Born in 1973 in Wales, the Budgie led by Bourge are an almost unknown band in the collective imagination, yet they were, even though they never broke through, indispensable for the evolution of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. "Never Turn Back On A Friends" is a forgotten technical essay in which the amazing skills of drummer Ray Philips and the unique vocals of the two vocalists Bourge and Shelley come to light. The only flaw of the album, perhaps, is the length of the tracks, in fact, five out of seven tracks exceed five and a half minutes.
"Breadfan", the first work of the album, is introduced by a snappy riff, made famous by Metallica, fast and rapid, one is stunned by the compositional skills of the trio, but above all, as I have already said, by the voice of Bourge supported and well blended by the continuous explosive scales of Shelley and Bourge himself. There is also time to slow down, in fact towards the middle of the track, the rhythm drops, almost reaches the bottom, and then slowly, slowly climbs back up, captivating bass notes in this segment, and starts again riding the previous devilish riffs to the end.
"Baby, Please, Don't Go" one of the best works of the piece is reflected in a Rock and Roll chorus from the '60s, in Bourge's screams, vaguely reminiscent of Gillan's in Speed King (far from me the comparison though), and in the massive use of technique in every instrument, the result is a captivating and amazing track for the mastery of the composers.
The following track "You Know I'll Always Love You", a heart-wrenching ballad, sad and moving that lasts only 2.17 minutes. A track that definitely leaves something inside you.
"You're The Biggest Thing Since Powered Milk" track number 4, well to introduce it, it would suffice to hear the initial drum solo, one minute and 40 seconds, followed by the usual raw and captivating riffs and a more angry Bourge, inspired if you will, who leads the music by hand and carries them with his own voice to the conclusion of the song. "In the Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand" didn't leave much on me, in my opinion, it's the track that leaves the most to be desired of the album, too massive use of technique and instruments. "Ryding my Nightmare" slow track, whose characteristic, peculiarity, is the use of the choir during the chorus, it too like track 3, being rhythmically different from the rest of the album, lasts very shortly, 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Finally, "Parents" fantastic, its rhythms, its solos, its blues, captivate like the words of an old sage, surely the most mature track of the record and my favorite.
It is a pity that this work is little known and that Budgie are not famous, but looking at it from another side perhaps it is a good thing, so at least they have not been carried away by money into Showbiz. Noteworthy in this record, but also in others, is the use of extravagant and sometimes nonsense titles but also of dreamy Fantasy covers. Truly a great album.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Breadfan (06:10)
Breadfan
Open up your mind
Open up your purse
Never, never, never gonna lose it
Breadfan
Take it all away
Never give an inch
Gotta make a mint
Gotta make a million
Breadfan
You got it wrong
Some long time friend's gonna lose it
In the end who's a fool
Seagull
Give it all away
Stay a bird
Stay a man
Stay a ghost
Stay what you wanna be
Loser
Give it all away
Never stay with the winner
With the man
With the money
Sailor
Roughin' up the town
With the gal
With a record on the top
If you're gonna be a bad boy
Breadfan
Finger in the pie
In the sky
Put a guineau on the nose
Of a gee gee
Come on
Keep it on the side
With a ride
On a throne
In the middle of an island
Loser, give it all away
Cos' I'm never gonna stay
Cos I don't need it.
Don't you feel it in your veins?
All the money in this world
And I don't need it
Breadfan
Open up your mind
Open up your purse
Never, never, never gonna lose it
Breadfan
Take it all away
Never give an inch
Gotta make a mint
Gotta make a million
Breadfan
You got it wrong
Some long time friend's gonna lose it
In the end who's a fool
Seagull
Give it all away
Stay a bird
Stay a man
Stay a ghost
Stay what you wanna be
Loser
Give it all away
Never stay with the winner
With the man
With the money
Sailor
Roughin' up the town
With the gal
On a record on the top of your van
Breadfan
Finger in the pie
In the sky
Put a guinea on the nose
Of a gee gee
Come on
Keep it on the side
With a ride
On a throne in the road
In the middle of an island
02 Baby Please Don't Go (05:30)
Rollin' off you go
Baby please don't go
Baby please don't go
Baby please don't go down to New Orleans
You know I love you so
Baby please don't go
Why don't you mind that guard
Why don't you mind that guard
Why don't you mind that guard at the County Farm
With your shackles on
Baby please don't go
Gonna be a doll
Gonna be a doll
Gonna be a doll to get your way down here
To make you walk along
Baby please don't go
Don't you go
Don't you go
Yeeeah ha
Baby please don't go
Baby please don't go
Baby please don't go down to New Orleans
You know I love you so
Baby please don't go
Why don't you mind that guard
Why don't you mind that guard
Why don't you mind that guard at the County Farm
With your shackles on
Baby please don't go
03 You Know I'll Always Love You (02:15)
Sun and moon and sky above me.
These are things I treasure most
Sun that lights my way goes on and on and on.
Simple things will not be lost.
You know I'll always love you,
No matter where you are
Feel it all around you
My love will travel far.
Sea of grass and earth below me.
These are things I treasure most.
Men who read the signs go on and on and on.
Better things will soon be gone.
You know I'll always love you
No matter where you are
Feel it all around you
My love will travel far.
05 In the Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand (06:29)
You got your feelings
Your old fashioned feelings
About the world and its ways
No retribution
No simple solution
I think we're caught in a maze
And all the plunder
That feeling down under
It tends to gnaw at you
We're in the grip it's a total Eclipse
The tyre fitter's got you
Now let me explain
This feeling of pain
Comes from the man at the top.
His grip is so tight
His political might
The tyre fitter will not stop
He's bleeding your brain
He'll drive you insane
Nobody making a move
He'll give you a pen
But he's got him a gun
The tyre man is oh so shrewd
I'm licking my wounds
And mending my bones
And catching the wind out of town
We're all in the grip of a tyre fitter's hand
It's only doing me harm
Running away
Just isn't the way
You got to get it yourself
Watch what we do
We just gotta make do
And hide away on the shelf
07 Parents (10:25)
PARENTS
When I was a little boy
They would say to me
Don't go in the world and play
It's bad company
All they had was child and faith
Let him grow and let him wait
Just to find out what it was to be free
But now I'm over twenty one
Growing up I've had my fun
And I know it's got to be
Baby lying in a womb
Are you free or in a tomb
Let me in,
I feel I want to cry.
Oh the road is long
Oh the road is long
Come on back, back.
Wash your hands and up to bed
Mind your manners
Or you're dead
Mind the cars cos you've got school on Monday
Put my trust in God
Who is he I know not what
Something mummy said one Sunday.
Maybe love is life but life is not
It's something I need plenty of.
Oh! I wish I'd died and never lived a day.
Now there's no one near me now
Tell me what to do and how
Take me back and sing my cares away.
Take me let me sing my cares away
Oh! the road is there
Oh that road is there
Come on back, back.
Oh! I'm empty now
Rainy pain has left me now.
Think of what my people used to say.
Black is black and white is white
Which to choose and which is right
Guide me to a place where I can stay.
Wrap me up and keep me warm
Hide myself far from the storm
Sleep and love will keep my mind at rest.
Only now I realise what my parents had to try.
Love you all and keep you all my life.
Oh that road is there
Oh the road is there
Come on back, back.
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