that would be one of rock and roll’s most instantly recognizable if only Budgie had been just a little more famous. It is also the best work from vocalist (and Geddy Lee lookalike) Burke Shelley. This song is built for standing on the hood of a Camaro, arms outstretched and beer in hand, ideally with your shirt off. Make sure the Camaro owner is cool first, though. Camaros are a thing of beauty and not to be abused. But I digress…

Back to the album, which does have one significant drawback, that being the production. Budgie turned the sludge up to 11 and while this is deliberate, it can take away from some of the fabulous musicianship on display. The drums benefit a lot from the treatment, but the separation of sound suffers. If you really love sludgy production, this will hands-down be your favourite Budgie record, but I wanted a bit more definition.

Finally, like all these Budgie remasters in my collection, it has a whole bunch of superfluous bonus tracks that annoyed the hell out of me. While Billy Bragg has the good manners to put bonus material on a separate disc, Budgie loads it all in together, leaving me with three versions of “Nude Disintegrating Parachute Woman.” Eight and a half minutes of that song is a good time, but when it gets north of 20 minutes it’s too much.

Overall, I love this record and more than a decade after the first time I heard it, “Homicidal Suicidal” remains one of my all-time favourite rock songs.

Best tracks: Guts, Nude Disintegrating Parachute Woman, Homicidal Suicidal

CD Odyssey Disc 483: Budgie

Good morning and welcome to the greatest day in the sports world calendar – Super Bowl Sunday!  Once again my beloved Dolphins will not be playing in the Super Bowl, but it is still a great experience to gather ‘round the big screen with fellow football enthusiasts and watch the big game.

But first, I need to get this review up – the fourth of five albums I have by these guys to be reviewed.

Disc 483 is… Bandolier

Artist: Budgie

Year of Release: 1975

What’s up with the Cover?  Those who’ve read my earlier Budgie reviews will already know Budgie likes to take kick-ass art and make it better by replacing heads (or even head-like objects in the case of “Squawk”) with the heads of budgies.  Of the many kick-ass covers, “Bandolier” is the best, with bandito budgie horsemen hoofing it about on some alien planet.  Yeehaw – viva la songbird revolucion!

How I Came To Know It:  My buddy Spence introduced me to Budgie, and “Bandolier” was just me drilling through their collection.  It is the latest I have in their collection, since I took pity on a fellow collector and let him snatch “If I Were Brittania I’d Waive the Rules” out from under me at the local record shop.  I hope he’s enjoying it.

How It Stacks Up:  I have five Budgie albums and I like them all.  I’ll put “Bandolier” fifth, but that doesn’t make it bad.

Rating:  3 stars

Long, riff-packed rock and roll is the Budgie way, and it is a good way to be. “Bandolier” is a bit lighter than Budgie’s previous four studio albums, but what it lacks in overall punch it makes up for with some interesting variety.

The opening track, “Breaking All The House Rules” is not an example of this variety, as it follows all of Budgie’s house rules:  heavy riffs that switch up mid-song, ridiculously long song titles and extended playing time (in this case 7:28) are all here.  This is a good example of why it is OK to stick with what you know, and sets a great tone for the record.

This is followed up with “Slipaway” another Budgie staple; sappy power-folk (if such a thing exists).  Budgie was an early convert to doing heavy music mixed with ballads.  These can be good, but “Slipaway” slipped away one too many steps into drippy reverie, and lost me along the way.

Fortunately, the record recovers itself with the band stretching its artistic limits with “Who Do You Want For Your Love?” a song that mixes that sappy folksy rock, with a guitar riff that would be right at home in a James Brown song it is so funky.  Later when the song begins to rock out, that same guitar riff gets thick and fuzzy, but it is still recognizably and gloriously funky.  In fact, “Who Do You Want For Your Love?” is so refreshing it almost bumped “Bandolier” into four star territory all on its own.

Unfortunately, not every track has the same level of excellence.  In addition to the aforementioned “Slipaway” there is also “Napoleon Bona-Part One and Part Two” which is really just a single song.  In addition to being one of the stupidest song titles in my music collection, the song is a bit all over the place in a bad way.  Usually Budgie will mix in two or three riffs and change-ups that connect well with each other, but in “Napoleon, etc.” they just try to cram too much into a single song.  The band is so tight and talented that it is still a passable track, but I think this one should have been developed into two or three separate songs.

This is another of the Budgie re-masters and commits the same sin as the other ones in including bonus tracks of alternate version of songs that are already on the basic album.  “Bandolier” is not quite as bad as the other records for this.  There are three annoying repeats, all of which are live performances that don’t measure up to the studio original, but this time the band also includes a fourth track that is new.  This is “Honey,” a B-side from the 45 singles release of “I Ain’t No Mountain.”  “Honey” is not a very interesting song, but it is nice to get new content for a change.

Lyrics were never Budgie’s strong suit, and “Bandolier” is also unremarkable on this front.  Most of the songs are just about rockin’ out or some form of romantic expression (either a love ballad or R&B inspired cheatin’ songs).   That suits me well, though.  Artists should be taken in their own context.  You don’t expect ACDC to write poetry like Dylan or Cohen and you shouldn’t expect it from Budgie either; these are bands that are about the music first.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed “Bandolier” this time around.  Tony Bourge’s guitar is as good as it has ever been, and he expertly plays rock riffs, bluesy chord progressions and whimsical folk plucking with equal excellence.  Burke Shelley’s Geddy Lee-like vocal stylings are an acquired taste, but as a Rush fan I acquired it a long time ago.

If anything, at six songs the album is a bit too short, even for a seventies offering limited by vinyl.  When two of the songs aren’t strong, you’ve only got four others to hang your hat on.  I listened to this album for an extra day on my walks because I was enjoying it so much, but maybe I was also hoping for a bit more content.

If you are new to Budgie this isn’t where to start, but if you like what you hear on other albums, by all means get “Bandolier” as well before you end your journey.

Best tracks:  Breaking All the House Rules, Who Do You Want For Your Love?, I Ain’t No Mountain

CD Odyssey Disc 405: Budgie

Well, it is Monday and I’ve survived my birthday weekend.  Many thanks to all those folks who took the time to survive it with me.

I’m now off for a week of holidays (yay!) and plan to get a good chunk of writing done on my next novel.  For now, however, I’ll stick with the next album review in the CD Odyssey.

Disc 405 is…Squawk

Artist: Budgie

Year of Release: 1972

What’s Up With The Cover?:  Budgie has the best album covers because they know what the art world needs more of; fantastic drawings featuring giant budgies or creatures with giant budgie heads grafted onto their bodies.  I couldn’t believe how little of this stuff we saw on our recent trip to the Louvre.

“Squawk’s” cover is a jet fighter – with a giant budgie head at the front end.  There are many ways to make awesome art, and the decision to put a budgie head on the front of a jet is definitely one of them.

How I Came To Know It: As I’ve noted in prior Budgie reviews, I got to know this band through my buddy Spence, who has an incredible depth of knowledge when it comes to seventies hard rock (and many other things besides – musical and otherwise).

How It Stacks Up:  I have five Budgie albums.  I like all of them, but I’m going to put Squawk 4^th out of the 5 in a tough field.

Rating: 3 stars, but close to 4.

“Squawk” is a poor name for this album, which is probably the least ‘squawky’ and most ‘rocky’ album of the five Budgie albums I’ve heard.

To quickly recap for those few people who have not religiously read my previous two Budgie reviews, these guys are a hard rocking trio from England that make heavy hard rock.  They sound like a cross between Rush, Black Sabbath and very early Judas Priest.  Or in other words, they sound great.

“Squawk” has all the usual things you expect on a Budgie album.  First and foremost, are the riff-heavy compositions.  These guys write great rock guitar riffs, and this is on full display from the very first track, “Whiskey River.”  “Whiskey River” sounds like an amped up blues classic, but I couldn’t find any indication that it is anything other than a Budgie original.  Sounding like a timeless classic, by definition, makes a song a timeless classic, and “Whiskey River” is a great song that at only 3:22 leaves you wanting more.

Other rock classics on the album include “Rocking Man” which strongly reminded me of Rush’ debut album.  Partly because it is such great rock and roll, and partly because it is mildly goofy in places, and not afraid to wink and nod at you that the boys in the band had a good time composing it.

Lyrically, “Rocking Man” annoyed me however, with some of the stupidest lyrics I’ve ever heard.  The worst example is probably the overwrought “Just like a hammer, well I hammer a song.”  Hammers don’t hammer songs, Budgie .  “To hammer out a song” would be the metaphor – by adding a second simile into the sentence, you left me with the impression that you literally took a hammer to a song, which makes no frickin’ sense, unless you’ve taken one too many hammers to your head.

These rock songs still hold their own against other albums of theirs that I prefer, but in other areas “Squawk” is just a tiny bit weaker.

For example, their albums also always feature soft, sixties inspired hippie rock.  Budgie is quite proud of the fact that their records have a lot of range, and I like that as well.  In this way they are like a better version of more recent acts like Black Mountain (another band I like, and even Canadian!)

However, the softer side of Budgie on Squawk isn’t the same level as some of the songs on their other albums.  “Make Me Happy” is a little too Rod Stewart for my tastes, and while the more ambitious “Young Is a World” is much better, it is also a bit rambling near the end where it needs to wrap up.  I prefer the meandering “Parents” from 1973’s “Never Turn Your Back on A Friend” when I want to meander.

Every Budgie album has two more staple offerings:  the epic, overlong rock song and at least one bizarrely titled proto-progressive song.

For the epic, “Squawk” offers up “Stranded” which is a little short (for Budgie’s standards) at 6:21.  “Stranded” has a collection of fine riffs, and some really heavy grooves that reminded me of Black Sabbath’s debut album.  It is an excellent track, although I’d have to put it slightly behind truly great Budgie epic songs including “Homicidal Suicidal,” “Breadfan” and “Zoom Club” all of which appear on other albums.

 The bizarrely titled song is “Hot as a Docker’s Armpit” which I think edges out “In The Grip of a Tyrefitter’s Hand,” “Crash Course In Brain Surgery” and “Nude Disintigrating Parachutist Woman” as best Budgie song title ever.  It was a tight race, but including the word ‘armpit’ in a song title put it over the top.

That said, “Hot as a Docker’s Armpit” falls apart a little in the chorus, after a very promising beginning.  The chorus is a staccato chant of the song title repeated two or three times in a way that seems hurried and artificially squeezed too tightly to fit into the space the tune allows.  Here, Budgie could learn from Rush, who always manage to put Neil Peart’s sometimes difficult lyrics into a song in a way that makes them feel natural – even if they have to change the time signature three times while doing it.  Instead, I get the impression that Budgie just fell in love with a catchy expression, and then tried to contort the rest of the song to fit it in.

Overall, “Squawk” is the most bluesy of all Budgie’s records, and among fans is regarded as one of their better albums.  I really love it as well, and it came close to scoring four stars with me.  It’s only sin is that I prefer a few other Budgie albums more, but that doesn’t stop me from often picking it off the shelf and giving it a listen.

Best tracks: Whiskey River, Rocking Man, Stranded.

CD Odyssey Disc 250: Budgie

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

CD Odyssey Disc 174: Budgie

In the last three reviews I've had music from 1984, 2004 and now 1974. Could 1994 be next?

Anyway, this week is a band I've been dying to review, since I seriously starting listening to them late last year. If I wax poetic, my apologies - love is so ardent when it is freshly blooming.

Disc 174 is...In For The Kill
Artist: Budgie

Year of Release: 1974

What’s Up With The Cover?: As always, Budgie does a great album cover. This is probably my least favourite, but I still like it. A hunting hawk lands on a glove. It is very Discovery Channel meets Spinal Tap.

How I Came To Know It: Full credit to my buddy Spence, who introduced me to Budgie through their monster track, "Homicidal Suicidal" a number of years ago (n.b. not on this record). "In For the Kill" is me drilling through their collection, having discovered they've remastered all their records.

How It Stacks Up: I have four of Budgie's albums at this point (more to come, but they cost $30 each, so I'm taking it slow). All four are pretty close for me, but I'll say this one is 2nd or 3rd.

Rating: 4 stars

Budgie is a great seventies hard rock/proto-metal band that I am overjoyed to discover so many years after they recorded. This particular album is their fourth studio effort, and the first one with a new drummer (Pete Boot). The old drummer, Ray Phillips, left over 'creative differences', as opposed to the usual method drummers leave a band (i.e. they explode).

Their sound is a cross between seventies Rush and Led Zeppelin. The similarities with Rush are particularly astounding. They are a three piece, where the lead singer is a dorky looking bass player with long wavy hair and a high pitched voice.

The Geddy Lee in Budgie is frontman Burke Shelley - he could be Geddy's long lost English twin. Here he is with fellow band mates John Lithgow and 'Booger':
(n.b. - band member names may not be 100% accurate).

Also like Rush, they will often lay down a very cool riff, but midway through the song decide they have grown tired of it, and switch it up entirely. Sometimes they return to the old riff, but not always. They also love super long tracks: "In For The Kill" features four songs over six minutes and two over nine minutes.

All the tracks are great, but my favourite is "Zoom Club"; one of the nine minute opuses. It has a crushing guitar riff, and furious drum sequences. The liner notes indicate it was written about a club in Germany popular with American G.I.s (The Zoom Club). Budgie was a favourite act in the club, and they wrote a song in its honour. Whatever it is about, it is about rocking hard.

Budgie is also known for long, bizarre song titles. Ordinarily I am against overlong song titles, but not when they are this good. "In For The Kill" features a song titled "Crash Course in Brain Surgery." The title is awesome and even though it is a paltry 2:39, the song measures up.

"In For The Kill" is one of Budgie's hardest driving albums, and even the quieter songs (they may be the original balladeers of the proto-metal movement) are a bit edgier than usual.

The only negative on this album is something common to all the Budgie remasters I have, and that is the old problem of adding pointless bonus tracks. Budgie remasters are possibly the worst for the choices made. This album has seven original album songs, and four bonus tracks. All the bonus tracks are simply different versions ('2003 version', 'radio edit version') of the songs that you've already heard. "Zoom Club" makes three separate appearances. It is a great song, but if I want to hear it again, I'll play the original again.

Budgie is a kick ass hard rocking band not afraid to be innovative and do their own thing. The price of such individualism may be that most people have never heard of them, but that's an injustice I'm working hard to correct.

Best tracks: In For The Kill, Crash Course in Brain Surgery, Zoom Club, Living On Your Own.