1976 saw BE-BOP DELUXE ride high: after "Sunburst Finish" proved to be successful, Bill Nelson and his band were determined to make hay, and that album’s successor “Modern Music” saw the light of day a mere seven months after their third LP. More streamlined than the quartet’s previous records, it was almost as brilliant, if less adventurous than “Futurama” (detailed here; not available for review), and pieces such as “Twilight Capers” – a sequel of sorts to “Jets At Dawn” and “Ships In The Night” – made America notice the group. So there’s a nice logic in giving the reissue of this effort a usual deluxe treatment: a box set and a 2CD versions will be out on December 6th via Esoteric.
Both editions contain the original album’s remaster and a new stereo mix by Stephen W. Tayler, yet the deluxe set also includes two concerts, one previously unreleased, and a DVD with the surround mix and a couple videos. It might be less essential than the rest of them but it’s equally desirable. The full breakdown of the box (augmented with postcards and a poster) looks like this (read the review):
Modern Music
CD 1 – remastered album:
1. Orphans Of Babylon
2. Twilight Capers
3. Kiss Of Light
4. The Bird Charmers Destiny
5. The Gold At The End Of My Rainbow
6. Bring Back The Spark
7. Modern Music
8. Dancing In The Moonlight (All Alone)
9. Honeymoon On Mars
10. Lost In The Neon World
11. Dance Of The Uncle Sam Humanoids
12. Modern Music (Reprise)
13. Forbidden Lovers
14. Down On Terminal Street
15. Make The Music Magic
bonus track:
16. Shine (B-side)
CD 2 – the new stereo mix:
1-15 – as above
bonus tracks:
16. Shine
17. Forbidden Lovers (first version)
18. The Bird Charmer’s Destiny (first version)
CD 3 – BBC Radio One “In Concert” – October 2nd, 1976:
1. Maid In Heaven
2. Bring Back The Spark
3. Kiss Of Light
4. Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape
5. Fair Exchange
6. Ships In The Night
7. Twilight Capers
8. Modern Music
I. Modern Music
II. Dancing In The Moonlight (All Alone)
III. Honeymoon On Mars
IV. Lost In The Neon World
V. Dance Of The Uncle Sam Humanoids
VI. Modern Music (Reprise)
9. Blazing Apostles
CD 4 – Live At The Riviera Theatre, Chicago, March 21st, 1976:
1. Fair Exchange
2. Stage Whispers
3. Life In The Air Age
4. Sister Seagull
5. Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape
6. Maid In Heaven
7. Ships In The Night
8. Bill’s Blues
9. Blazing Apostles
DVD:
– 5.1 Surround Sound Mix / new stereo mix (96 Khz / 24-Bit) / original stereo mix (96 Khz / 24-Bit)
1-15 – as on CD 1
bonus tracks:
16-18 – as on CD 2
Videos – BBC “Old Grey Whistle Test” 1976:
1. Forbidden Lovers
2. Down On Terminal Street
