Budgie: Impeckable (1978) {1991 Reissue} [FLAC]
Artist: Budgie
Album: Impeckable
Genre: Hard Rock
Year: 1978
Country: Wales
Label/Catalog: Pony Canyon Inc. / PCCY 10203 (1991 Reissue)
Format: FLAC (image+cue+log)
PORTUGUÊS:
Aos que acharam que no If I Were Britannia I'd Waive The Rules faltava um pouco mais de energia, por ser mais sutil em relação aos outros, o Impeckable não só trás isso de volta com pique total como também explora ainda mais elementos do soul e do funk, mas não esquecendo as do punk, estilo tão em ascensão na época. Como este também é o último álbum com Tony Bourge, alguns consideram que este foi o último álbum do 'verdadeiro' Budgie, enquanto que para outros representa apenas o fim de uma fase. Apesar da qualidade musical, o Impeckable é um álbum que infelizmente ficou meio esquecido com o tempo. Mais um grande trabalho de uma banda extremamente subestimada.
ENGLISH:
For who thought that If I Were Britannia I'd Waive The Rules lacked somewhat in strenght, thanks to its subtlety in comparison to the other albums, Impeckable not only brings it back on high peak but also goes even further exploring soul and funk elements, not forgeting the punk veins as well, a genre quite in ascension back then. As this is the last album featuring Tony Bourge, some consider it to be the last 'truth' Budgie album, whilst for others it just represents the end of a phasis, which by the way was closed with very much dignity. In despite of the musical quality, Impeckable is an album that unfortunatly became somewhat forgotten with time. Another great job from a highly overlooked band.
Tracklist:
01 Melt The Ice Away (3:33)
02 Love For You And Me (4:04)
03 All At Sea (4:21)
04 Dish It Up (4:21)
05 Pyramids (4:22)
06 Smile Boy Smile (4:31)
07 I'm A Faker Too (4:48)
08 Don't Go Away (4:56)
09 Don't Dilute The Water (6:12)
Line-up:
Burke Shelley - bass, vocals
Tony Bourge - guitar
Steve Williams - drums, percussion, vocals
Originally released as A&M Records AMLH 64675 in 1978.
LINK:
https://yadi.sk/d/DHPRtbmH5Areq
Fantastic album from a band that deserves more recognition!
ResponderExcluirIn the 70-ies of the last century, BUDGIE already recording with great regularity, and in 1978 the team announced another record, which, as usual, all the heavy rock fans eagerly awaited. Previous album, "If I Were Britannia - I'd Waive the Rules", aroused disputes that sometimes the team is not too crushed loses style and identity. Then wondered if the Welsh stand still to play big, strong rock after almost 10 years of existence on the stage. Plate was initially titled "Catastrophe", but eventually, for various reasons it was abandoned and teases could no longer say that the coming disaster.
ResponderExcluirNot came a catastrophe, BUDGIE recorded an album carefully prepared and cautious. There is no room or on compositions like "Black Velvet Stallion" or the long-lined blues songs from the extensive palette of pastel acute and play.
This time it was put to us clearly. Sharp, hard rock and soft rock playing in almost polar statement. Acoustic guitar and roaring guitar overdrive, lyricism and aggressiveness. Album contrast, the earlier it at times similar, but the contrasts were not as bright.
Impeckable is a very diverse album. Maybe without the burden of previous ones, but still in the spirit of the old Budgie. The day you find a wilder looking black cat on an album cover, lemme know. I'm a sucker for wild-looking black cats.
Well, looks like Budgie are getting stuck in the transition period. And their stock of cool riffs is definitely running out, too, so no wonder Tony Bourge left pretty soon after the album's release - I'd probably leave, too, were I to find myself stuck in this kind of rut, releasing passionless product that's neither good nor bad, overwhelmed by screaming mediocrity. There's only so much Seventies hard rock that's gonna make the Great Cosmic Transition, and Budgie's seventh album definitely does not fall in that category.
Still, it's nice to have it around for a listen or two. In pure sonic texture it's probably closer to Bandolier than to that last oddly-titled one, although the funk influence is now pretty much everywhere, because Bourge finds it amusing to insert the occasional funky chugga-chugga even in tunes like 'Pyramids', where it doesn't really belong. And while the production overall is a far cry from the gritty rawness of days long gone by, it's still no Foreigner we are dealing with here: no cheesy keyboards messing things up, no sterile, cleaned-up, docile guitar lines ready for mass consumption (at times Bourge is still willing to let rip with a gutsy solo or two). Another thing that - in a way - salvages the record is that they're still willing to have a curious mix of influences, this time, though, maybe too curious for their own good, because practically every song can be described as reflecting somebody else's style. Yes, Budgie may have started out as intelligent Sabbath clones, but when they were at their best, they did have their own creative signatures - heck, their song titles alone were worth a meaningful chuckle.
ResponderExcluirOpening a whole 'Melt The Ice Away' is a hundred percent, hard rock rush of blurred singing Shelley. Maybe a little school smacks Zeppelin, specifically - Black Dog, but they're always able to fully benefit from the first division patterns. Another 'Love For You And Me' is only valid, a rock number, indeed very sophisticated as well as the title comes along, it sounds like a Zeppelin outtake from the Physical Graffiti sessions - for some reason, Geddy, er, I mean, Shelley even tries the trademark Robert Plant Wail on for size, and the effect is, well, somewhat uncanny, if you know what I mean. It doesn't help that Tony ain't no Jimmy Page either, and he just doesn't have that incredible "guitar freedom" of Jimmy's, good as he is in his own way. And, funny thing, even if he did develop this passion for funk in Budgie's latter days, on this album at least he never seems to feel quite comfortable around it. As for 'Don't Dilute The Water', well, that one sounds like something off Led Zeppelin II instead, or maybe off Deep Purple In Rock... come to think of it, that riff is pretty much similar to the immortal one Ritchie employs on 'Bloodsucker', yeah, that's what it has always reminded me of. And that wouldn't be no big shakes were the songs real real good, but they aren't - they're just kinda okayish. Yeah sure, the riff of 'Water' is pretty gruesome-sounding, but after the much more impressive 'Bloodsucker' it can't help being generic and flat: they're falling back on cliches, and that's a bad sign. Although, come to think of it, even their betters fared much worse than Budgie did by 1978. Never Say Die, anyone? Eh? Eh? Anyone?
Even funnier is the realization that the pretty ballad 'Don't Go Away' sounds very much influenced by the Pink Floyd style circa Dark Side. Listen to Shelley cooing out 'don't go away' to those mournful acoustic patterns, listen to the vocal overlays, and tell me you don't hear the echoes of 'Brain Damage' in this composition. And the other "soft" tune, 'All At Sea', for some reason reminds me of a mediocre George Harrison ballad or something like that. Now these are nothing but assorted oddball associations, mind you, but the fact remains that way too often, instead of just feeling glad all over and thinking "hey, cool tune", I go scratching my head and thinking "now wait a minute, this one's sorta familiar". And I don't like that kind of development, because, while it sure is fun to pick out quotations, allusions, and subconscious rip-offs, and double fun for somebody with a structuralist kind of mentality, it's hardly good from an emotional point of view. Get it?
ResponderExcluirYet, like I said, this mix of influences also salvages the album because at least it has some diversity. There's a fast bluesy rave-up on here, too ('Smile Boy Smile'), as well as a tune driven by a riff so simple and stupid it was later picked up by a zillion early age computer games operating on the PC speaker bleep ('Dish It Up'), and... eh... well, isn't that enough for a late-period album by a first-rate, but derivative hard rock band? What else do you want? 'Here We Go Round The Mulberry Tree'?
So let's just discuss one song on here, the best one, the album opener 'Melt The Ice Away'. It's fast and energetic, the fastest tune on here, and at the same time distinguished by (first totally unexpected, then simply curious) stops-and-starts, a finger-flashing solo from Tony, and, overall, a somewhat unpredictable and daring structure, unlike most of the other tunes. It's probably the only song that's gonna really stay with you once all the others have gone away. Which brings me to the point - why all the slowness? I'm not saying every single friggin' hard rocker has to be fast, but quite often, speed is, if not the key to success, then just a very important ingredient of it. If anything, making your song speedy gives you the necessary impulse to sharpen the potentially smooth edges - no wonder a band like Foreigner never ever made a truly speedy song in their career. Of course, you don't need to end up like Slayer, but I'm not asking to overdo it. All we are saying is give speed a chance! Generally, the Impeckable Bourge'a solos are sometimes more, sometimes less successful. After all, this is the last album Budgie with him on guitar.
One of Budgies worst according to AMG who rate it even lower than Brittania. They said
ResponderExcluir"Budgie's 1978 offering, Impeckable, is a very uninspired affair, lacking both the adventurous songwriting and refreshing sense of humor characteristic of the band's early records. The group continues exploring its funk obsessions on "Dish It Up" and "Love for You and Me" while shelling out boring metallic riffs on "Melt the Ice Away" and "Smile Boy Smile." The only highlights arrive by way of the great musicianship on "Pyramids" and the wistful guitar melodies of "All at Sea," provided by founding member Tony Bourge, who quit the band soon after this recording."
As a Budgie fan since the 70s I am sorry to say I have to agree.
Well, this is just a matter of personal tastes. You're lucky enough to be a Budgie since their golden days and meet their work when it was released.
ExcluirWhat I really fear is the influence these "reviewers" have over younger people who's never been familiar with that stuff. If I considered only what these guys say about all Budgie albums, I wouldn't have found good things even on 'Deliver Us From Evil', the most controversial Budgie album ever released. Some of them even consider 'Impeckable' to be the last "true" Budgie album ever released...
But, anyway, tastes are tastes! =D
Another excellent record by Budgie - in many ways, their most sophisticated. Every song is very well done. Remember - AMG is one of the most USELESS critical guides ever to waste trees on. Their recommendations are mostly written by utter fools. Tony Bourge's guitar stylings are sublime. This was a very good record to go out with a 'bang' on. By the way, there is absolutely NO Pink Floyd influence on "Don't Go Away" - what utter rubbish! This is pure Budgie from start to finish. One of the great things about Bourge-era Budgie was there was never a wasted track on any of their records - like Mk II and Mk III Deep Purple, or almost everything Sabbath did before Ian Gillan left the group, or Led Zeppelin - every song is indispensable - they made solid albums.
ResponderExcluir