BE BOP DELUXE

Sunburst Finish (reissue, 1976)

Bumper repackaging of the band’s chart breakthrough

Bill Nelson’s elaborate concoction of prog, glam and art-school tropes scored its first bullseye on Be Bop Deluxe’s third outing on the iconic Harvest label, breaking into the Top 20 of the album chart and serving up a minor hit single with “Ships In The Night”. The pop-minded jollity of that 45 isn’t exactly typical of the rest of the set, but then again not much is. “Crying To The Sky” sounds for all the world like a Jimi Hendrix power ballad, “Fair Exchange” flirts with punk-ish new wave, while the galloping, melodic pomp of “Sleep That Burns” dabbles in the theatricality that would make millions for Meat Loaf within a year or so. Best of the lot is the witty sci-fi of “Life In The Air Age” and the swaggering, roxy-like lampooning of the fanatical followers of false prophets, “Blazing Apostles”. Extras: 7/10. Two CDs of studio outtakes, surround-sound mixes and BBC radio sessions, plus a DVD with an unseen “Ships In The Night” promo and performances from The Old Grey Whistle Test.