· BANDOLIER KINGS - TIME TO REMEMBER ·
· (A TRIBUTE TO BUDGIE - VOL. 2) · (GYR212) ·
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::T R A C K S::
01. PANZER DIVISION DESTROYED
FORMAT: Audio CD / 6 PANEL WALLET
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Grooveyard Records is proud to announce the release of the Bandolier Kings
"Time To Remember" (A Tribute To Budgie - Volume 2) disc, the excellent follow-up
to our first "Budgie Tribute" disc entitled "Welcome To The Zoom Club". On that disc
we focused on the 70s era "Chapter 1" songs from the musical book of Budgie featuring
Tony Bourge on guitar and on "Time To Remember" we pay tribute to the "Chapter 2"
era of Budgie featuring John Thomas on guitar. We are deeply saddened by the loss
of Burke Shelley on January 10th, 2022, and the passing of John Thomas in 2016.
The Bandolier Kings - "Time To Remember" disc is dedicated in honor and memory
of Burke Shelley & John Thomas whose music is celebrated on this musical document.
The Bandolier Kings - "Time To Remember" (A Tribute To Budgie - Volume 2) disc
features the outstanding musical talents of of Janne Stark (Mountain Of Power)
on guitar & Tony Spinner (Toto / Paul Gilbert) on lead vocals & guitar who both
land 100% rock solid authentic with their awesome versions of the classic Budgie
songs with pure love, respect & admiration. The "Time To Remember" disc also
features the following excellent drummers: Brian Mullins (The Cold Stares),
TrumPeter Svensson (Mountain Of Power) & Jesper Persson (Alicate), along
with John Gallagher (Raven) who lays down the bass guitar on several tracks.
The following killer guitarists land as guests who rock & celebrate the music
of Budgie with the Bandolier Kings: Tony Bourge (Original Budgie Riff:Master),
Andy La Rocque (King Diamond), Rowan Robertson (Dio), Michael Åkesson (SubCry),
Doug Rappoport (Edgar Winter), Stoney Curtis (Count's 77), Don Mancuso (Black Sheep),
Mikael Nord Andersson, Steven Kautzky Andersson & Joe Romagnola (Grooveyard Records).
The Bandolier Kings - "Time To Remember" disc is an amazing, legit Budgie "tribute disc"
featuring 16 mega-excellent, memorable, classic songs that land timeless and rock forever.
As a fitting tribute to Burke Shelley, we end the new disc with a version of the dynamic &
intimate non-album B-side song called "Honey" from the Chapter 1 era of Budgie which
we dedicate to the epic solid man of rock. In closing, I would like to extend my deepest
gratitude & Thanks to the outstanding musical talents of Janne Stark & Tony Spinner for
their authentic, genuine versions of the Budgie songs. Last but not least, Special Thanks
to Tony Bourge who guests on both Bandolier Kings discs and to all of the excellent guest
musicians who have landed on this disc and who are Keeping the Budgie Rock alive with
the Bandolier Kings. Eternal Thanks to Budgie and their mega-awesome heavy rock music.
Joe Romagnola / Grooveyard Records (July 2022)
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· VIDEO ·
Check out the the way-kool 1st promo video for the song "Heavy Revolution" from the Bandolier KIngs - "Time To Remember" (A Tribute To Budgie - Volume 2) disc featuring Tony Spinner on vocals & Janne Stark on guitar & with original Budgie riff:master Tony Bourge guesting on lead guitar. Dedicated to Burke Shelley + Long Live Budgie Rock.
· reviews ·
Quality does not deny itself. And here we have it double up. A tribute album filled with high quality - a tribute to a band that was known for quality. And for inspiring generations of musicians in bands from the very top. Welsh Budgie has been around for three rounds. From 1967-87, 1995-96 and 1999-2010. 11 albums Budgie managed to release. Earlier this year, a third reunion, which was otherwise out of the question, was definitively shut down. The band's original singer, Burke Shelley, died, and this album is a tribute to him - and to the band's lead guitarist number two, John Thomas, who died in 2016. Shelley formed the band with original guitarist Tony Bourge, whose Budgie compositions formed the framework for the first Bandolier Kings tribute album, Welcome To The Zoom Club (2019). Volume 2 features John Thomas compositions exclusively. While the first tribute was "only" 13 songs, we're now dealing with a whopping 16 of them. The backer, Swedish Janne Stark, who is known from bands like Overdrive, Mountain of Power and Danish Falling Hazard, has been busy - without rushing. As on the first album, he has teamed up with singer Tony Spinner, who has been in charge of Toto, among others. And, as on the first album, it's delivered at a towering level by musicians who clearly carry Budgie deep in their hearts. It is played and sung with love, empathy and really good energy. There are guest appearances not least by Tony Bourge himself - who, incidentally, also guested on the first Bandolier Kings album. The most prominent guitar guests besides Bourge are King Diamond's Andy la Roque, Scorpions' Mikael Nord Andersson, Dios Rowan Robertson. 16 tracks and you never get tired. For a non-hardcore Budgie geek, this album, and the first one with it, is a gift that keeps on giving. Sonically - yes, and also playing - it delivers in places on a higher level than the original band. Blasphemy, yes. But true nonetheless - at least if you're equipped with yours truly's ears.
Lars Schmidt / Danish Metalized Magazine (November 2022)
The Bandolier Kings is a project by guitarist Janne Stark. The Budgie tribute of this project has already appeared; 'Welcome To The Zoom Club' and the new album is a sequel to that. Budgie were a British hard rock band from Cardiff, Wales, formed in 1967 by Burke Shelley (vocals, bass), Tony Bourge (guitar, vocals) and Ray Phillips (drums). That trio released quite a few albums with solid, bluesy, hard rock with some prog touches here and there. Metallica has covered Budgie songs in the past. Yet Budgie never really broke through with the hard rock audience. Part two of this Tribute is dedicated to later Budgie member John Thomas (guitar), who passed away in 2016, and to Burke Shelley, who passed away in 2022. Janne Stark has gathered an impressive number of musicians for this album: Tony Spinner, Andy LaRocque (King Diamond), Michael Åkesso (SubCry), (Mountain Of Power), Tony Bourge (Budgie member), Steven Kautzky Andersson, Doug Rappoport (Edgar Winter), Rowan Robertson (Dio), Don Manusco (Black Sheep), Stoney Curtis (Count's 77) and Joe Romagnola. The love for Budgie's music oozes from this album. Most songs sound relentlessly hard riffing like the flaming opener Panzer Divison Destroyed with the fine powerful high vocals of Tony Spinner and devastating screeching guitar work. Due to the high vocals of Tony Spinner, the heavy pumping Secrets In My Head shows the necessary Rush traits, which also applies to the massive rocker Power Supply. The Bandolier Kings pump tirelessly in Heavy Revolution in which Budgie guitarist Tony Bourge can be heard. Occasionally the gas goes off for a while, such as in Change Your Ways, the melodic rock ballad Apparatus and the atmospheric melodic rock of I Turned To Stone that changes halfway into galloping hard rock. The best are the songs that rock at full power. Forearm Smash is a great example of this, as is the viciously riffing Flowers In The Attic. Wild Fire shows "Tush" boogie touches followed by the languid pumping Time To Remember in which Tony Bourge can be heard again. The album closes very atmospheric with the Kansas-like ballad Honey, with wonderful choirs. This album by the Bandolier Kings proves that Budgie's music has been unjustly forgotten by many hard rock fans. A great opportunity to fix that (and to purchase the Budgie albums)!
Peter Marinus / Bluestown Music (December 2022)
On January 10 of this year at the age of 71 Budgie founder/singer/bass player Burke Shelley passed away leaving the world with a rich musical anthology. Although the band from Wales never reached the big-time status their albums from the early and mid-seventies were well liked and also influential for many other bands. When the NWOBHM exploded in 1980 Budgie made a cracking comeback.
First with the 4-track EP ‘If Swallowed, Do Not Induce Vomiting’, followed short time later by the massive album ‘Power Supply’ and in 1981 with the album ‘Nightflight’ and ‘Deliver Us From Evil’ (1982) before calling it a day in 1984. The darkish and slightly experimental sound of the seventies had changed into pure melodic metal with Shelley reaching big vocal heights while their new guitarist ‘Big’ John Thomas improved the world record of ‘how many scorching guitar solos can I put into each song at the time’, while drummer Steve Williams killed it behind his kit.
TRIBUTE
Janne Stark is a Swedish rock connoisseur, author and musician who has been in several bands and released albums with Constancia, Overdrive, Merryweather/Stark and Locomotive Breath. He was a big fan of Budgie and decided to record a tribute album entitled ‘Welcome To The Zoom Club’ in 2019. That album was focussed on the early years of Budgie when the band released six albums including ‘Budgie’, ‘Bandolier’, ‘Squawk’, ‘Never Turn Your Back On A Friend’ and ‘In For The Kill’. Released on the US label Grooveyard it did well enough for the label to endorse a second tribute that recently appeared under the title ‘Time To Remember’.
FOCUS ON THE EIGHTIES
‘Time To Remember’ has its focus on the eighties period of Budgie. Bandolier Kings is not only Janne Stark although he is the main force behind the project, also blues rocker Tony Spinner is heavily involved as singer and guitarist. And there is a whole cast of guest musicians involved including former Budgie guitarist Tony Bourge and even drummer Steve Wiliams who wrote some heart-warming liner notes while Bourge contributed some solos as well. The songs that are featured on this record come from the three albums and EP Budgie released in the eighties with the exception of the acoustic version of the song ,,Honey’’ that was from the very old days but never officially featured on an album (I believe it was the B-side of a single).
THE ESSENCE OF BUDGIE
Hearing this album, I am absolutely flabbergasted that Spinner and Stark have been able to capture the essence of Budgie to a T (once again). I am shocked in a positive way of how Spinner has sung here, he comes damn close to the voice of Burke Shelley. Even the high-pitched parts are done to perfection. Never even dared to dream that Tony Spinner could do this. Stark has done a stellar job in getting other musicians involved. On the guitar front people like Andy La Rocque, Michael Akesson, Stoney Curtis, Rowan Robertson, Don Mancuso and even label owner Joe Romagnola deliver quality and just as on the first tribute album Raven’s John Gallagher has two bass contributions on this one.
SONG SELECTION
Stark has made the ultimate song selection for ‘Time To Remember’. All the monster songs are there with Obviously ‘Power Supply’ and the ‘If Swallowed…’ EP as the main providers, several tracks from ‘Nightflight’ and one from ‘Deliver Us From Evil’. It is a pure joy to hear tracks like ,,Panzer Division Destroyed’’, ,,Power Supply’’, ,,Secrets In My Head’’, ,,Apparatus’’, ,,I Turned To Stone’’, ,,Forearm Smash’’, ,,Crime Against The World’’, ,,Wild Fire’’, ,,Gunslinger’’, ,,She Used Me Up’’ and ,,Heavy Revolution’’ after so many years.
Bandolier Kings stay close to the original versions but it sounds really fresh and dynamic and there are tonnes of finger licking good guitar work to be heard on this album. All in all, a beautiful and hard rocking album. Janne Stark and Tony Spinner deserve all praise for their efforts. Fan of Budgie? You just got to hear this if you have half a brain. Pretty sure that Burke Shelley will be pretty pleased up there.
Michel van de Moosdijk / Headbangers Lifestyle (September 2022)
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