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Oct 20, 2021 Web Exclusive By Hays Davis

The British rock band Be-Bop Deluxe may not have maintained the same level of attention over the years as some of their ’70s peers, but the band’s reissues have provided new opportunities for consideration. This 16-disc super-deluxe edition of their 1977 live album Live! In the Air Age provides a lavishly thorough revisiting of their spring ’77 UK tour (following the template shaped for King Crimson’s excellent box sets) that should satisfy longtime fans who remember them fondly as well as new ears that might be more than moderately curious. There’s also a three-CD edition for those seeking something less immersive.

Starting with a disc containing a newly remastered version of the original album that’s appended with three January ’77 John Peel Show session tracks, an additional 14 CDs include every show on this five-city run. There’s also a region-free DVD of Star Rider in Concert – Be Bop Deluxe, which first appeared on television that year, and a 68-page book includes an essay by singer/guitarist Bill Nelson and previously unseen photos.

While the same catalog-spanning setlist is followed with little variation throughout these shows, those who choose to board this box set will experience joining Be Bop Deluxe for the duration of a tour that showcased Nelson’s stunning guitar work and the band at their radio-friendliest. (www.facebook.com/BeBopDeluxe)

Author rating: 7/10