Magical Moment Photos

Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath. Photo by Ben Upham.

“Black Sabbath Scores”
by Deniese Kusel
The Press Telegram
Long Beach, Ca.
September 10, 1975

Black Sabbath’s claim to fame was that they were louder than any other rock band around. That was in 1970 when they first got together.
Sunday night at the Long Beach Arena they proved, once again, that if you pump out the decibels with enough force, people will cheer for anything.
In their first concert in two years, Black Sabbath kept the audience on their feet well after the second selection, “Hole in the Sky.”
It was obvious that the fans had missed the flamboyant group and were excited to have them back.
With the exception of a good lick sprinkled here and there and some rapid rhythmic changes on the lead guitar, Black Sabbath is just “another loud rock
band.” They were colorful, but prerdictable. The audience response was tremendous and the band worked. Their driving, hard rock sound was reminiscent of early Led Zeppelin.
Tony lommi, lead guitar, is one of few really good left-handed leads around on his customized Gibson. Vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, hot after a successful
European tour, spiked his lyrics with shouts and screams. The audience ate up the fleecy costumes and theatrics.
“Snow Blind” and “Symptom of the Universe” — the latter featuring lommi — were highlights of the concert. Bass player Geezer Butler’s fluid movements and showy stage style was a dynamic force in creating the visual imagery for Black Sabbath. Drummer Bill Ward falls into the same league as the hard-hitting Ginger Baker during his days with Cream. Hanging above his drum kit, an acoustical shell captured the sound and held it together.
Clearly, a lot of effort was put into putting the group back into action.
They drew heavily from their new album “Sabotage” for their concert material. Black Sabbath is a working band and seems destined to continue their present success. If hard rock is your bag, then dig them. They go deep.

BLACK SABBATH DISCOGRAPHY:
1970 Black Sabbath
1970 Paranoid
1971 Master of Reality
1972 Black Sabbath Vol. 4
1973 Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
1975 Sabotage
1976 Technical Ecstasy
1977 We Sold our Souls for Rock ‘N’ Roll
1978 Never Say Die
1980 Live At Last
1980 Heaven and Hell
1981 Mob Rules
1982 Live Evil
1983 Born Again
1986 Seventh Star
1987 The Eternal Idol
1989 Headless Cross
1990 Tyr
1992 Dehumanizer
1994 Cross Purposes
1995 Forbidden
1995 Cross Purposes Live
1998 Reunion
2002 Past Lives
2007 Live at Hammersmith Odeon

Click the links below to see Rare Black Sabbath Photos:
BLACK SABBATH FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
and
BLACK SABBATH CONCERT PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM

Angus Young of AC/DC Live in Spokane, Wa. on 7-26-78. Photo/Art by Ben Upham

AC/DC-
“Powerage” (1978)
Reviews and Thoughts…

Released in May of 1978 “Powerage” had quite an act to follow! That being the release of “Let There be Rock” 11 months earlier.
Let there be Rock was a huge blast of powerful Rock that was one of the best Rock releases of 1977.
1978 was a tough time for the Classic rock sound as it was being challenged by the sounds of Disco, Punk and New Wave.
AC/DC were true to their roots and kept pounding out crucial and quality hard rock during this time period. Bon Scott seemed to have more and more cnfidence with each release and the band relentlessly continued to create fresh material that was worthy of cranking up as loud as you could!
I saw the band on the “Powerage” Tour and the were opening the show for Aerosmith. They played a Loud and energetic set that really knocked me out. So much that I had to retreat to the balcony seats for Aerosmith (who sounded like they were playing in another room altogether).
Here are some selected reviews of this great record:

#1-
“Not Just AC/DC’s Best Album”….
By Bill M. (Salt Lake City, UT)
August 8, 2005

Ah, how far to go here? Well, I’m older now, and I’m as ‘Zen’ on this subject as any other. Sooo…
Powerage is the best rock ‘n roll of album of all time. Not the most important or most influential; not with the widest variety nor highest reach(although this IS AC/DC’s widest & highest album); not the most seductive or inspiring; but the best.
Sgt Pepper, Exile On Main Street, and Physical Grafitti are all timeless masterpieces too, but whatever Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard & Jerry Lee Lewis were aiming at all those years ago, Powerage hit dead center.

An amazingly raw, blistering sound, but at the same time incredibly tight grooves. Hard rock you can headbang AND dance to, indeed. Like someone once said, AC/DC does what no one else can do, better than anyone else.
This was the first album w/Cliff Williams and he kicked the band up to a whole new level. Fantastic production by Vanda/Young, the last one they did before Mutt Lange took over. The remastering is indescribably brilliant, showcasing the equally brilliant interplay between Angus & Malcolm. The lead & rhythm guitars are distinct, loud, and powerful. No way you’d believe this album was released in 1978 if you didn’t already know.
And what rhythms and leads they are. Nine incredible riffs, instantly memorable. Easy to play(the riffs NOT the solos, of course), perhaps, but almost impossible to write. And the seven solos are among Angus’ best, especially on Gone Shootin’. Fast solos, medium solos, slow solos, and on Damnation & Bullet no solo at all.
There is simply not a wasted or extraneous second here. Yngwie, Satriani, Vai, and all the rest of the shredders never wrote anything close to Sin City or Riff Raff. This album is the one that clearly places Angus alongside Hendrix, Page, & Gibbons.
Bon’s best lyrics, devastating beats from Cliff & Phil. Highway To Hell’s production sounds thin & poppy(despite the great songs), and Back In Black’s writing seems somewhat uninspired and derivative in comparison. Imagine the best qualities of Overdose, Touch Too Much, and Shoot To Thrill wrapped together and you have Powerage.
Back In Black has a great sound and all the legendary anthems, no question, but this is the real apex of the “cooler than a body on ice, hotter than the rolling dice, wilder than a drunken fight” ideal. And all topped off by Bon giving you a wink/nudge and offering you another beer after each track.
I have friends that aren’t into heavy music at all, but I always tell them that like Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue is to jazz, Powerage is the hard rock album for people that don’t like hard rock.
Buy this album and you WILL burn tonight.

#2-
“Power…Full”!!!
By Erick Bertin (Santo Domingo, Heredia Costa Rica)
August 23, 2007

Before going any further, I must say for the record, that this is my favorite Bon Scott-era AC/DC album. And I’ll tell you why right now: it was the first one I got, and therefore, it was my introduction to Bon. From that perspective, no other record could ever have that impact on me. See, I was born into the Brian Johnson-era AC/DC (being born in ’78), and therefore, as far as I was concerned, Brian Johnson was THE voice of AC/DC. Hearing “You Shook Me All Night Long” on the radio is one of my earliest memories.
For years, I didn’t know that AC/DC had ever had ANOTHER singer, and for me it was difficult to imagine someone other than Brian fronting the band and singing those songs. That changed with the release of “Live” in ’92, where I finally got my chance to hear some of the Bon-era songs. “Dirty Deeds…” soon became one of my favorites. And so my interest was peaked.

It might seem odd, then, that I’d choose to start my exploring of that era with the one record that yields the least songs to the band’s set list, seldom performed and rarely mentioned, even by devoted fans. But the truth is that it was pure luck: that was the only Bon-era CD that was available at the store that day (believe it or not, “Highway to Hell” wasn’t there…Heretics!!!).
So I picked it up, not knowing what to expect. What I got was a 40 minute roller coaster ride that changed my life…Really! Say what you will about the songs not being as strong as in other releases (more on that later…), the production, blah, blah, blah. But once Bon starts singing…boy, he could really make you feel those lyrics! I had never heard anyone sing with such conviction before in my life, and I never have since. “R n’ R Damnation” opens the album in a slower pace than I’d have expected, but nevertheless, its rollicking groove really gets you going, I tell ya. “Down Payment Blues” is just pure genius: the lyrics are simply hilarious, and yet they pack a huge punch; it is one thing to write and sing about life on the streets and what not (any geezer with a lyric sheet in front of him can do it…), but it is a WHOLE `nother thing to sing convincingly about it, to make you feel that those lyrics come from somebody who’s “been there”. And just when you might start wondering why they called this a blues, comes the ending… it is an awesome track!
Next is “Gimme a Bullet”, which again, sounds so honest, so real, that it gives me goose bumps to this day! Listen to it, and then tell me if you can’t relate…if you can’t…oh well…”Riff Raff” is more the kind of song I was expecting: fast, furious, aggressive and downright nasty; “Sin City” is another one of those “truer than truth” tales from Bon, and you can really hear that he means every word that he sings…the track is powerful too from the musical point of view, with a sophisticated arrangement, different from the expected.
Then comes the crown jewel of the album, the hidden treasure: “What’s next to the Moon”, a story about a relationship gone sour told the way that only Bon could; again, while profoundly sarcastic, the song really rings true `cause we’ve all been there. This is not only my favorite track of the album, but also one of my favorite AC/DC songs altogether, and I’d give anything in this world to hear it live someday, somehow.
Many critics (including the one who reviewed this on All Music Guide) consider the last 3 tracks to be “filler”. I beg to differ: are they as strong as the previous tracks? Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean that they are “filler”. Filler for me means songs that are not as good as they could be IN and BY themselves, not in comparison to other songs. That is why I don’t think that the slower, groovy, change of pace of “Gone Shooting” falls in that category: I think that it is a great track that is exactly where it should be within the record, changing the pace after a succession of faster songs.
“Up to my neck in you” picks up the pace again, and it has a simple, catchy melody that is a joy to sing along to; and last but certainly not least, closing “Kicked in the Teeth” is a blast, fast and pounding rocker to close the album with a high octane note, perfectly exploiting Bon’s flair for story telling, and a little reminiscent of “Whole Lotta Rosie”.
All in all, this is an awesome record that follows the standard AC/DC formula (up to that point) of mostly great songs + a few lesser known tracks = Great Album. (By the way, my actual rating would be 4 ½ stars, but since I can’t put that…) Sure, it is not regarded in the same light as “Let There Be Rock”, let alone “Highway to Hell”, but I truly believe that “Powerage” is a hidden treasure for any and all rock fans wishing to enjoy good, rocking music. Of course, if you’re an AC/DC diehard, you already know this, but if you’re a newcomer, just let me finish by saying this much: this is the album that got me hooked on Bon Scott’s era.
Try it, you won’t be disappointed.

#3-
“AC/DC’s greatest album”
By Scott Hedegard (Fayetteville, AR USA)
April 25, 2005

The gazillion-seller “Back In Black” broke one of rock’s greatest bands into the big time for good, but on sheer power and songwriting, nothing compares to “Powerage”, the best album ever recorded by AC/DC.
Unlike the other Bon Scott-era albums that followed the predictable goofy AC/DC mold (reminding us that rock n’ roll was originally intended to be fun), some serious thought to hooks and a tad bit of experimenting with the tried and true formula went into “Powerage”.
The opener “Rock N’ Roll Damnation” is a typical rocker that gets the album off to a good start, but as soon as “Down Payment Blues” begins, we see a sense of dynamics and a build-up to a furious climax that, prior to this song, was not a typical Young brothers element. Other cuts like “Gimme A Bullet” and “What’s Next To The Moon” show off hooks that are more melody oriented than we’re used to, but still have the vintage AC/DC power-chording and tempo that keep them from being wimpy. The standout cut is “Riff Raff”, a complicated lick and hook that is reminiscent of the heaviest Rick Derringer. Bon screams for all it’s worth over titanic guitars at a breakneck pace. For those who are just now exploring earlier AC/DC work, it simply must be heard to be believed.
“Sin City” offers a riff that is a sign of things to come, primarily “What Do You Do For Money Honey” and “Touch Too Much”, and the closers, “Up To My Neck In You” and “Kicked In The Teeth” are in the “Whole Lotta Rosie” vein.
What makes this band great is a tenacious clinging to a winning and consistent formula, and most important, obviously loving every minute of it. Poseurs will always burn out quickly, but those bands who truly believe in their music have the lasting power that enables them to reach across multiple generations, ala AC/DC, ZZTop, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, to name a few. “Powerage” is the premier Bon Scott-era album.

#4-
“Genius comes in different forms”………
By Rob (Ridgeland, MS. United States)
September 7, 2007

…..And this is one of them. It’s simply astonishing what this band can do with anywhere from 2 to, at absolute most, 4 power chords. I mean, they take a couple of chords……literally two or so notes…..and create unforgettable, compulsively listenable, great music.
Powerage is one of those albums whose music is almost an ‘ah ha’ experience. What I mean is, it’s as if these riffs, their rhythm and sound, just deserve to exist. To me, great music is something that is there waiting to be uncovered and exposed to the world. Obviously the Young Brothers and Bon Scott created this music….but it’s as if these are tunes that were meant to be….and through their creation…..they were brought into the world.
I grew up on AC/DC…..my teenage years totally encompassed within the decade of the 80′s. My first of their albums was purchased with a $ 10 bill I found in a K&B Drugs parking lot while going back to the car with my mom. I was 12. I used that $ 10 to buy Back in Black ( record of course )
A short time later, my aunt asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said ” an AC/DC album” still not knowing enough about the band to be specific. Well, on Christmas morning at my relative’s, I opened up the record for Powerage. I’d never heard of it and only knew the band with Brian Johnson. I was a bit confused because the letters ‘AC DC’ were written in a different way on the album’s cover than the ‘new’ way, which is that angular, geometric presentation with the lightining bolt in the middle that everyone is familiar with. Anyway, once I got home and listened to it, I was blown away.
Only recently, did I start listening to them again. I lost interest for the last 15 or more years. Now, I realize why I’m so picky about music. I now realize why I don’t really care for 80 percent or so of the junk that passes for music these days. The reason: I was brought up on real music. I listened to actual talented musicians who created serious meaningful riffs as a young person. Being exposed to AC/DC basically spoiled me and , as a result, music has to really be good for me to like it. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not some kind of snob, I have everything in my CD collection now from Hank Williams, The Beatles, some choice modern pop-rock, 70s and 80s classics, all the way to Mozart. That being said, I also have AC/DC and they have the most of any to do with the way I look at and enjoy music these days.
Enough for my history, as for the album….it’s an incredible virtuoso of hard rock with tinges of blues intermingled. From the steady rhythmic cadence of “Gone Shootin’” to the almost Westernish, yet also hard rock- wailing guitar of “What’s Next to the Moon”, this collection of songs represents an iconic band at the peak of their talent.
I’d forgotten how much Bon Scott puts himself into the songs. I mean, he gives everything he’s got into the vocals. I’m not talking about being loud and screaming. What I mean, is the emotion and the “I’ve lived what I’m singing about here” presentation. His lyrics are sometimes sarcastic, sometimes humorous, but always the perfect compliment to the hard-edged music that thrums along. Speaking of humorous, and there are frequent examples on Powerage, Here’s one : ” Riff Raff….it’s good for a laugh….(then he adds ) “haw haw haw” in a kind of sarcastic manner. I was driving around the other day listening to this line, not having heard the song in over a decade, just laughing out loud in my truck. I’m sure other songs had me smiling stupidly as I made my way to my destination, but that’s what quality music does. It engrosses you and makes you feel good.

I know it’s a bit of nostalgia…..but more than that, it’s true talent and a special form of musical genius on display. That’s what Powerage is. It’s Hard Rock par excellence…

AC/DC DISCOGRAPHY:
High Voltage (Australia) (1975)
T.N.T. (1975)
High Voltage (International) (1976)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)
Let There Be Rock (1977)
Powerage (1978)
If You Want Blood You’ve Got It (1978) (live album)
Highway to Hell (1979)
Back in Black (1980)
For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981)
Flick of the Switch (1983)
74 Jailbreak (1984 USA) (compilation album)
Fly on the Wall (1985)
Who Made Who (1986) (soundtrack album)
Blow Up Your Video (1988)
The Razors Edge (1990)
AC/DC Live (1992) (double live album)
Ballbreaker (1995)
Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
Black Ice (2008)

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE MORE AC/DC PHOTOS:
AC/DC FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
AND
AC/DC PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM

Be Bop Deluxe Rock Out in Spokane, Wa. on 11-19-76. Photo by Ben Upham.

Be Bop Deluxe- “Fast Paced Delightful Show”
by Johnny Holmes
The Corpus Christi Times
Corpus Christi, Texas
September 19, 1977

Every time the music world threatens to dissolve itself into nothing more than a smouldering heap of mindless disco, relentless boogie and saccharine ballads, along comes a group like Be Bop Deluxe to stand it on it’s ear. More simply, Be Bop was dee-luxe in its performance last night at the Ritz.
Buddy Miles had been scheduled to open the show but was nowhere to be found, so the chore was accomplished by an impressive young band from San Antonio named Heyoka. Cranking out a couple of good ol’ rock and roll tunes, Heyoka sounded as if they knew what they were doing, but really shined during a triumvirate of original
compositions which must be their theme. The songs, “Restriction,” “Passage” and “Revelation” illustrated the group as a hybrid Black
Sabbath/Pink Floyd with a little Jethro Tull thrown in for goud measure. Like Sabbath, the vocals were always high, sometimes
screechingly so, and the rhythm low, with the keyboards adding an eerie, Floydish feel. And the band sported not one, but two flutists to
transport it beyond the realm of the ordinary. Like all new bands, Heyoka needs some work, cultivation and refinement, but there is remarkable potential, and one would hope to hear from Heyoka in the future.
True to form, Be Bop brainchild and lead guitarist Bill Nelson appeared onstage, nattily dressed in red V-neck top and matching pants, and exchanged pleasantries with the crowd. The lights went down, the volume went up and we were “Live In The Air Age.”
Be Bop Deluxe isn’t exactly your basic rock and roll band, the main difference being Nelson’s immense talent and mastery of the guitar. Not that the rest of the group is shabby — but Nelson could stand head and shoulders above most any rhythm section — and this became quite obvious as Be Bop proceeded into its show.
Deluxe’s pacing and presentation was delightful, speeding and slowing, never dwelling too long on any one tempo or style. And they kept the crowd in the palm of their hand throughout the 90-minute set. But it was Nelson’s wizardry with the guitar that caused the amazement.
From time to time, Nelson sounds like someone you know, a Jeff Beck or a Jimmy Page, but mostly he sounds like himself, a soaring, floating, streaking master of his art. Song after song, Nelson demonstrated the styles and techniques which establish him as perhaps one of the top five guitarists in the world today.
The band marched through “Fair Exchange,” the idea of which sums up Nelson’s feelings toward his music as well as his love life — instead of the body, he’s after the brain, and his heady, thoughtful performance reflected this superbly all evening long.
Nelson even played the blues, opening an extended version of “Ships In The Night” movement that could have been played by Johnny
Winter if you’d had your eyes closed before completing the regular version. Nelson’s handpicked showcase group especially shined here
particularly keyboardist Andrew Clarke the newest full-time Be Bopper, whose classy jazz-like contributions do nothing but enhance the already masterful music.
Be Bop closed out the evening with exerpts from side two of their latest studio album “Modern Music,” which details a ‘West Side Story’ of sorts. “Modern Music,” “Forbidden Lovers and “Down On Terminal Street” comprised the suite which left patrons on their feet.
The main thrust to the ending of the “Modern Music” sequence is a short but sweet song called “Make The Music Magic.” That’s exactly what Be Bop Deluxe did last night.

BE-BOP DELUXE DISCOGRAPHY:
1974 Axe Victim
1975 Futurama
1976 Sunburst Finish
1976 Modern Music
1977 Live in the Air Age
1978 Drastic Plastic
1978 The Best of and the Rest of
1981 Singles A’s and B’s
1987 Raiding the Divine Archive
1994 Radioland- BBC Radio One Live in Concert
1997 Air Age Anthology
1998 Tramcar to Tomorrow
2002 Tremulous Antennae
2002 Postcards from the Future
2011 Futurist Manifesto

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE BE BOP DELUXE PHOTOS:
BE BOP DELUXE FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
and
BE BOP DELUXE PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM

ALEX LIFESON AND GEDDY LEE OF RUSH PERFORMING LIVE IN SPOKANE, WA. ON 9-16-77. PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM.

RUSH-
“RUSH PLAYS HEAVY METAL EPIC”
BY MARY CAMPBELL
THE NEWS
FREDERICK, MARYLAND
JUNE 26, 1980

“Our music tends to be epic in proportion” says Neil Peart, drummer of the Canadian hard rock trio Rush “We think big and reach high.” “I have nothing against short songs, but having to write short becomes an external limitation. You should think big if you have a big idea.”
Alex Lifeson plays guitars Geddy Lee sings and plays bass and eight-voice synthesizers he operates with his foot. Peart says, “I have a toy box of different percussion effects “When we’re writing, we make sure the instrumental changes can be physically done. That’s a good limitation.”
When they’re performing, Peart says, “Most of our show is spent with our noses to the grindstone; there’s less jumping around and smiling. You have to concentrate at an intense level as things get more technical.”
Heavy metal is having a resurgence right now but Rush has been doing well since its fourth, breakthrough album, “2112,” in 1976. In 1977, both its 1976 albums, “2112″ and “All the World’s a Stage,” were certified gold as well as the 1977 “A Farewell To Kings.” In 1978 “Hemispheres” went gold, and this year “Permament Waves” went gold.
A lot of rock critics who formerly didn’t like them, now do, Peart says, because their music has improved. This doesn’t include Rolling Stone magazine, which said “Rush’s patented sledgehammer epics try to mesh mystical, literary lyrics with elaborate rock ‘n’ roll suites but they only succeed in turning everything into heavy metal sludge.” It mentioned “Free Will” as an exception, “the punchiest, most straightforward rocker on ‘Permanent Waves,’ ” and added. “Also, it’s hard not to be impressed by the fact that only three musicians can create such a massive, leaden sound.”
Audiences look to be mostly 16 and 17 year-old boys. The group was formed 11 years ago and Peart says. “Was turned down by every record company in Canada at least once. The management raised money and recorded the group on an independent label. Moon. It was a last resort but a good resort. That got some sporadic airplay and attracted the attention of Mercury Records.”
Rush Signed with Mercury in 1974 and Mercury issued the album, “Rush” in the United States. “I wasn’t on that album,” Peart says “I joined on its release. I was on the first tour and everything.”
Peart also became the Rush lyricist “I’d written two songs long ago. Kind of stabs at it, then forgot about it and went on drumming. “I’d always had a fascination with words since I began to read. I’m a voracious reader. I thought why not write lyrics. Neither of them were interested in writing them. I got into it, began shooting my mouth off.”
As far as the music goes. Peart says, “I’m able to contribute rhythmic ideas, which is satisfying to me It’s fulfilling enough on a personal side being involved with lyrics. Being drummer at the same time is not only fulfilling, but over the top.”
He adds that he thinks Rush has a good chance of going on together for more years because, “We’re pretty much the same in terms of abilities and we grow at the same pace. I’ve been in bands where one is better than the rest and that leads to difficulties. “We share fundamental values, too, which gives our relationship continuity and sincerity ” And their ages are about the same — Peart 27. and the other two 26 — but he doesn’t think that’s an important factor among musicians.
This year Rush has toured from mid-January to mid-June but sometimes, Peart says, they’ve toured for eight or nine months. They finished an eight-month tour of Canada, the United States and Europe in June of last year and took the first vacation in a long time. “We went home and stayed there, puttered around and led a normal life.
We all have families. You recapture your home life. All that takes time and it’s worth it. You want to make sure those things balance in your life as well. We’re not interested in being martyrs.”
Then they met at a small farm to put some music together “I hid a lot of phrases and potential titles. We arrived fresh and creative We weren’t so relaxed we couldn’t get fired up again. We were ready to get back into action. “We were able to work more quickly and comfortably than we had done in the past, when we’d rush nght into a studio after a tour and compose, rehearse and arrange everything and make it sound like we’d been playing it for six months. “That works. I’m happy with some of the things we’ve done that way But it’s not a proper way to do it “We did a short tour to get us in shape to go in the studio. Half the new album was being played every day for that time.
“So, it was much easier, to record side one than side two. As far as the listener goes, I don’t feel there’s a difference in the two sides. One piece, ‘Natural Science,’ was created entirely in the studio. I think it’s my best lyric writing and one of the best musically I love playing it every night.”
When Rush started in the United States, Mahogany Rush, a trio from Montreal, also was starting. There was some confusion, which has disappeared, Peart says. The name of the new album, “Permanent Waves,” refers to the album cover. In black and white, like the old movies the group likes, it’s an attempt to be a bit humorous A girl is
walking across a street, “unbothered by cataclysmic events taking place around her.” She has a permanent wave. There’s a tidal wave. A man is waving. Across the picture runs the wave of an electrocardiogram. Peart says, “We were thinking of the press calling the music ‘old wave.’ It’s like: how many birds can you find hidden in this drawing’…
“A lot of our records have been thematic and metaphorical in the past. In this one the work is serious and strong and sincere, presented in a more lighthearted package It’s a conscious and subconscious attempt not to take ourselves so seriously.”

RUSH DISCOGRAPHY:
1974 Rush
1975 Fly by Night
1975 Caress of Steel
1976 2112
1976 All the World’s a Stage
1977 A Farewell to Kings
1978 Hemispheres
1980 Permanent Waves
1981 Moving Pictures
1981 Exit, Stage Left
1982 Signals
1984 Grace Under Pressure
1985 Power Windows
1987 Hold your Fire
1989 Presto
1989 Show of Hands (Live)
1991 Roll the Bones
1993 Counterparts
1996 Test for Echo
1998 Different Stages (Live)
2002 Vapor Trails
2003 Rush in Rio (Live)
2004 Feedback (Live Covers)
2005 R30 30th Anniversary World Tour (Live)
2006 Grace Under Pressure Tour (Live)
2007 Snakes & Arrows
2008 Snakes & Arrows Live

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE RUSH PHOTOS:
RUSH PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
AND
RUSH FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM

CHARLIE TUMAHAI & BILL NELSON OF BE BOP DELUXE PERFORMING IN SPOKANE, WA. ON 11-19-76. PHOTO BY BEN UPHAM.

BILL NELSON-
“FANCY PLANETS” CD

Studio Album, released in 2009

Songs / Tracks Listing:
1. Fancy Planets.
2. The Golden Days Of Radio (Compact Mix).
3. Kiss Me Goodnight, Captain Marvel.
4. The Land Of Dreams Is Closed.
5. This Leads To That Leads To This.
6. Where Are We Now.
7. Twice In A Blue Moon.
8. Everyday Now Is Forever Again.
9. She Dreams Of Fires.
10. I Hear Electricity.
11. Mysterious Object Overhead.
12. Dream Cities Of The Heart.
13. Mystery Engine.
14. The Golden Days Of Radio (Hypermix).

Line-up / Musicians:
Bill Nelson all instruments
Releases information:
Released on Sonoluxe CD013 July 2009

REVIEWS:
#1-
BY STATGRUBBY-
NOVEMBER 2, 2009

Full vocals on this one. Edgy and perfect. IT has great melodies and hooks hooks hooks. If you love Bill..this is a classic!

#2-
BY STEPHEN B. GRIGGS – MuzikReviews.com Contributor
FEBRUARY 23, 2010

With Fancy Planets, prolific recording artist and revered experimental rocker Bill Nelson creates his own, rather well removed, sonic universe. The cover art depicts a buxom damsel distraught in the arms of a soaring space villain. Rest assured, the music is a trip too. Between lyrics on dream-space-and-time travel, super heroes (“Kiss Me Goodnight, Captain Marvel”), and super beauties (“The Land of Dreams Is Closed”) and fantastically over the top production, even the casual listener can’t help be entertained.
What Nelson creates on Fancy Planets is his own show, his own framework for his music, which makes it very hard for him to go wrong. Cheating? Maybe, but it’s arguably the same idea behind what we hear on commercial radio. The rules don’t apply; this isn’t for people who like the rules. And with that, Nelson bathes you in chimes before zapping you with synth lasers and phaser beam guitars, all the while spouting off something or other about time traveling cowboys and lucid dreams. If it weren’t all so tongue-in-cheek, it’d be cheesy, but lines like “Me oh my, oh how that dress becomes you / me oh my, and here it comes again” induce smiles rather than cringes.
Despite all the wise cracks and techie noodling, the songs on Fancy Planets make for good rock ‘n’ roll, with plenty of guitar work and a few considerable hooks that manage to get nestled in the mix. “The Golden Days of Radio” is an easy standout choice, replete with BBC Radio vocal samples and guitar tones that change at the drop of a name. Albeit, Fancy Planets would sound like more of a guitar record, but the MIDI-heavy orchestration often pushes Nelson’s fret play to the back of the mix. You can tell he’s having fun, and that enjoyment transmits, but if there’s any detractor on Fancy Planets it’s over-saturation. The carnival only comes to town for a limited time, and fourteen songs—none shorter than two and a half minutes—stuffed full of production and flippancy are likely to tire out all but the most devoted Nelson fans. A healthy tasting might include “The Golden Days of Radio,” a catalog of the man’s guitar heroes; “Kiss Me Goodnight, Captain Marvel” with its tasty refrain; “Where Are We Now” a nice ambient interlude; and “I Hear Electricity.”
Often times an artist’s prolificacy necessitates a sacrifice of quality for quantity, and ultimately, Fancy Planets—a fifth release for 2009—is another exercise of Nelson’s productive muscles. The end result is an entertaining listen, offering the odd song that earns its own despite the company.

#3-
BY BEN UPHAM
12-31-2011
I have been a fan of Bill Nelson for 36 years now. I was initially exposed to his Music at a Concert by Be Bop Deluxe in Spokane, Wa. on 11-19-76 as they were the opening act for Ted Nugent.
It was a brilliant performance that had the entire audience stomping and lighting their lighters for a full 10 minutes to get them back for a lengthy encore! This was a Ted Nugent crowd in late 1976 mind you…
After seeing that show I went out and purchased a couple of Be Bop Deluxe’s albums, “Axe Victim” and “Sunburst Finish”. The Music was fantastic and I was on my way to becoming a huge fan of this band. I was disappointed to hear that the group had disbanded in 1978. Nelson released “Red Noise” in 1979 and I remember listening to it and not appreciating it at all.
He had gone into a new realm that sounded nothing like the Rock stylings of his Be Bop Deluxe days…Almost no audible guitar could be heard…
Flash forward about 20 years and I started to give some of Bill’s later releases a chance.
The CD’s that I wound up finding were quite good….”Practically Wired….Or How I Became Guitar-Boy”, “Blue Moons and Laughing Guitars”, and “Whimsey” were among my favorites. They were fresh and found Bill exploring many new Musical Worlds…But still…For me at least they were not as intense and satisfying as the Be Bop Deluxe material from the 1970′s…
Then a few months ago I was turned on to “Fancy Planets”…
I’ve got to say that for my ears and Musical tastes this is the BEST Bill Nelson Music since Be Bop Deluxe! It’s not that it’s retro, or goes back to that Be Bop sound either…More like it has transported much of the Be Bop Space and Energy forward in Time from the 1970′s to receive a 2009 treatment….
It is a Magical, Shining open door to fresh and new ideas and lots of excitement in Bill’s singing and playing….It sounds to me like his finest work to date…The production is fantastic. The guitar work is everywhere in the mix….lots of great power chords and spacey riffs along with golden soloing and even a few Be Bop surprise licks!
I am hoping that anyone reading this that hasn’t given this CD a listen will at least sample it from the links that I’m attaching…It is a beautiful addition to anyones collection if you have any respect for this man’s gift…Thank You Bill…………..

BE-BOP DELUXE DISCOGRAPHY:
1974 Axe Victim
1975 Futurama
1976 Sunburst Finish
1976 Modern Music
1977 Live in the Air Age
1978 Drastic Plastic
1978 The Best of and the Rest of
1981 Singles A’s and B’s
1987 Raiding the Divine Archive
1994 Radioland- BBC Radio One Live in Concert
1997 Air Age Anthology
1998 Tramcar to Tomorrow
2002 Tremulous Antennae
2002 Postcards from the Future

BILL NELSON (SOLO) DISCOGRAPHY:
Northern Dream (1971)
Sound – On – Sound (1979) (Bill Nelson’s Red Noise)
Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam (1981) Mercury
Sounding The Ritual Echo (Atmospheres for Dreaming) (1981)
Das Kabinet (The Cabinet Of Doctor Caligari) (1981)
The Love That Whirls (Diary Of A Thinking Heart) (1982)
La Belle Et La Bete (1982)
Chimera (1983)
Savage Gestures For Charm’s Sake (1983)
The Two-Fold Aspect of Everything (1984)
Trial By Intimacy – The Summer Of God’s Piano (1985)
Trial By Intimacy – Chamber Of Dreams (Music from the Invisibility Exhibition) (1985)
Trial By Intimacy – Pavilions Of The Heart And Soul (1985)
Trial By Intimacy – A Catalogue Of Obsessions (1985)
Chameleon (The Music Of Bill Nelson) (1985)
Getting The Holy Ghost Across (1986)
Iconography (1986) [Orchestra Arcana]
Map Of Dreams (1987)
Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights – The Angel At The Western Window (1987)
Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights – The Book Of Inward Conversation (1987)
Optimism (1988) [Orchestra Arcana]
Demonstrations Of Affection – Chimes And Rings (1989)
Demonstrations Of Affection – Nudity (1989)
Demonstrations Of Affection – Heartbreakland (1989)
Demonstrations Of Affection – Details (1989)
Simplex (1990)
Raiding the Divine Archive – [Be-Bop Deluxe] (1990)
Altar Pieces (1990)
Luminous (1991)
Blue Moons & Laughing Guitars (1992)
Automatic (1994) [Channel Light Vessel]
Radioland – [Be-Bop Deluxe] (1994) BBC Radio 1 live in concert 1976
Crimsworth (Flowers, Stones, Fountains And Flames) (1995)
Practically Wired or how I became…Guitarboy! (1995)
My Secret Studio Volume I – Buddha Head (1995)
My Secret Studio Volume I – Electricity Made Us Angels (1995)
My Secret Studio Volume I – Deep Dream Decoder (1995)
My Secret Studio Volume I – Juke Box For Jet Boy (1995)
After The Satellite Sings (1996)
Excellent Spirits (1996) [Channel Light Vessel]
Confessions Of A Hyperdreamer: My Secret Studio Volume II – Weird Critters (1997)
Confessions Of A Hyperdreamer: My Secret Studio Volume II – Magnificent Dream People (1997)
Atom Shop (1998)
Whistling While The World Turns (2000)
Noise Candy – Old Man Future Blows The Blues (2002)
Noise Candy – Stargazing With Ranger Bill (2002)
Noise Candy – Sunflower Dairy Product (2002)
Noise Candy – King Frankenstein (2002)
Noise Candy – Console (2002)
Noise Candy – Playtime (2002)
Caliban And Chrome Harmonium (2002)
Astral Motel (2002)
Whimsy (2003)
Whimsy Two (A Garage Full Of Clouds) (2003)
The Romance Of Sustain Volume One: Painting With Guitars (2003)
Luxury Lodge (2003)
Plaything (2003)
Dreamland To Starboard (2004)
Custom Deluxe (2004)
Satellite Songs (2004)
Wah-Wah Galaxy (2004)
Rosewood: Ornaments And Graces For Acoustic Guitar Volume One (2005)
Rosewood: Ornaments And Graces For Acoustic Guitar Volume Two (2005)
Orpheus In Ultraland (2005)
The Alchemical Adventures Of Sailor Bill (2005)
Neptune’s Galaxy (2006)
Return To Jazz Of Lights (2006)
Arcadian Salon (2006)
Gleaming Without Lights (2006)
Secret Club For Members Only (2007)
And We Fell Into A Dream (2007)
Silvertone Fountains (2008)
Illuminated At Dusk (2008)
Mazda Kaleidoscope (2008)
Clocks & Dials (2008)
Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow (2008)
Fancy Planets (2009)
Here Comes Mr Mercury (2009)
Theatre Of Falling Leaves (2009)
The Dream Transmission Pavilion (2009)
Non-Stop Mystery Action (2009)
Picture Post (2010)
Modern Moods For Mighty Atoms (2010)
Captain Future’s Psychotronic Circus (2010)
Fables And Dreamsongs (2010)
Fantasmatron (2011)
Signals From Realms Of Light (2011)
Model Village (2011)

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR BE BOP DELUXE PHOTOS AND MORE:
BE BOP DELUXE FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
AND
BE BOP DELUXE PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
AND
SAMPLE AND PURCHASE BILL NELSON- “FANCY PLANETS” CD

JAMES YOUNG (JY) OF THE BAND STYX PLAYING IN SPOKANE, WA. IN 1977. PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM.

STYX-
“CYCLORAMA REVIEWS” (2003)

#1-
“STYX HAS BEEN AROUND AWHILE BUT STILL HAVE THE ENERGY TO GET UP AND GO”
BY DAVID YONKE
THE SALINA JOURNAL
SALINA, KANSAS
MARCH 19, 2003

Progressive rock band Styx is like a finely tuned race car that’s been around the track a few times but still has plenty of get-up-and-go, says the group’s guitarist-singer Tommy Shaw.
“When you play a lot of shows, you’re bound to get really good and tight,” he says. “We’re constantly tearing it apart, tweaking on it every night, like a race car. I think Styx 2003 is the best that the band has ever been, and who would’ve thought?”
Even Shaw is shocked by Styx’s longevity. The group traces its roots to 1964, when it played the Chicago nightclub scene as the Trade Winds. It changed its name to Styx in 1972 and Shaw Joined the band in 1975, when the group first hit the Top 10 with the soaring power ballad “Lady.”
From 1977 to 1984, every album the band released sold between 1 million and 3 million, spawning such radio hits as “Come Sail Away,” “Fooling Yourself (the Angry Young Man),” “The Best of Times” and “Babe.”
Like the mythological river that Styx is named after, however, the band’s path has been one of many twists and turns. Styx’s original drummer, John Panozzo, died of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage in 1996, and in 1999 the group made the decision to replace original keyboardist Dennis DeYoung, who suffers from the energy-sapping disease Epstein-Barr Syndrome and was unable to endure the rigors of lengthy concert tours.
“In 1999, we were faced with either hanging it up, or taking some drastic measures and going forward,” Shaw says. “We bit the bullet and made the very difficult decision to carry on without Dennis.”
The lineup now features Shaw, original guitarist James Young, Glen Burtnick on bass, Lawrence Gowan on keyboards/vocals and Todd Sucherman on drums. Chuck Panazzo, the original bassist and brother of the late drummer, recorded two songs with Styx on its latest CD, but is not joining them on tour.
Styx recently released its 22nd album, “Cyclorama,” with an eye-popping cover by graphic design guru Storm Thorgerson. Shaw says the band was amazed and encouraged by the creative freedom it received from Tom Lipsky, president of CMC/Sanctuary Records. “James Young and I met with him a year or two ago and he said, ‘Assume there is no radio support. Don’t worry about hit singles. Make the record for yourselves and your fans.’ JY and I thought, ‘Did we hear this right? Did we hear what we thought we heard from the president of the record label?’”
That kind of support “took the shackles off,” Shaw says. “It freed us from the past. And the first song we did was ‘One with Everything,’ which is one of the most progressive Styx songs ever done. It’s about seven minutes long, goes through three different time changes, and every type of Styx style.” Ironically, Shaw says, the new disc is getting more interest from radio than anything Styx produced in years.

#2-
“Take a ride on the Cyclorama”
March 6, 2003
By “wildy_h” (Cohoes, NY United States)

Bands that have been around for 30 years just don’t break new ground. It doesn’t happen. If a band has had the mixture of talent and luck to still be making music 30 years after their first release, there is rarely much interest in breaking new ground, as their hits and fan favorites will easily fill a two hour concert.
Nobody told Styx.
Oh, they know. They just don’t care.
Cyclorama is perhaps the best Styx album in the history of the band. At the very least it is the best recording proffered by Styx since The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight. For the first time in 25 years this is a Styx album through and through, from the opening rumble of Do Things My Way to the last strains of “Life of a Stranger” (a much too short hidden track at the end of the disc.
This is the first Styx album without founding member Dennis DeYoung. This may turn off some long-time fans, but the infusion of Lawrence Gowan and the re-infusion of Glen Burtnick have revived the energy and mojo that caused Rolling Stone magazine readers to crown Styx “the Best Band in the World” in 1981.
The album opens with “Do Things My Way”, a rousing Tommy Shaw rocker that evokes classic Styx sounds while sounding cool enough to play on any Modern Rock station you could name. “Waiting For Our Time” (the first single, again sung by Shaw) follows and brings Styx clearly into the twenty-first century, but will please Styx fans old and new. “Fields of the Brave” is the first offering on the album from new member Larry Gowan, and evokes the magic that Dennis brought to the early days of Styx. This may well be the most poignant and beautiful song Gowan has written in his long career, and is destined to be a classic.
Cyclorama takes an interesting turn with track four, “Bourgeois Pig”, which is something of a soliloquy with Billy Bob Thornton on lead vocals, and leads into “Kiss Your Ass Goodbye”. Glen Burtnick sings his way into Modern Rock/College Radio heaven, while still retaining Styx signatures all over it. Next is James Young on vocals for “These Are The Times”, an amazing song written about JY’s brother. Styx then slows it down a little with a love song, “Yes I Can”. Tommy Shaw and Glen Burtnick duet on a beautiful love song that will make those missing DeYoung melt. Next is “More Love For the Money”, the second of two offerings from Lawrence Gowan, evoking thoughts of classic Styx and Queen all at once.
One more near-ballad, “Together” picks up the pace a bit with Tommy at the microphone, leading into an amazing arrangement of the Styx classic “Fooling Yourself”, with background vocals by none other than the legendary Brian Wilson. This beautifully eerie trip back in time results into a slingshot into today with Captain America, where James Young proves that he is woefully under-represented in the vocal department. This song could be a classic in today’s international environment, and could easily be a song of inspiration for US troops overseas. The song reprises some of the musical base of “Miss America” and takes the deep cynicism of that earlier offering and turns into a message of hope for the future.
Moving into the final phase of the album, Styx continues to wow you with “Killing the Thing That You Love”. This Glen Burtnick vocal may well be the most controversial song on the album for long time Styx fans. Some have pointed to lyrical coincidences that make it sound as if it is directed at former member Dennis DeYoung, but the song was written in 1994 by Burtnick, who was not even a member of the band at the time. Regardless of who or what it was written about, it’s an amazing song, worthy of the Styx name. Next up is a new Prog classic, “One With Everything”. This is the song that old time Styx fans have been waiting for since The Grand Illusion. It rocks hard, and in between it slips into dreamy musical landscapes that are far beyond the ability and reach of the mere-mortal bands regularly “scene” on MTV, VH-1, and MuchMusic. The last listed track, Genki Desu Ka, plays over a drum loop developed by Styx drummer Todd Sucherman. The title means “how do you feel” in Japanese. It’s a feel good meditation in much the same vein as the closing of Pieces of Eight, “Aku-Aku”.
But they’re not done. Oh, no.
I forgot to mention the background vocalists on “Kiss Your Ass Goodbye”. They would be none other than Tenacious D. They also contribute a short skit in which they talk their way into getting onto the album, involving Tommy Shaw. It’s good for a chuckle, and is somewhat reminiscent of old Cheech and Chong. And finally, “The Chosen One” (sic) is an untitled, unlisted track at the end that might serve as a dedication to the heroes of 9-11. This entirely vocal snippet is much too short, and is a beautiful elegy to leave on the palates of Styx fans, as it suggests that Cyclorama is not a one-time spike, but perhaps the beginning of an entirely exciting and musically fulfilling in the life of Styx.
Whether you’ve loved Styx from days of old, or hated them with a passion, or never heard of them at all, this is an album that is worth your careful attention. In this day and age of corporate radio and mass-production rock music, Cyclorama is an amazingly organic aural experience.
Sit back and relax. Styx is about to blow you away.

#3-
“The Carrot Hath Been Delivered – Not Dangled”!!
March 13, 2003
By “psychosy” (Monroe, MI)
Can STYX survive without Dennis DeYoung? That is the question.
The answer to that is an emphatic YES THEY CAN!!
“Cyclorama” returns STYX to their heavy metal/prog rock roots and it rocks hard! From the first track to the last, the CD is jammed packed with their strongest and best studio recording they’ve done since “Paradise Theater”. “DO THINGS MY WAY” is a strong opener that’s radio friendly. Has a sound somewhat akin to a Damn Yankees tune but a chorus that’ll remind [] Styx fans of such vintage albums as “Equinox” or “Man Of Miracles”. WAITING FOR OUR TIME is an acoustic pop rock style tune sporting a sound simular to something off of “Crystal Ball” but a powerful “Pieces Of Eight” style harmonized rock chorus and deep Creed-like chords keeps up the pace. “FIELDS OF THE BRAVE” and “MORE LOVE FOR THE MONEY” are the two tunes sang by Gowan and they are amazing – think The Beatles meets Queen!!Glen Burtnik’s “KISS YOUR ASS GOODBYE” comes right of left field blazing like a Blink 182 inspired monster. However, the real gems on Cyclorama are YES I CAN which has hit single written all over it, the prog rock magnum opus ONE WITH EVERYTHING, and the 7 minute “Grand Illusion-esque” head-swirler entitled “THESE ARE THE TIMES” sung by JY, which is an oddity considering that except for “Snowblind”, JY’s songs seldomly stand out and define an overall Styx CD.
Overall, “Cyclorama” returns STYX to the rocking band they once were yet it’s powerful enough to make them relevant today if only they get the attention and exposure they truly deserve. It’s a CD that proves a truth that some might argue with or find very hard to accept – STYX can indeed survive without Dennis DeYoung. In fact, I’d go so far as to say his departure helped the remaining members come together and returned STYX to what attracted fans long ago – hard-hitting, fist pumping, ROCK AND ROLL. What we have here is an unexpected treasure. The energy and vigor explode, and their creativity as a whole unit make “Cyclorama” – when compared against the last few releases sporting all new material (Brave New World, Edge Of The Century, and Kilroy Was Here) – beats them all hands down.
A timeless classic in the making!

STYX DISCOGRAPHY:
1972 Styx
1973 Styx II
1974 The Serpent is Rising
1974 Man of Miracles
1975 Equinox
1976 Crystal Ball
1977 The Grand Illusion
1978 Pieces of Eight
1979 Cornerstone
1981 Paradise Theatre
1983 Kilroy was Here
1984 Caught in the Act (Live)
1990 The Edge of the Century
1997 Return to Paradise (Live)
1999 Brave New World
2001 Styxworld Live 2001
2002 Live at the Rivers Edge
2003 Cyclorama
2003 21st Century Live
2005 The Big Bang Theory
2005 Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings
2006 One with Everything (Live)
2011 Regeneration Volumes I & II
2012 Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR STYX PHOTOS AND MORE:
STYX PHOTOS FROM THE 1977 GRAND ILLUSION TOUR BY BEN UPHAM
AND
PURCHASE STYX- “CYCLORAMA” CD