From: awrc@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Al Crawford)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar,rec.music.misc
Subject: Re: Bill Nelson
Keywords: Guitarist-Composers
Date: 13 Aug 92 09:48:31 GMT
Reply-To: awrc@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Al Crawford)
Followup-To: rec.music.misc
Organization: The University Of Edinburgh - Department Of Computer Science

And lo, reh@wam.umd.edu (Huddleston) spake unto the masses saying:
>
> I haven't heard anything from Bill Nelson since _Empire of the Senses_ and
> _Diary of a Thinking Heart_.  Anybody know about anything more recent than 
> that? 

Chimera (1983 6 track mini album)
Savage Gestures For Charm's Sake (1983 6 track mini album)
Vistamix (1984 US 10 track album = _Chimera_ plus assorted bits missed
	  from earlier US releases)
The Summer Of God's Piano (1984 instrumental album - mainly synth stuff)
The Chamber Of Dreams (ditto)
Pavilions Of The Heart And Soul (ditto)
A Catalogue Of Obsessions (ditto)
The Two-Fold Aspect Of Everything (1984 double album of rarities and b-sides)
Getting The Holy Ghost Across (1986 vocal album)
Signature Tunes (1986 Cocteau label sampler featuring mainly BN stuff)
Iconography (1986 tapes + synths instrumental album)
Map Of Dreams (1987 TV soundtrack album)
Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights (1987 instrumental double album)
Optimism (1988 tapes + synths instrumental album)
The Strangest Things (1989 US compilation album)
Duplex (1989 UK compilation double album)
Demonstrations Of Affection (1990 4 album boxed set of new vocal material)
Chimes And Rings \
Nudity            \ Separate releases of the 4 albums in the boxed set
Heartbreakland    / listed above
Details          /
Simplex (1991 fan-club only instrumental album)
Luminous (1991 vocal album)

Generally if you're looking for guitar work, the albums with vocals are the
ones to check out. He's been bringing more guitar into his work recently
*supposedly* because he's getting into it again but *probably* because all
his electronics are breaking down and he can't afford to replace them.

And then, malcolm@wrs.com (Malcolm Humes) spake unto the masses saying:
>
> Nelson sounds like he's at a low point, nearly broke, and about to lose
> his home. 

Nelson, it has to be said, has been at a low point for *years* now. He
seems to stumble from one crisis to another. It's only a year or so since
he had to sell his *last* house and move into somewhere smaller.

> and the manager guy says that he's holding back on delivery of them, not
> claiming ownership, and waiting for Bill to settle some debts - claiming
> that Bill has a pretty unrealistic view of the industry.

I'm afraid that partly I have to agree with his manager. While part of
Bill's problems are due to the industry, he's always put idealism before
common sense. How many other artists with a very small following would put
out a four disc set of what are essentially *demos*? Hell, I can think of a
fair number of much bigger names who couldn't put out a four disc set
without ending up making a loss, and Bill is hardly a household name.

I think his problem is that he's a) idealistic and b) hyperproductive. This
leads him to try and put out almost *everything* he writes on record, which
is a truly enormous amount. If he'd shown a little more self-restraint
(cutting down _Demonstrations Of Affection_ to a single disc of the very
best material, perhaps?) he might not be in the financial mess he is today.
I've always supported his efforts where possible, since he still makes good
music, but I'm not going to defend him to the end when a lot of his
problems are, to be frank, of his own making.

--
		      Al Crawford - awrc@dcs.ed.ac.uk
	"I like the labels on food tins/They're so important to me"