Ah good, we made it! I mean…of course we did. The journey was never in doubt. Moving right along. Red Noise, also referred to as Bill Nelson’s Red Noise, came to being after the dissolution of Be-Bop Deluxe. I only recently purchased the Be-Bop Deluxe catalogue and gained any semblance of knowledge about the band, so I am ill-equipped to provide a detailed history of what led to Red Noise. That said Bill Nelson was the lead singer/guitarist for Be-Bop Deluxe, and from what I’ve read Mr. Nelson did not want to continue pursuing the musical path Be-Bop Deluxe had forged. Fair enough I suppose.
So what does Red Noise sound like? While I can certainly hear strains of 1970’s era guitar driven rock all throughout this album, it absolutely sounds like a blueprint for the new wave music which would become prevalent in the 1980s. This band sounds like Devo and The Cars had a rebellious cousin who loved his or her guitar heroes and synthesizer technology equally. Bill Nelson recorded the demos for Red Noise in 1978, the same year Devo released Are We Not Men? We Are Devo! and The Cars released their self-titled debut album. Had Bill Nelson heard either band’s music before writing these songs? I don’t know, but Sound On Sound definitely fits that sonic mold.
That’s not to say that Red Noise doesn’t have their own identity. They most certainly do, but that identity is hard to nail down. It’s a hodge-podge of sounds and approaches. For example the first song on the album “Don’t Touch Me (I’m Electric)” is distinctly aggressive and manic. The bass/drum riff that starts the track off and repeats throughout is exceedingly metallic. The only other song with similar metallic elements is album closer “Revolt Into Style”. “Stay Young” has the punkiest guitar riff on the record. “A Better Home In The Phantom Zone” reminds me of Judas Priest. “Stop/Go/Stop” screams Devo with added saxophone. “For Young Moderns” could have been on the aforementioned Cars debut album. The one constant is Bill Nelson’s vocals, which tie everything together and provide the anchor this musical chameleon needs.
Waveriders, I was thrilled to come across Sound On Sound by Red Noise. It’s a wonderful sonic cocktail of twists and turns which has the power to keep the listener engaged and intrigued from start to finish. If you are looking for a blast from the past I highly recommend checking this album out!
-Penfold
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