Budgie: the other trio with the banshee singer
Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:06 pm
I've been listening to a lot of this band lately, and realized that they're an unsung legend in the original British metal scene of the early '70s. Maybe they weren't as amazing as Sabbath, Zeppelin, or Deep Purple, but they certainly deserve their due for being serious innovators and talented musicians.
Like most peeps, I discovered Budgie through the songs Metallica covered by them (minus the "wussy acoustic parts"). Their renditions of "Breadfan" and "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" kicked so much ass I decided to track down the originals. Bourke Shelley has some wicked riffs going on in those early albums. Especially songs like Zoom Club and Breaking All the House Rules. And who can't love song titles such as Hot As A Docker's Armpit, Nude Disintegrating Parachute Woman. Though not well known in their own time, they did Budgie did receive a certain level of recognition making appearances on the BBC and headlining at outdoor festivals.
The first five Budgie albums are all exceptional, especially Never Turn Your Back on a Friend. It's a classic. Their mix of Zeppelin and Sabbath presaged the sound Rush would use on their first two albums, except Budgie did it better, and with a really absurd sense of humour.
They're the coolest thing to come out of Wales since Tom Baker was timetraveling in phone booths. If these guys ever come anywhere near Detroit again, I'm definitely seeing them.
Like most peeps, I discovered Budgie through the songs Metallica covered by them (minus the "wussy acoustic parts"). Their renditions of "Breadfan" and "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" kicked so much ass I decided to track down the originals. Bourke Shelley has some wicked riffs going on in those early albums. Especially songs like Zoom Club and Breaking All the House Rules. And who can't love song titles such as Hot As A Docker's Armpit, Nude Disintegrating Parachute Woman. Though not well known in their own time, they did Budgie did receive a certain level of recognition making appearances on the BBC and headlining at outdoor festivals.
The first five Budgie albums are all exceptional, especially Never Turn Your Back on a Friend. It's a classic. Their mix of Zeppelin and Sabbath presaged the sound Rush would use on their first two albums, except Budgie did it better, and with a really absurd sense of humour.
They're the coolest thing to come out of Wales since Tom Baker was timetraveling in phone booths. If these guys ever come anywhere near Detroit again, I'm definitely seeing them.
