Bandolier [Bonus Tracks]

Out of print on cassette on A&M (4618) - (B91).
Personnel: Burke Shelley (vocals, bass guitar); Tony Bourge (guitar); Steve Williams (drums).
Audio Remasterers: Mike Brown; Robert M. Corich.
Recording information: Mayfair Sound, London; Rockfield Studios, Monmouth.
Photographer: Peter Vernon.
After four albums, Budgie had achieved moderate success in the U.K. with their unique combination of Black Sabbath heaviness, progressive rock flashes, and bizarre sense of humor. But 1975's Bandolier found the band pursuing a more conventional rock sound with a noticeable funk influence. This is most apparent on the guitar-scratching "I Can't See My Feelings" and the finger-snapping "Who Do You Want for Your Love?," featuring a slow groove topped with vocalist Burke Shelley's soulful wailing. While the riff-heavy "Breaking All the House Rules" and the amusing "Napoleon Bona Part 1 & 2" hark back to the band's early days, change was on the horizon. Budgie's creative spark was remarkably absent from subsequent releases for new label A&M, marking Bandolier as the last album of the band's golden age. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia