Search - Bill Nelson :: Noise Candy

A box of wonder?

Phil Watkins | Kansas City, MO USA | 04/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're unfamiliar with Bill Nelson, this is a difficult start.With six (count 'em: 6!) CDs in the box, one is offered a wealth of excess.The music was recorded over a period of ten years, during what must have been Bill's biggest creative period. He release quite a number of albums through the 1990s. These tunes just didn't fit in to some of themes of those records. Uh... CDs.But don't think this is a bunch of outtakes or tunes best left for the dustbin. All are first rate pieces of music.The six CDs each have a different name & theme:1). Old Man Future Blows the Blues2). Stargazing with Ranger Bill3). Sunflower Dairy Product4). King Frankenstein5). Console6). PlaytimeAnd each CD is at least an hour or more long, so we're talking one heady bit of output here.The big number some may have heard on alternative or college radio is "Big Yellow Moon" on disc 2. Great stuff. But then there are many standout cuts, such as "Dreamland Avenue", "All This & A Girl Like You", "Existentialism", and more.Music features Nelson's love affair with retro-1940s science fiction and technology. Less focus on pure guitar & more on flowing, lilting tunes. And his signature "found sound" vocals are evident on a few tracks (Bill will record voices from movies & TV, loop them, and use them in segments of his music).Add to that, an extensive booklet of notes & lyrics, bound into a beautiful box to hold all six CDs, make this a must-have for any Nelson fan out there.I'm telling you, it rarely strays far from my player..."