Be-Bop Deluxe – Drastic Plastic

Be-Bop Deluxe – Drastic Plastic

Originally released in 1978 on Harvest Records, Drastic Plastic is the sixth and final studio album by Be-Bop Deluxe, and one of the most forward-looking records in the band's catalogue. Led by guitarist and songwriter Bill Nelson, the album marked a significant change in direction, moving away from the expansive 1970s art-rock sound of earlier Be-Bop Deluxe albums towards a more electronic, minimalist and New Wave-influenced approach.

The album was recorded during May and June 1977 at the Château Saint-Georges in Juan-les-Pins, in the South of France, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Unit. Nelson co-produced the record with John Leckie, and the established line-up of Nelson, Simon Fox, Charlie Tumahai and Andy Clark returned for the sessions. Nelson's guitar work remains central, but synthesizers, electronic effects, drum loops and other studio textures give Drastic Plastic a noticeably futuristic character.

That transformation is immediately apparent with the opening “Electrical Language”, a futuristic piece built around electronic communication and Nelson's guitar-synthesizer textures. “New Precision” and “New Mysteries” continue the increasingly modern sound, while the wonderfully titled “Surreal Estate” combines art-rock songwriting with unusual percussion, piano, mandolin, effects and a distinctive sense of sonic experimentation. “Love In Flames” provides a more melodic contrast before Side B moves into the urgent “Panic In The World.”

The second side develops the album's fascination with technology, futurism and psychological unease. “Dangerous Stranger”, “Superenigmatix”, “Possession” and “Islands Of The Dead” all demonstrate Nelson's increasingly experimental approach, while “Visions Of Endless Hopes” adds a more atmospheric and melodic dimension. The album's unusual combination of guitars, synthesizers, loops, acoustic instruments and studio effects makes it an important precursor to the more electronic direction Nelson would pursue after Be-Bop Deluxe.

Drastic Plastic also has an important place in the transition from progressive and art rock towards late-1970s New Wave. Rather than simply extending the elaborate guitar-based style of albums such as Sunburst Finish and Modern Music, Nelson was already looking towards the electronic textures and streamlined songwriting that would become increasingly prominent in British music around the end of the decade. The album's singles “Panic In The World” and “Electrical Language” further underline that change of direction.

For collectors of Be-Bop Deluxe, Bill Nelson, art rock, progressive rock, New Wave and experimental British rock, Drastic Plastic is an especially significant record. It is both the culmination of Be-Bop Deluxe's original career and a fascinating glimpse towards the electronic and New Wave music that would follow in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Side A

1. Electrical Language – 4:47
2. New Precision – 4:39
3. New Mysteries – 4:44
4. Surreal Estate – 4:59
5. Love In Flames – 4:08

Side B

1. Panic In The World – 5:02
2. Dangerous Stranger – 3:04
3. Superenigmatix – 2:10
4. Visions Of Endless Hopes – 2:22
5. Possession – 2:35
6. Islands Of The Dead – 3:43