Bill Nelson: Buddha Head (CD, XX:XX) POPU004CD Populuxe P.O. Box 50, Houghton-le-Spring, DH4 5YP England CYBERHOME: http://www.webworlds.co.uk/the-wilderness/ Bill Nelson’s Buddha Head is a very “80’s” sounding pop record that reminded me in some parts of Robert Fripp’s solo debut Exposed, and in other parts Roxy Music’s Avalon. The tracks on Buddha Head use plenty of synthetic beats to lay the foundation for Nelson’s fine guitar playing and Bowie-esque vocals. However, while the formula for musical success may be there, Nelson’s execution is a bit flawed and Buddha Head turns out to be an overall disappointment. The main issue I have with Buddha Head is not so much that the songs are bad, it’s more that they are too many songs on the CD that sound similar to one another. Of the 17 tracks, I’d say only about 3 or 4 of them stand out as having any characteristics that help distinguish themselves from the others. After getting through about 8 or so tracks, I frankly just began to lose interest as one synth-driven pop track followed another. Perhaps at a track count of around 10 or so this CD would’ve been easier to swallow, but asking a listener to digest 17 songs that sound pretty much the same is a tall order. Although most of the tracks are a bit on the mediocre side, some songs do pop out as being superior to the others. “Karma Kisses” is one of those – a song with an excellent synth-driven rhythm section setting the foundation for some very nice guitar work by Nelson. “Perfect World” is a mellow “techno-reggae” number with a very smooth vibe and more of Nelson’s pleasant guitar playing. Were there more songs like these two on the CD, Buddha Head would have been more of a success – however, these songs are the exception to the rule. Bill Nelson seems to have plenty of talent, but I think it would be in his best interest if he tried to branch out with his future compositions – focus less on quantity and more on quality. That change, along with a real drummer, could help Nelson get to the next musical level. However, with Buddha Head this level is not even approached. More information on Bill Nelson can be found at http://www.webworlds.co.uk/the-wilderness/ - Michael Askounes (michael@gscyclone.com) PERSONNEL: Bill Nelson: All instruments and vox TRACKLIST: 1. My Philosophy (3:38) 2. Killing My Desires (5:07) 3. Budda Head (3:23) 4. The Way (3:53) 5. Big River (4:09) 6. Karma Kisses (2:37) 7. We Will Rise (3:27) 8. Signs and Signals (4:49) 9. Lotus in the Stream (3:33) 10. Enlightenment (4:29) 11. Eternally (3:10) 12. Duality (4:12) 13. Perfect World (4:47) 14. The Heart Has its Reasons (4:41) 15. Sun Will Rise (4:06) 16. The Big Illumination (3:58) 17. Life As We Know It (3:09)
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