Budgie - 1998 "Heavier Than Air" (Rarest Eggs)

Heavier Than Air – Rarest Eggs is an album of compiled live tracks spanning Budgie's career. We Came, We Saw... is a companion to this album.

"Heavier than Air: Rarest Eggs” is a compilation of live material of the underrated rock trio Budgie. The album is a collection of all radio appearances the band made. This release is absolutely essential for every fan of the band since it’s the first official live release along with the “We Came, We Saw…” cd that was released in the same year, 1998. The 25 songs are covering the era from 1972 to 1981. The sound quality is different from song to song since they were recorded at various concerts, but besides the John Peel Show 1972 (tracks 11, 12 and 13 from CD1) which have a very bad quality the quality is really good.

The album includes many of Budgie’s greatest hits and proves that the trio also was a fantastic live band, which delivered energetic performances.
My favorite tracks of the albums are the performances of the band’s best-known hit “Breadfan”, the riff monster “Hot as Docker’s Armpit”, the melodic “I Turned the Stone”, the dramatic “Young is a World”, “You’re the Biggest Thing since Powdered Milk” and “In the Grip of a Tyrefitter’s Hand”. My favorite Budgie song remains “Parents” from the “Never Turn Your Back on a Friend” album and also the live version of this song is really great.

Since I haven’t heard much from Budgie besides the “Never Turn Your Back on a Friend” and the “In for the Kill” album this collection of live recordings has introduced me to some of other great songs from the band and I definitely will listen to more albums from this great and underrated band soon.

HEAVIER THAN AIR: RAREST EGGS contains previously unreleased tracks from sessions and live recordings between 1972 & 1981.

Includes liner notes by Burke Shelley, Paul Cox and Steve Pittis.

Unknown Contributor Roles: John "J.T." Thomas; Tony Bourge.

Heavier Than Air is a double-disc set containing nothing but previously unreleased Budgie songs. There are both live recordings and studio outtakes on the collection, with the live cuts outnumbering the studio material by a wide margin. There's nothing particularly revelatory here, and it is certainly just for Budgie fanatics, but they'll likely be pleased by this well-assembled set.

Tracks Listing

CD 1

BBC In Concert at the Paris Theatre. 19/10/1972.

01. Rape Of The Locks
02. Rocking Man
03. Young Is A World
04. Hot As A Docker's Armpit
05. Recorded in 1976
06. Sky High Percentage
07. In The Grip Of A Tyrefitter's Hand

Friday Rock Show, 18/12/1981.

08. I Turned To Stone
09. Superstar
10. She Used Me Up

John Peel Show, 25/2/1972.

11. The Author
12. Whiskey River
13. Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman

CD 2

Recorded live at the Global Village, London, UK, 9/3/1974.

01. Breadfan
02. You're The Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk

Recorded live in Los Angeles, USA, 3/7/1978.

03. Melt The Ice Away
04. In The Grip Of A Tyrefitter's Hand
05. Smile Boy Smile
06. In For The Kill / You're The Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk
07. Love For You And Me
08. Parents
09. Who Do You Want For You're Love
10. Don't Dilute The Water
11. Breaking All The House Rules
12. Breadfan

Line-up / Musicians

Burke Shelley - bass, vocal
Tony Bourge - guitar
Ray Phillips - drums
Pete Boot - drums
Steve Williams - drums
John Thomas - guitar