Search - Bill Nelson :: After a Satellite Sings

Buy this CD, play it until all the bits fall off

Anthony D Ravenscroft | Santa Fe, NM United States | 06/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've had this CD since its initial release, & I am honestly surprised that I haven't worn it out -- CDs are really only good for 10,000 plays or thereabouts. It is one of the few albums I have ever owned that I can literally play over & bloody over again for 10 hours at a time -- and never grow tired of it.I keep meaning to burn a copy of it with only the outright RAWK TUNES MAN, but I find I'd be missing the sweet jazz guitar of "Streamliner" (George Benson, eat your heart out), or the interaction of marimba & bass on the latter half of "Phantom Sedan."But enough of that. What I want to point out is something that even many hard-core fans overlook.In the winter of 1995, Nelson got to humming a few snatches of melody that were hanging around. With these snippets & a few stray bits of lyric on scrap paper, he retired to his studio at the back of the house.Once there, he created the melodies, wrote the lyrics, set down the percussion tracks, sang, built harmonies, laid down synth & bass, & pushed everything into reasonable shape. Okay, he did add an Octapad bit from one friend, & a bass line from another, & he had someone to engineer the tracks who could say, "No, Bill, if you touch that I'll slap your hands." Other than that, he put the whole thing together, then brought it to someone else for mastering.All told, from the Beethoven-like distraction at the onset to delivering the tapes for finalising, Bill Nelson took 28 days.Twenty-Eight Friggin' Days.Every time I listen to this CD, I waver frantically between inspiration & utter discouragement. I mean... geez... 28 *days*! Most of us would work 28 YEARS to make something this good!!"

Bill Nelson = Genius

TM77 | nj, usa | 06/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After The Sattelite Sings is a brilliant blend of drum & bass + ambient, classic guitar rock and even jazz in some songs. All of which Bill Nelson is very, very good at. The standouts for me are Old Goat, Tomorrow Yesterday (Dreamster 2.L.R), Rocket To Damascus, and Beautiful Nudes. This album predates David Bowie's Earthling by a year, which covered some of the same territory only he needed Trent Reznor's help.

As great an artist as Bill Nelson is, I don't think he will ever be fully recognized for his talents, and that is a real shame."

He's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

J. Bates | windsor locks, ct United States | 04/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"as a rabid be bebop deluxe fan, i lamented bill nelson's foray into experimental electronica. slightly interesting at best , i found myself completely disassociated from the former frontman of my all time favorite band.

sometimes i would pick up one of his solo efforts, only to be disappointed.

AND THEN..."after the sattelite sings" blew me away. it is so different from the dreck you hear on the radio, or for that matter, the internet "alternative" stations.jazz, rock, electronic, blues. it has it all.

of course, it has no commercial potential, because it requires thought and attention. but for folks whose musical taste is not formulated by the playlist of 3 classic rock stations, it's an oasis.i pray to jebus that there is more on the way."