Drastic Plastic is the last album of Art rock

Art rock

Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...

 band Be-Bop Deluxe, released in February 1978. It was recorded in Chateau Saint Georges, Juan-les-Pins

Juan-les-Pins

Juan-les-PinsCountry:Region:Department: Alpes-MaritimesArrondissement: GrasseCanton: Vallauris-Antibes-OuestMunicipality: AntibesPopulation:?Coordinates:Time zone:CET, UTC+1Elevation:10 amslPostal code:06600...

, in the south of France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 in the summer of 1977.

The material is different from the previous albums, showing changes in the musical direction of the band. Their style, although it maintained some of the progressive

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 and glam

Glam rock

Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...

 standards, was more synthpop

Synthpop

Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...

 and new wave

New Wave music

New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...

 oriented.

Nelson recorded the album in Chateau Saint Georges, because he was inspired by the relation of the place with artist Jean Cocteau

Jean Cocteau

Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Kenneth Anger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Erik Satie, María...

, who influenced him in the 1960s.

The song "Islands Of The Dead" is a song dedicated to Nelson's father, Walter, who died in 1976.

The band split up shortly after the releasing of the album. By the time of the disbanding, Nelson was writing material destined to be part of the Be-Bop Deluxe repertoire, but was destined to his next band, Red Noise, formed alongside keyboardist Andy Clarke and Nelson's brother Ian

Ian Nelson (musician)

Ian Walter Nelson was an English New Wave musician, and younger brother of Be-Bop Deluxe singer and guitarist Bill Nelson, whom he accompanied in different musical projects...

. Red Noise released a more electronic album than Drastic Plastic, Sound On Sound, in 1979. That band and album were considered as post-Be-Bop Deluxe. Shortly afterwards, Nelson decided to continue his career as soloist, releasing more synthpop albums.

Nelson only maintained Andy Clark in his future projects. After Be-Bop Deluxe split up, bassist Charlie Tumahai

Charlie Tumahai

Charles Turu Tumahai was a New Zealand singer, bass player and songwriter who was a member of several noted rock groups in New Zealand, Australia and the UK...

 played with other bands in Britain seven more years, returning to his native New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 in 1985, where he joined reggae band Herbs

Herbs (band)

Herbs are a New Zealand reggae vocal group formed in 1979 once described as "New Zealand's most soulful, heartfelt and consistent contemporary musical voice". It has been said their debut EP Whats' Be Happen? "set a standard for Pacific reggae which has arguably never been surpassed".-History:Herbs...

, continuing with his career until his death, in 1995. Simon Fox

Simon Fox

Simon Andrew David Fox is a drummer who played in different rock bands during the 1970s and the 1980s, most notably the progressive rock group Be-Bop Deluxe.His earliest band was Hackensack, during the 1970s...

 worked with Trevor Rabin

Trevor Rabin

Trevor Charles Rabin is a South African born musician, best known as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the British progressive rock band Yes from 1983–1994, and since then, as a film composer.- Early years :...

, formed Blazer Blazer and joined The Pretty Things

The Pretty Things

The Pretty Things are an English rock and roll band from London, who originally formed in 1963. They took their name from Bo Diddley's 1955 song "Pretty Thing" and, in their early days, were dubbed by the British press the "uglier cousins of the Rolling Stones". Their most commercially successful...

.

Original UK release (February 1978)

1. "Electrical Language"
2. "New Precision"
3. "New Mysteries"
4. "Surreal Estate"
5. "Love In Flames"
6. "Panic In The World"
7. "Dangerous Stranger"
8. "Superenigmatix (lethal appliances for the home with everything)"
9. "Visions of Endless Hopes"
10. "Possession"
11. "Islands Of The Dead"

CD Reissue

1. "Electrical Language" – 4:50
2. "New Precision" – 4:30
3. "New Mysteries" – 4:44
4. "Surreal Estate" – 5:00
5. "Love In Flames" – 4:09
6. "Panic In The World" – 5:04
7. "Dangerous Stranger" – 3:05
8. "Superenigmatix (lethal appliances for the home with everything)" – 2:10
9. "Visions of Endless Hopes" – 2:23
10. "Possession" – 2:34
11. "Islands Of The Dead" – 3:45
12. "Blimps" – 2:46
13. "Lovers Are Mortal" – 4:54
14. "Lights" – 2:43

Personnel

• Bill Nelson
  Bill Nelson (musician)
  Bill Nelson is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter and experimental musician...
  
   - Lead vocals, electric guitar, 12 string guitar
• Charlie Tumahai
  Charlie Tumahai
  Charles Turu Tumahai was a New Zealand singer, bass player and songwriter who was a member of several noted rock groups in New Zealand, Australia and the UK...
  
   - Bass guitar, backing vocals
• Andy Clark
  Andy Clark (musician)
  Andrew Clark is an English rock composer and performer who is best known for his work on keyboards and synthesizer in the 1970s, playing and recording alongside Mick Hutchinson, in Clark Hutchinson, alongside Jeff Beck with his involvement in Upp and on the album Wired, and alongside guitarist...
  
   - Keyboards and Synthesizer
• Simon Fox
  Simon Fox
  Simon Andrew David Fox is a drummer who played in different rock bands during the 1970s and the 1980s, most notably the progressive rock group Be-Bop Deluxe.His earliest band was Hackensack, during the 1970s...
  
  - Drums

External links

• Be Bop Deluxe Discography
• MySpace: Be Bop Deluxe ('78) MySpace site dedicated to the Drastic Plastic era