[kj] ot - budgie tony bourge

[god botherer]

fluw wrote

>any budgie tony bourge experts on the list?



The King of Riffs!

Don't know about being an expert, but I highly rate everything he did with 
Budgie. They were never as good once he left in 1978, even though they 
enjoyed some prominence mixed up in the NWOBHM slew. They morphed into 
something like AC/DC. They retained the hard edge, but lost all the colour 
and subtlety.

I think any Gatherer would have no trouble getting into Zoom Club, In For 
the Kill, Napoleon Bona Part I & II and Breadfan (which was of course 
covered by Metallica around the same time they covered The Wait). Bourge is 
co-credited as writer with Burke Shelley, singer and bass player on all 
these and other classics.

As well as producing glorious, irrestistible heavy riffs, Bourge decorated 
quieter moments with some beautiful acoustic work.

He's done very little of note since Budgie; the only album I think he's been 
on since is the one Tredegar album, which I gather is good, but I've not 
heard. In fact I might try and track down a copy now.

Budgie have become active again in recent years, but sadly without Bourge. I 
saw them in Letchworth about 7 years ago and I remember Shelley making some 
disparaging remark about Bourge not being there; I got a sense that he 
wasn't wanted and they could manage perfectly well without him. I was 
terribly disappointed as they only played later Budgie stuff with Thomas 
doing all the most obvious and predictable old metal guitarist stuff. 
Towards the end they started up In For the Kill but the bastards only played 
part of it before going into some guitar showing off nonsense.

They are on tour all over the country during the latter part of this year. I 
think they are worth seeing but you really need to get the following albums 
to know what they were really all about (and they are ulikely to play much 
from these):


Budgie 1971 (has Nude Disintegrating Parachute Woman)

Squawk 1972 (Hot as a Docker's Armpit)

Never Turn Your Back on a Friend 1973 (Breadfan, In the Grip of a 
Tyrefitter's Hand, Parents)

In For the Kill 1974 (In For the Kill, Zoom Club, Living On Your Own)

Bandolier 1975 (Breaking All the House Rules, I Can't See My Feelings, 
Napoleon Bona Part I & II)


Bourge was also on:


If I Were Britannia I'd Waive the Rules 1976

Impeckable 1978


The 73, 74 and 75 albums are where it's at. You WON'T be sorry if you have 
these in your collection. That's a promise!

Hope I've been able to provide some information new to you.

Happy hunting!


gb

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