Recorded in 1975 at Abbey Road Studios and released in 1976 to great acclaim, Be-Bop Deluxe's third album Sunburst Finish has long deserved a deluxe edition, and now it's here courtesy of the fine folks at Esoteric Records. This expanded edition contains the full album newly remastered from the original master tapes and features a bonus disc loaded with an additional 17 bonus tracks drawn from a new stereo mix from the original multi-track tapes by award winning engineer Stephen W. Tayler and previously unreleased out-takes from the album sessions. The album itself was originally produced by band leader Bill Nelson & John Lackie, and it's presented here with stunning sound, the set also containing a great booklet with commentary from Nelson and Mark Powell, plenty of live photos, and a replica tour poster.
For those that remember fondly the magic of Sunburst Finish, it's here in all its art rock/prog/power pop/glam rock glory. From the majestic "Sleep That Burns", complete with its proggy keyboards, haunting melodies, and speedy guitar licks, to the ode to Jimi Hendrix on the unforgettable "Crying to the Sky", there are a wealth of drop dead classics here. Classy rockers such as "Beauty Secrets", "Fair Exchange", "Heavenly Homes" are charming numbers with crisp instrumentation and plenty of quirky hooks, while "Life in the Air Age", chock full of jazzy electric piano, stinging lead guitar, and funky rhythms, is an easy recommendation to any music fan. "Like An Old Blues" rocks a bit harder with plenty of boogie, the band almost making their Southern Rock statement, while "Crystal Gazing" and "Blazing Apostles" are prime examples of Be-Bop Deluxe's brand of tasty prog-rock, the latter littered with scorching Nelson guitar work and Andrew Clark's bubbling synths.
Over on CD2 you get a wealth of additional content, including a new stereo mix of the album and some alternate takes, making this a truly welcome deluxe edition for longtime fans of the band. Often cited as the magnum opus from the line-up of Bill Nelson, Andrew Clark, Charles Tumahai, and Simon Fox, Sunburst Finish is given some pretty royal treatment here from the folks at Esoteric. Enjoy.
Track Listing
DISC ONE:
SUNBURST FINISH
THE ORIGINAL STEREO MIX RE-MASTERED:
1. FAIR EXCHANGE
2. HEAVENLY HOMES
3. SHIPS IN THE NIGHT
4. CRYING TO THE SKY
5. SLEEP THAT BURNS
6. BEAUTY SECRETS
7. LIFE IN THE AIR AGE
8. LIKE AN OLD BLUES
9. CRYSTAL GAZING
10.BLAZING APOSTLES
BONUS TRACK
11.SHIPS IN THE NIGHT (SINGLE VERSION)
DISC TWO:
SUNBURST FINISH
THE 2018 STEREO MIX:
1. FAIR EXCHANGE (NEW STEREO MIX)
2. HEAVENLY HOMES (NEW STEREO MIX)
3. SHIPS IN THE NIGHT (NEW STEREO MIX)
4. CRYING TO THE SKY (NEW STEREO MIX)
5. SLEEP THAT BURNS (NEW STEREO MIX)
6. BEAUTY SECRETS (NEW STEREO MIX)
7. LIFE IN THE AIR AGE (NEW STEREO MIX)
8. LIKE AN OLD BLUES (NEW STEREO MIX)
9. CRYSTAL GAZING (NEW STEREO MIX)
10.BLAZING APOSTLES (NEW STEREO MIX)
PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACKS
11.SHIPS IN THE NIGHT (FIRST VERSION)
12.BEAUTY SECRETS (FIRST VERSION)
13.THE MYSTERY (DEMO)
14.CRYSTAL GAZING (ALTERNATE VOCAL VERSION)
15.CRYING TO THE SKY (FIRST VERSION)
16.SHIPS IN THE NIGHT (ALTERNATE VOCAL VERSION)
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