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Nelsonian Navigator - Issue Five - Published March 1997 Back to Top

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) October 2008 Jan Feb Aug Sep Wednesday 22nd October 2008 -- 9:00 pm Too much news and not enough time to write it up in any great detail. Nelsonica 08 is almost here and I'm way behind with my preparations, as is generally the case at this time of year...However on THIS particular occasion, I'm REALLY floundering, particularly in terms of the work I still need to complete for my part in the band's live performance. The physical and mental stress has felt much more acute than usual, so much so that I've actually been a hair's breadth away from cancelling that part of the event altogether. The extra pressure has been compounded by so many other problems...difficult to convey to anyone not actually sitting over my shoulder observing the day to day complexities and frustrations. Anyway, more of that later but, first, a resume of matters touched upon in my previous diary entry. And I'll try to keep this as brief as possible: Emiko came back from Tokyo on the 26th of September, (not the 25th as I'd erroneously noted in my previous entry). I was so pleased to have her home again...the two and a half weeks she was away were difficult for both of us, sometimes depressing. Emi's mother has undergone surgery to remove the malignant tumour from her intestine. It was a worrying time for the family. Nevertheless she seems to have come through that process remarkably well, especially for a woman in her 80's. She remained in hospital a few weeks after the operation, slowly recuperating, but was finally allowed home last weekend. We're hoping that she will continue to make progress and enjoy a complete recovery, 'though the matter is still, naturally, of some concern to Emiko and I. Whilst Emi was away, I tried to help the time pass more quickly by spending even longer hours in my studio than usual. I began work on a special audio-visual project for this year's Nelsonica convention. It combines music, spoken-word samples, abstract sound and video cut-ups. It is titled 'The Departure Of The 20th Century In A Hail Of Memory.' The piece took three weeks to complete, (due to my slow computer and long out-of-date software), but I think it will work well as an opening item for the event. The idea is to present the piece as soon as convention attendees have taken their seats, at the very start of the day. The images and soundtrack will create an atmosphere complimentary to the theme/title of Nelsonica 08, (ie: 'The Experimental Time Traveller's Ball'). The piece lasts for a fraction over 16 minutes and can be interpreted as a personal time-travel trip through various cultural moments gathered from of my own era, or as fragmented, cascading images of memory, a mind unspooling in a dream-encrusted, poetic twilight. Besides the above work, I spent a fair amount of time helping my mother with her ongoing struggle to secure an appropriate settlement from her late husband's estate. This has involved the further preparation of legal documents and various meetings with solicitors. My own part in all this has been to give time and support wherever and whenever she has needed it. Sadly, the situation remains unresolved and things have now progressed to the litigation stage. This is a highly unpleasant process for my mother but one which she has been forced into by others. I continue to be dismayed by the 'cold shoulder' she has been given and the whole sorry business is causing all of us who care for my mother a great deal of distress. In a decent world, it should be absolutely unneccesary for her to go to these absurd lengths. Although the next few weeks should see the arrival of the next phase in the proceedings, there still may be a long way to go before the matter is settled. My mind has been constantly divided by conflicting duties, forces pulling this way and that: My mother's inheritance problems, her psychological and emotional struggles as a result of her bereavement, her practical day to day re-adjustment to life as a widow, etc. Her increased dependency on me as an only son. Also, Emiko's concerns about her mother's health and general situation around that, Very worrying for Emi, especially being so far away across the world from her mum. Added to this is Emiko's job redundancy and the difficulties she's faced as a result, especially trying to find employment in the current economic climate. The psychological impact this has inflicted upon her, the loss of self-confidence these kind of situations bring, all conspire to darken the mood. Plus, she's had to endure my self-inflicted, punishing creative workload and the negative effect it seems to be having on my own health, both physical and mental. Self-inflicted, maybe...but unavoidable under the circumstances. Then there's the list of various things required for Nelsonica, a list which seems to become more and more demanding each year. Of course, I'm not, as the saying goes, getting any younger. It definitely feels as if my energy levels are depleting as time goes on. (Or maybe it just seems this way because I take on too much. Perhaps I don't know where to draw the line.) Anyway, I won't continue to list any more difficulties, other than to say that they have sometimes become so overwhelming that there have been moments of utter despair when I've wondered where all of this might be leading. Well, that's life. It's one thing to deal with it in theory, another in reality. On a more positive note, let me try to list what I've actually achieved , in creative and positive terms, during the last 12 months or so: 1: An interconnected series of three instrumental albums, each filled to the brim with new examples of my guitar music. ('Silvertone Fountains,' Illuminated At Dusk,' and 'Mazda Kaleidoscope'.) 2: A brand new vocal album, ('Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow'), that weaves together various colourful threads and styles into something that, I hope, comes across as a unique and personal musical statement. 3: An exceptionally tightly packed Nelsonica limited edition album, ('Clocks And Dials'), that gathers together 38 diverse tracks across two CD's, all presented beautifully in digi-pak format. 4: A musical soundtrack for a documentary film titled 'American Stamps.' (And for which I've managed to secure a 'world premiere screening' at this year's Nelsonica.) 5: Another feature packed Nelsonica convention. 6: A solo set for Nelsonica that I've assembled and re-assembled at least three times before arriving at a concept I've titled 'Clouds, Dreams And Rain: The Melancholy Romance Of Guitars.' 7: The assembly of a band to perform as a separate item at Nelsonica. Band title? 'The Gentlemen Rocketeers.' Line up:- Bass: Dave Sturt. Flute, Sax: Theo Travis. Drums: Dave Cook. Second Guitar: Dave Standeven. Keyboards: Steve Cook. Keyboards: Jon Wallinger. Man up front with a guitar but with not a clue what's actually going on: Yours truly. 8: A continued, regular interface with my audience via this website diary and the Dreamsville on-line forum. Easy to underestimate how much time goes into this activity. More than people realise, I suspect. 9: The creation of a song to donate to 'Sara's Hope Foundation' as an exclusive download. Following in the footsteps of last year's 'Six Strings For Sara' instrumental track, this time it's a vocal piece, 'A Million Whistling Milkmen.' 10: A design for a limited edition Nelsonica watch. 11: I've finally managed to make some drawings and paintings for this year's Nelsonica auction...but not nearly as many as previous years. (The time just wasn't available.) However, the ones I HAVE made are interesting and this year's 'workbox' cover is especially nice, I think, being executed in paint, rather than coloured pencils. I still need to add something further to its contents though. Must remember to do this. And there are more achievements but I don't have time to list them all...lots done but more still to do... The main worry for me at this moment in time is that I haven't found an opportunity to start work on learning the material designated for the band set. Or, for that matter, to re-familiarise myself with the solo set music. Here's the track list, running order for my solo set at Nelsonica:- 1: 'BLUE AMORINI.' 2: 'BEYOND THESE CLOUDS THE SWEETEST DREAM.' 3: 'IF I WERE THE PILOT OF YOUR PERFECT CLOUD.' 4: 'GOLDEN DREAM OF CIRCUS HORSES.' 5: 'THE RAINDROP COLLECTOR.' 6: 'NIGHT SONG OF THE LAST TRAM.' 7: 'THE GIRL ON THE FAIRGROUND WALTZER.' 8: 'ONLY A DREAM BUT NEVERTHELESS.' 9: 'BEATNIKS FROM OUTER SPACE (I was a junior spaceman.)' 10: 'A DREAM FOR IAN.' 11: 'FOR STUART.' This doesn't look like an hour 15 mins worth of music but some of those pieces are quite long. And demanding. I had prepared three new instrumental tracks for the set too but there wasn't enough room for them. I didn't want to change the flow of the above set list to accomodate them, just for the sake of them being new. So maybe another day. But here's the bottom line: I know NOTHING and rehearsals start next Monday for 3 days. Day 1 is me on my own, trying to figure out my complex pedal board/processor rig, (which I only ever use live, never at home due to lack of space). And then I must try to run through my one hour 15 minute solo set and try to become confident enough to play it in front of an audience. The following two days are devoted exclusively to the band, to see if we can bolt together enough tunes to make up a performance. (Two days! Jeez!) Untested territory this as we have a new line-up. And this is where I REALLY haven't a clue. As mentioned above, I'm not prepared in the least for any of this. Just totally out of the loop. And the reason? Well, had I only the band thing to worry about, perhaps it would be o.k. But just take a look back over all those other things I've been dealing with and you'll see my problem. The short answer is: Too many things going on at once. Tomorrow I have to take three guitars for set-ups/repairs, on Friday I have to travel to Fairview near Hull to master my backing tracks. On Saturday I have to disconnect various items from my studio, pack all the equipment I need for Nelsonica and drag it downstairs. (There's a LOT of it!) On Sunday the equipment is being collected from here and will be delivered to the rehearsal room in Leeds on Monday morning. From then on, it's rehearsals for three days as itemised above. Then a clothes dry-cleaning/preparation day, (and, I hope, a haircut), followed by last minute bits and pieces. How I'll fit my personal learning time into any of this is a mystery. I just hope the band will forgive me when I stand there scratching my head and wondering what the next chord is. I've never been so ill-prepared and I absolutely hate it. It's not my style. I hope the Nelsonica audience will forgive me too, when I appear a shaking, nervous wreck on stage on the day itself. This diary entry, of course, helps matters not a bit. It's taken up far too much time already, even though it contains a third of the information I intended it to carry. So, I'm going to close here and see what I can achieve in the time available to me before I go to bed. So... the next entry will be AFTER Nelsonica, (provided my sanity is still intact!) Wish me luck and if you're going to the convention, please be gentle with me! ***** Images with this diary are:- 1: Bill and Emi circa 1983/4. 2: Tinkerbell The Cat in Bill 'n' Emi's garden. 3: A photo of Bill's Nelsonica 08 artworks 4: A closer look at the Nelsonica 08 artworks. Top of page

The Practice of Everyday Life box set - 7 December 2011 Bill Nelson Collections Menu Future Past TRACKS: CD1 01) Photograph (A Beginning) (Northern Dream album, 1971) 02) Northern Dreamer (Northern Dream album, 1971) 03) See It Through (Northern Dream album, 1971) 04) Love's A Way (Northern Dream album, 1971) 05) Be Bop Deluxe - Teenage Archangel (non-album single, 1973) 06) Be Bop Deluxe - Jets At Dawn (Teenage Archangel single b-side, later re-recorded for Axe Victim album, 1974) 07) Be Bop Deluxe - Axe Victim (Decca audition version - Previously Unreleased, 1973) 08) Be Bop Deluxe - Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape (Axe Victim album, 1974) 09) Be Bop Deluxe - Darkness L'Immoraliste (Axe Victim album, 1974) 10) Be Bop Deluxe - Night Creatures (Axe Victim album, 1974) 11) Be Bop Deluxe - Music In Dreamland (Futurama album, 1975) 12) Be Bop Deluxe - Maid In Heaven (Futurama album, 1975) 13) Be Bop Deluxe - Jean Cocteau (Futurama album, 1975) 14) Be Bop Deluxe - Sister Seagull (Futurama album, 1975) 15) Be Bop Deluxe - Between The Worlds (Futurama album, 1975) 16) Be Bop Deluxe - Swan Song (Futurama album, 1975) 17) Be Bop Deluxe - Crystal Gazing (Sunburst Finish album, 1976) 18) Be Bop Deluxe - Heavenly Homes (Sunburst Finish album, 1976) 19) Be Bop Deluxe - Ships In The Night (Sunburst Finish album, 1976) 20) Be Bop Deluxe - Crying To The Sky (Alternate Guitar Solo - Previously Unreleased) 21) Be Bop Deluxe - Sleep That Burns (Sunburst Finish album, 1976) CD2 01) Be Bop Deluxe - Modern Music (Modern Music album, 1976) 02) Be Bop Deluxe - Dancing In The Moonlight (All Alone) (Modern Music album, 1976) 03) Be Bop Deluxe - Honeymoon On Mars (Modern Music album, 1976) 04) Be Bop Deluxe - Lost In The Neon World (Modern Music album, 1976) 05) Be Bop Deluxe - Dance Of The Uncle Sam Humanoids (Modern Music album, 1976) 06) Be Bop Deluxe - Modern Music (Reprise) (Modern Music album, 1976) 07) Be Bop Deluxe - Kiss Of Light (Modern Music album, 1976) 08) Be Bop Deluxe - Forbidden Lovers (Modern Music album, 1976) 09) Be Bop Deluxe - Down On Terminal Street (Modern Music album, 1976) 10) Be Bop Deluxe - Life In The Air Age (Live! In The Air Age album, 1977) 11) Be Bop Deluxe - Piece of Mine (Live! In The Air Age album, 1977) 12) Be Bop Deluxe - Blimps ( The Best Of And The Rest Of compilation album, 1978) 13) Be Bop Deluxe - Futurist Manifesto ("Japan" single b-side in 1977) 14) Be Bop Deluxe - Lovers Are Mortal (The Best Of And The Rest Of Compilation album, 1978) 15) Be Bop Deluxe - Surreal Estate (Drastic Plastic album, 1978) 16) Be Bop Deluxe - Visions Of Endless Hope (Drastic Plastic album, 1978) 17) Be Bop Deluxe - Panic In The World (Juan Les Pins Mix/Remix) 18) Bill Nelson's Red Noise - Don't Touch Me (I'm Electric) (Sound-On-Sound album,1979) 19) Bill Nelson's Red Noise - Revolt Into Style (Sound-On-Sound album in 1979) 20) Bill Nelson's Red Noise - Furniture Music (Sound-On-Sound album in 1979) 21) Bill Nelson's Red Noise - Stay Young (Live) (Revolt Into Style 12" single) 22) Bill Nelson's Red Noise - Out Of Touch (Live) (Revolt Into Style 7 & 12" singles) 23) Do You Dream In Colour? ( Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam album in 1981) CD3 01 ) Banal ( Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam album in 1981) 02) Life Runs Out Like Sand (Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam Album in 1981) 03) Living In My Limousine (Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam album in 1981) 04) Mr. Magnetism Himself (Banal 7 & 12" singles) 05) Sleep (Sounding The Ritual Echo album, 1981) 06) Opium (Sounding The Ritual Echo album, 1981) 07) Near East (Sounding The Ritual Echo album, 1981) 08) The Funeral (Das Kabinett album, 1981) 09) The Sonambulist And The Children (Das Kabinett album, 1981) 10) The Dream Dance Of Jane And The Sonambulist (Das Kabinett album, 1981) 11) Beauty And The Beast (La Belle Et La Bete album, 1982) 12) The Enchanted Glove (La Belle Et La Bete album, 1982) 13) Eros Arriving (The Love That Whirls album in 1982) 14) Hope For The Heartbeat (The Love That Whirls album, 1982) 15) A Private View (The Love That Whirls album, 1982) 16) The October Man (The Love That Whirls album, 1982) 17) The Passion (Flaming Desire 7 & 12" singles) 18) Echo in Her Eyes (The Lamps of Oblivion) (The Love That Whirls album, 1982) 19) Glow World (Chimera mini-album, 1983) 20) The Real Adventure (Chimera mini-album, 1983) 21) Acceleration (Short Version) (Acceleration 12" single, 1984) 22) Happily Addicted To You (A Catalogue Of Obsessions album, part of the Trial By Intimacy set, 1985) 23) The Last Summer For Dancing (A Catalogue Of Obsessions album, part of the Trial By Intimacy set, 1985) 24) Les Amoureux ( Pavillions Of The Heart And Soul album, part of the Trial By Intimacy set, 1985) 25) Another Kiss For Your Slender Neck ( Pavillions Of The Heart And Soul album, Trial By Intimacy set, 1985) CD4 01) The Eternal Female ( Pavillions Of The Heart And Soul album, part of the Trial By Intimacy set, 1985) 02) Sleeplessness (Chamber Of Dreams album, part of the Trial By Intimacy set, 1985) 03) The Golden Bough (Chamber Of Dreams album, part of the Trial By Intimacy set, 1985) 04) Tomorrowland (The Threshold Of 1947) (Chamber Of Dreams album, Trial By Intimacy set, 1985) 05) Sacrament (The Summer Of God's Piano album, part of the Trial By Intimacy set, 1985) 06) Over Ocean (The Summer Of God's Piano album, part of the Trial By Intimacy set, 1985) 07) Perfido Incanto (The Summer Of God's Piano album, part of the Trial By Intimacy set, 1985) 08) City One (Chameleon album, 1986) 09) Blue Sky (Chameleon album, 1986) 10) To The Sea In Ships (Chameleon album, 1986) 11) Suvasini (Getting The Holy Ghost Across album, 1986) 12) Contemplation (Getting The Holy Ghost Across album, 1986) 13) Wildest Dreams (Getting The Holy Ghost Across album, 1986) 14) The Hidden Flame (Getting The Holy Ghost Across album, 1986) 15) Illusions Of You (Living For The Spangled Moment mini-album, 1986) 16) Orchestra Arcana - Search And Listen (Iconography album, 1986) 17) Orchestra Arcana - Right, Then Left (Iconography album, 1986) 18) Orchestra Arcana - Iconography (Iconography album, 1986) 19) Orchestra Arcana - Clock Conscious (Iconography album, 1986) 20) At The Gates Of The Singing Garden (Map Of Dreams album, 1987) 21) Water Of Life (Transfiguration) (Map Of Dreams album, 1987) 22) Spinning Creatures (Map Of Dreams album, 1987) 23) The Angel At The Western Window (Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights album, 1987) 24) Day Of Eternity (Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights album , 1987) 25) Night Tides (Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights album, 1987) 26) Finis Gloria Mundi (Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights album, 1987) CD5 01) Calling Heaven, Calling Heaven (Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights album , 1987) 02) Orchestra Arcana - Deva Dance (Optimism album, 1988) 03) Orchestra Arcana - Um, Ah Good Evening (UK CD of Optimism album, 1988) 04) Orchestra Arcana - Short Wave (UK CD of Optimism album, 1988) 05) Aqua Magica (Simplex album, 1990) 06) Heros De Lumiere (Simplex album, 1990) 07) Kiss Goodbye (Chimes And Rings album, part of the Demonstrations Of Affection set, 1989) 08) Dreams Of Yesterday (Chimes And Rings album, part of the Demonstrations Of Affection set, 1989) 09) Playing Jesus To Her Judas (Chimes And Rings album, part of the Demonstrations Of Affection set, 1989) 10) Still Waiting (Nudity album, part of the Demonstrations Of Affection set, 1989) 11) Feels Like Up To Me (Nudity album, part of the Demonstrations Of Affection set, 1989) 12) Only Love Can Tell (Nudity album, part of the Demonstrations Of Affection set, 1989) 13) Broken (Heartbreakland album, part of the Demonstrations Of Affection set, 1989) 14) Heartbreak Thru The Telephone (Heartbreakland album, part of the Demonstrations Of Affection set, 1989) 15) Love's Immortal Shining Angel (Heartbreakland album, part of the Demonstrations Of Affection set, 1989) 16) Man On Fire (Details album, part of the Demonstrations Of Affection set, 1989) 17) Aeroplane Wings (Details album, part of the Demonstrations Of Affection set, 1989) 18) Stay With Me (Details album, part of the Demonstrations Of Affection set, 1989) 19) A Luminous Kind Of Guy (Luminous album, 1991) 20) Is This Alchemy (Luminous album, 1991) 21) Wait For Tomorrow (Luminous album, 1991) 22) God Man Slain (Blue Moons & Laughing Guitars album, 1992) 23) Boat To Forever (Blue Moons & Laughing Guitars album, 1992) 24) The Invisible Man And The Unforgettable Girl (Blue Moons & Laughing Guitars album, 1992) 25) Dream Ships Set Sail (Blue Moons & Laughing Guitars album, 1992) 26) Crimsworth Part One (Excerpt) (Crimsworth album, 1995) CD6 01) Big Noise In Twang Town (Practically Wired album, 1995) 02) Pink Buddah Blues (Practically Wired album, 1995) 03) Her Presence In Flowers (Practically Wired album, 1995) 04) Big River (Buddha Head album, part of the My Secret Studio set, 1995) 05) The Big Illumination (Buddha Head album, part of the My Secret Studio set, 1995) 06) Buddah Head (Buddha Head album, part of the My Secret Studio set, 1995) 07) Begin To Burn (Electricity Made Us Angels album, part of the My Secret Studio set, 1995) 08) Heaven's Happy Hemisphere (Electricity Made Us Angels album, part of the My Secret Studio set, 1995) 09) It's All True (Deep Dream Decoder album, part of the My Secret Studio set, 1995) 10) Year 44 (The Birthday Song) (Deep Dream Decoder album, part of the My Secret Studio set, 1995) 11) Dreamnoise And Angel (Deep Dream Decoder album, part of the My Secret Studio set, 1995) 12) No Fool For You (Juke Box For Jet Boy album, part of the My Secret Studio set, 1995) 13) On A Train I Never Boarded (Juke Box For Jet Boy album, part of the My Secret Studio set, 1995) 14) Hold On To Your Heart (Juke Box For Jet Boy album, part of the My Secret Studio set, 1995) 15) Deeply Dazzled (After The Satellite Sings album, 1996) 16) Memory Babe (After The Satellite Sings album, 1996) 17) Zoom Sequence (After The Satellite Sings album, 1996) 18) Quarter Moons And Stars (Weird Critters album, part of the Confessions Of A Hyperdreamer set, 1997) 19) Candyland (Weird Critters album, part of the Confessions Of A Hyperdreamer set, 1997) 20) Sun At Six Windows (Magnificent Dream People album, part of the Confessions Of A Hyperdreamer set, 1997) 21) Queer Weather (Magnificent Dream People album, part of the Confessions Of A Hyperdreamer set, 1997) 22) The Girl I Never Forgot (Magnificent Dream People album, Confessions Of A Hyperdreamer set, 1997) CD7 01) Pointing at the Moon (Atom Shop album, 1998) 02) Dreamland Avenue (Whistling While the World Turns album, 2000) 03) Humming In The Void/Girl With The Thousand Watt Smile (Old Man Future Blows The Blues album, part of the Noise Candy set, 2002) 04) Big Yellow Moon (Stargazing With Ranger Bill album, part of the Noise Candy set, 2002) 05) Planet of Guitars (King Frankenstein album, part of the Noise Candy set, 2002) 06) Wonderful Weather In Woodgates Lane (Console album, part of the Noise Candy set, 2002) 07) The Ceremonial Arrival Of The Great Golden Cloud (The Alchemical Adventures Of Sailor Bill album, 2005) 08) Moments Catch Fire On The Crests Of Waves (The Alchemical Adventures Of Sailor Bill album, 2005) 09) Cascade (Improvisation For Three Harp Guitars) (Rosewood Volume One album, 2005) 10) Superserene (Theatre Of Falling Leaves album, 2009) 11) Young Dreams Whirled Away (Silvertone Fountains album, 2008) 12) Fearless Beauty ( Kisses And Cream) (Return To Jazz Of Lights album, 2006) 13) The Golden Days Of Radio (Compact Mix) (Fancy Planets album, 2009) 14) The Trace We Left When All Was Gone (Mazda Kaleidoscope album, 2008) 15) Once I Had A Time Machine (Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow album, 2008) 16) Music Spins My Globe (Picture Post album, 2010) 17) Moon Gold Palladium (Fables And Dreamsongs album, 2010) CD8 John Peel Session, 2nd June 1981 01) Rooms With Brittle Views 02) Stay Young 03) Sleep Cycle 04) Jazz David "Kid" Jenson Session, 13th Jan 1983 05) Dancing On A Knife's Edge 06) Time Tracking 07) Contemplation 08) Indiscretion NOTES: The Practice of Everyday Life is an 8-CD boxed set issued by Esoteric/Cherry Red through their specially created Cocteau Discs imprint. From Smile Records to Sonoluxe, this box set samples 45 different albums from Nelson's impressively vast and varied back catalogue. For the serious collectors among Nelson's fan base, there are a total of 8 previously unreleased tracks and 3 others that are appearing on CD for the first time. The Practice of Everyday Life was the first release on Cocteau Discs that prefaced a 22 album licensing deal which successfully managed to bring much of Nelson's back catalogue back in print. The 22 albums were intended for reissue over a seven year period, and at the time of writing (March 2016) 11 Nelson albums have been reissued including Getting the Holy Ghost Across , which was licensed under a separate deal with Sony. Therefore, a further 12 Nelson related titles can be expected over the next three years, with the prospect of Esoteric striking further deals with Universal for reissues of Red Noise and Be Bop Deluxe material. It has to be said that Esoteric have done a remarkable job with the reissue campaign, and no Bill Nelson fan, new or old, should be without a copy of The Practice of Everyday Life . CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This boxed set is currently out of print, although still available as a download from major online retailers. BILL'S THOUGHTS: "For as long as I can remember, music has played a central part in my life. My father was a semi-professional saxophonist who was actually performing with his band the night I was born in December 1948. His musical tastes, mainly big band swing and jazz, provided the soundtrack to my infancy and childhood years, but, like so many of my generation, rock n' roll came along with it the romance of electric guitars and the magic multi-track recording. Music, tape machines and guitars opened the door to a wide-screen world, a world which I continue to explore to this day. My first album, Northern Dream , was released in 1971, (though recorded in 1970.) Now, exactly 40 years after the release of Northern Dream , comes this chronologically ordered, career-spanning compilation, The Practice Of Everyday Life . For me, those 40 years have flown by, every day propelled by the power of music. The tracks presented across the 8 discs of this compilation, whilst not presenting the entire picture, nevertheless provide the widest view of my recorded work ever released in one package. I'm grateful to Mark Powell of Esoteric Recordings, (who initiated the idea of this compilation), for his enthusiasm and dedication to the project. I hope that listeners will enjoy the colourful journey that The Practice Of Everyday Life documents." _____ "It's a Zen Buddhist phrase which implies that enlightenment can be found in everyday, ordinary activities, rather than in some exotic, mysterious discipline or other. But it is appropriate to the celebration of 40 years of my recording career on more than one level. First of all, my everyday life is filled with the act of creating music in one form or another. As you know, I've always treat this as a natural activity, it's simply what I do and what I am. The creative act itself is meditational and educational...Music is the mirror I hold up to myself to see what is reflected there. But there's also an ironic element: What feels to me like a normal, everyday activity could, to someone not engaged in such an occupation, seem quite unusual or exotic. In fact, not 'everyday' at all. This duality and irony is reflected in the box set's cover image. When you finally get to see it, you'll understand what I'm getting at. The set's title and the cover image are amusingly, (and surreally), at odds. It implies that 'everyday life', for me, is a very strange and dreamlike thing indeed! But the word 'practice' is meaningful too...I'm still practicing, or learning, both as a human being and as an artist. I haven't begun to close the gap between myself and 'the goal'. It's this sense of being a perpetual novice that drives me forward. It's why I'll always look to the next album for the answer to my personal questions...and why I'll never be in a position to say that the work is done." _____ "The package design is not a 'Real Men with Rayguns' project, but is by Esoteric/Cherry Red designer Phil Smee. However, two of the key images, (the front cover and the cover of the booklet contained within the package), use themed, theatrical, surreal photographs taken by ace lensman Martin Bostock based on a specially devised concept created and art-directed by myself." _____ "The cover photo for The Practice Of Everyday Life wasn't actually taken at a live performance in Leeds, but it was taken at the Leeds University Clothworkers Hall, where I have performed in the past. (It's part of the University's Faculty of Music.) The photo' session was arranged independently of any live performance. I wanted to contrast the album's title theme, (of 'everyday' life), with something as far from everyday as possible. I've used that rabbit head mask in my video work for a few years now and thought that it might make a surreal image for TPOEL's cover shot, especially when combined with the weird guitar I'm holding, (which is actually an old fairground ride prop that I bought at an antique fair). I also wanted to include a selection of my guitars in the shot, plus a piano as keyboards often feature in my music too. My 'everyday life' is filled with music making and the concept of the rabbit and the guitars was to suggest a constantly creative, virile, productive energy." FAN THOUGHTS: tunancheese: "It is this compilation that has expanded my horizons. My Lord, Pink Floyd has nothing on Mr. Nelson when it comes to reaching out to the heavens (real or imagined). I'm on my fifth go around with this set and light years behind what you on this website have already experienced. I found Sound On Sound & have already purchased The Joy of Amplification and ordered the vinyl version of Northern Dreams . I know I'm swimming in waters way over my head - but, I'm digging the hell out of it!! Thank you, Mr. Nelson. Wonderful stuff." Collections Menu Future Past

Readers of this journal may be wondering why I haven’t posted an entry for quite some time. The last time I wrote was in June 2022 which, even for me, is a heck of a long time ago. The reason for the journal’s absence is rather complicated to explain. Obviously, much has happened that would now take several pages to recount, if I could even remember it all. But let me attempt to at least dance around my existentialist handbag, whilst avoiding emptying its messy contents all over the ballroom floor. To be honest, I think I’ve been feeling rather low for some time. Depressed? Well, maybe, though I’ve always fought against that possibility. But several things have pushed me in that direction of late. I caught some sort of prolonged cold/flu virus a few weeks ago which left me feeling weak. Still not fully recovered. Thought it might have been Covid at first but a test proved negative, so some other bug perhaps. Another thing that I’ve found hard to deal with is the news of so many musician’s deaths these last few months: Jeff Beck, David Crosby, Terry Hall, Jet Black of The Stranglers, Angelo Badalamenti, Alan Rankine, Charlie Gracie, Yukihero Takahashi, and today the sad news of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s passing. The last two names have a personal poignancy for me as I worked with both Yuki and Ryuichi in Yellow Magic Orchestra in the ‘80s and also with Yuki on his, (and my,) solo projects back then. Yuki was also my wife Emiko’s ex-husband. Both Yuki and Ryuichi had valiantly battled with cancer for some time but, in the end, defeating it was no longer possible. We had been in touch with Ryuichi via email on occasion during his last few years so knew that things were deteriorating to some degree, but this morning’s sad news came as a real blow. Emiko had known Yuki and Ryuichi since they were students at University in Tokyo in the 1960s and she was witness to the formation of YMO after Yuki’s time as drummer for The Sadistic Mika Band in the ‘70s. It’s fair to say that YMO were the biggest band in Japan back then, a remarkable three-piece who took the Kraftwerk template to another level entirely. Working with them was a wonderful experience for me, as was later touring Japan in Yuki’s band and having him play on my ‘Chimera’ album. The joint rhythm section of Yuki on drums and the late Mick Karn on Bass gave that album so much punch. Sad too, the sudden passing of Jeff Beck. I attended his concert in York last summer as a VIP guest, (thanks to a generous gift of tickets from the Nelsonica Team.) Jeff was on good form and very loud. He played a great version of Link Wray’s ‘Rumble’ which took me back to my teenage years of listening to American guitar instrumental music. Jeff, like me, had a fondness for that stuff. Coming away from that concert, I had no idea that in less than a year, Jeff would be gone. I first heard him in the ‘60s, when he was with The Yardbirds and first saw him with that group on the ’60s TV show ‘Ready, Steady, Go’ playing the song ‘Shapes Of Things.’ His Indian influenced solo on that performance made a great impression on me, akin to later seeing Jimi Hendrix’s first TV appearance, (also on ‘Ready, Steady, Go.’ ) Jeff always had his own unique tone and touch, especially with his sensitive use of the guitar’s vibrato arm. I’ve noted elsewhere in my journal entries how I met him briefly at a Classic Rock Magazine’s Awards Ceremony. It was good to shake his hand and thank him for his inspiration. Another thing adding to my low mood of late has been the further deterioration of my eye sight. On top of my Diabetes related and age related macular degeneration, I now have been diagnosed with Glaucoma. My driving licence came up for renewal and I had to take a DVLA sight test to get the licence renewed. Unfortunately, my eyesight was not up to scratch so I can no longer legally drive. I’ve been driving since I was old enough, way back in the ’60s so the loss of my licence has dealt me a really low blow. I’ve always enjoyed driving but have now lost the freedom and independence that owning a car allows. Now I have to rely on Emiko to take me anywhere, though I have to accept that sometimes she may not always be available to do so. Emi hates driving anyway, whilst I loved it. One of life’s ironies, I guess. To try and keep my mind off darker thoughts, I continue to pursue my endless recording session. The list of completed tracks now far exceeds the list I posted in last year’s journal entry. I’ve been on a roll, recording both vocal and instrumental tracks. A huge amount of work done and I need to start selecting and assembling tracks into some sort of coherent album form. The newest album I’m working on will be titled ‘Guitars Of Tomorrow.’ The title speaks for itself. But I also have tracks set aside for an album called ‘Starlight Stories’ and one titled ‘Fables Of The Future.’ However, the next release this year will be ‘All The Fun Of The Fair’ which I completed towards the end of last year. It awaits packaging artwork which I have been somewhat lax in preparing but plan to make a start on this very soon. But there are still a handful of albums from the last five or so years which have yet to see the light of day. Again, artwork has to be prepared for these before they can be scheduled for release. Lots to do. Bought a new microphone a couple of months ago. It’s called ‘The Amethyst’ and is made by the JZ microphone company. It’s got a lovely warm vintage sound and I’m very impressed by it. Have been reading, (with great difficulty due to my impaired eyesight, ) Bill Frisell’s biography ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ which I’ve enjoyed and found it resonating with my own life. I’ve also recently bought a biography of Merle Travis which I will attempt to read soon. Now I must end here as typing is increasingly difficult, even using an enlarged font size. But, as always as the evening begins, I will be switching on my studio and engaging with my music. A life saver in many ways. Tonight I’m mixing a new track titled ‘Mr Wizard Takes A Trip.’ This one will be allocated to the ‘Guitars Of Tomorrow’ album. All for now. I’ll try not to leave it so long ’till next time.

Three days ago, (Sunday 3rd July,) I spent just over seven hours in the accident and emergency department of our local hospital after suffering a very nasty fall. It was just before 1 am on Sunday morning when Emiko brought my attention to a large moth which had settled on one of her flower arrangements in our dining room. Not wanting to harm it I carefully caught it and ran to the front door to release it outside. In my haste and in the dark, I tripped over the door step and found myself hurtling to the ground where I hit my head violently on the stone flags outside the door. I felt my head crack and immediately blood gushed from the top of my head like a fountain, cascading over my face. The blood flow was profuse and frightening. Emiko rushed to my aide helping me to get up off the ground and brought kitchen towels to apply to the wound but the blood kept flowing, soaking towel after towel and refused to stop. A 999 call was made to summon an ambulance and I was told to apply a wet towel to the wound and to press down hard on it until the ambulance could get to me. A 40 minute wait was what we were told to expect but the ambulance turned up after 30 minutes. The crew checked my blood pressure and heart rate with a portable monitor. The right side of my upper lip had swollen up and my teeth at that side hurt as a result of bruising to my gums. I had badly grazed my right forearm and elbow and sprained my right wrist. The little finger on my right hand also hurt and I had grazes to my right thigh and knee. The ambulance crew said that I needed to go to the hospital’s A+E department but that I should be prepared for a wait of several hours. Emiko asked if she could come with me but they said no, so I walked shakily to the ambulance, still clutching a wet towel to my head. As the ambulance drove to the hospital, various details were logged onto the computer by one of the crew. Soon, the ambulance arrived at the hospital and I was taken into the reception of the A+E department and told to sit with other patients awaiting treatment. After a couple of hours I decided to ask at the reception desk how much longer I would have to wait to see a doctor. They told me that it probably would be another six hours. I said that my wound was still bleeding so they called a nurse who taped a gauze pad to the top of my head. Time dragged on. More casualties of different kinds arrived and sat in the waiting area, mostly young people who looked the worse for wear after a Saturday night of substance abuse or fighting. Eventually, some hours later, a doctor called my name and I followed him to his consultation room. He was a very pleasant, youngish guy who carefully inspected my wounds and put me through various tests to assess any brain injuries. He then told me that he would try to pull the head wound together with a special ‘glue’ but needed a second opinion. He left the room and returned with a lady who examined my head wound and said that there was not enough loose skin to pull the sides of the wound together but suggested trying to seal it with ‘steri-strips.’ The doctor then went to get these strips, cut them to size and carefully stuck them to the top of my head, apologising for the pain I experienced while he did so. A gauze pad was then taped on top of this before he said that I was free to go. I ’phoned Emiko who drove to the hospital to pick me up and take me home. It was around 20 past 8 am when I walked through the door where I had fallen just before 1 am. There was dried blood on the stone paving slab, on the carpet in the hall and on the dining room and kitchen floor. I was tired and suffering from the after shock of the whole thing. Next day, Emi changed the gauze pad on the top of my head for a clean one. There was still some bleeding going on but nowhere as much as when it first happened. The pad has been changed every day. I now have a GP appointment on Friday for the wound to be checked. My lip is still a little swollen and eating is somewhat painful because of the soreness in my teeth but I’ve been told that this will subside in time. I’ve had some mild headaches and bursts of pain from the would but have taken Paracetamol as instructed by the doctor. My wrist has almost recovered. I’m not allowed to wash my hair though so it is still matted with dried blood. The experience was a shock to me and thinking of it now brings a shiver, but I suppose it could have been worse. It certainly came at a bad time as I was supposed to be doing an interview with Mojo magazine tomorrow but it will have to be postponed until my GP checks the healing process and gives me the all clear. I haven’t been able to work in my studio since the accident, having been told to rest and avoid stress. Four days without touching a guitar is not like me at all. But I have a great deal of material ‘in the can’, even more than that noted in my previous journal entry, so it’s not like I need to record at the moment. There's much more I’d like to comment on, particularly the debacle surrounding Boris ‘Greasy Pig’ Johnson who is such a pathetic cretin, but all that will have to wait until next time. I’m going back to the sofa to watch tv and take more Paracetamol.

A fair, (or unfair,) amount of time has passed since my previous journal entry back in January. So much has happened since then, not least the devastating war in Ukraine due to the illegal invasion by Russia. The barbaric atrocities of the Russian army trample on all notions of honour or humanity. It’s heartbreaking to witness the suffering of the Ukrainian people on television news channels night after night. Russia’s Putin is a man without a soul, feeding outrageous lies to his people, an insidious, sly monster for our times. Where this will all end is impossible to predict, but I pray it ends with Ukraine being able to retain its independence and sovereignty. We can only hope. Went to Wakefield cemetery to lay flowers on my Mum’s mini-grave on the second anniversary of her passing in April. It’s now two years since she left us. And still she features in my dreams almost every night. My brother too passed away in April, in 2006. Their loss, along with the loss of all my early family, haunts me constantly. I still find it hard to come to terms with. The eye surgery I mentioned in my previous journal entry has been completed. My left eye was operated on in January and my right eye also underwent surgery in late February. The operations were surreal affairs, with local anaesthetic so I was aware of the whole process being performed. It wasn’t particularly painful, but certainly uncomfortable and very stressful. Any improvement to my vision is only slight but may become a little better when I’m allowed to get new prescription glasses. Have to wait for the go-ahead for that from the eye clinic. I’ve had three eye injection sessions since the operation, the first of which was incredibly painful. Horrific in fact. They’ve been very careful to administer extra aesthetic drops ever since. Emiko and I have, unfortunately, contracted Covid recently, though we are now, finally, testing negative. I caught it first, and Emiko caught it from me three days later. Where I picked it up from I have absolutely no idea. We’ve both been incredibly careful to avoid it and have steered clear of catching it through the entire first two years of the pandemic, always wearing our face masks, always using hand sanitiser and trying to keep our distance from people. But the Government has, (prematurely in my opinion,) relaxed the restrictions and people now seem to be not taking proper care anymore, foolishly acting as if it’s all over, which it clearly isn’t. At the supermarket we are among only a handful of people still wearing our masks, the majority are simply acting as if the virus is non existent. Perhaps that’s where I picked it up? Anyway, we had a very rough few days suffering with it, despite being fully vaccinated, and it took us a couple of weeks before we shook it off and eventually tested negative. We still have some lingering effects from it though, particularly fatigue. I’m hoping this isn’t ‘long Covid.’ But it’s not like me to fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon, but that’s what has been happening. My energy seems very low for part of the day, though I’m managing to continue working in my studio at night when I feel up to it. And on that level there has been a lot of productivity with 53 new tracks completed so far. Some of these have been set aside for two new albums: ‘Marvellous Realms’ and ‘All The Fun Of The Fair.’ But the running orders are still undergoing changes and will probably remain in flux right up until the last moment. At some point in the near future I will have to decide how to deal with the remaining tracks from these sessions. There are definitely enough tracks left over for at least another couple of albums. I still, of course, have several unreleased albums sitting in my archives from the last five or six years. ‘Electra’ will be the first of these to see the light of day. It was meant to be released last month but my Covid infection delayed me being able to take the tracks over to John Spence at Fairview studio for mastering. (John also had a Covid infection a little earlier than myself.) However, I have now tomorrow afternoon booked with John at the studio and, once the album tracks are transferred to Fairview’s computer, they can be mastered and hopefully delivered to the factory for manufacture in the coming week or so, (once this extended Jubilee bank holiday is over.) Had a brief listen to a couple of the other of my archived albums today, ‘Phantom Fuzzbox’ and ‘Stupid-Serious.’ I was surprised by how good they sound. I haven’t heard them for a few years so it was like coming to them with the ears of a stranger. I think ‘Stupid Serious’ might be the next archive release, after the release of the newer ‘Marvellous Realms’ album . It’s fair to say that I really could sit back and not record anything more for quite a while as there is so much material awaiting release...but that would be frustrating and no fun for me at all. I simply love and embrace the recording process, and the unbounded creative dreaming that goes with it. Every day, my guitars seem to call out to me, the studio does too. I can’t imagine a day going by when I wouldn’t want to ‘make a mark’ on the virtual recording tape. It’s a joyous thing, though somewhat demanding of time and thought. But, if it’s sometimes difficult, it’s always deeply rewarding and fulfilling. It’s what I live to do. Lots of domestic duties constantly bringing this creativity down to Earth though. Django needing a vet’s very expensive attentions, car troubles, exterior house painting requiring setting up, increasing cost of living issues, guitar repairs in need of doing, etc, etc. Maintaining the creative lifestyle of a musician is not always plain sailing, though I’ve been lucky enough, (so far) in my career. And that despite some distressing and difficult moments over the years. But I’m blessed to have been able to follow my dreams for so long and to, hopefully, have those dreams continue and resonate with others. Music is a wonderful, magic thing... I could write more, particularly about this country’s lame duck/greased pig prime minister who seems to follow the old Trump style of governing this nation, albeit with added bluster, buffoonery and witlessness. But I’ll end here as I have more work to accomplish in areas that might hopefully be more kind and beneficial. So here is a list of the 53 tracks I’ve recorded in recent months and which will eventually reach the ears of those who care to hear: 1: ‘BEAMS OF LIGHT.’ 2: ‘SOME JIGGERY POKERY.’ 3: ‘A COMPASS IN MY MIND.’ 4: ‘IN THE BRIGHT TWILIGHT SKY.’ 5: ‘ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR.’ 6: ‘A MAGIC FRAME OF MIND.’ 7: ‘FAST FORWARD, SLO-MO.’ 8: ‘RUNNING FROM MY OWN SHADOW.’ 9: ‘MAN OF DREAMS.’ 10: ‘SHAPE SHIFTER.’ 11: ‘SIGNALLING AS WE GO.’ 12: ‘THE WEATHER SONG.’ 13: ‘STARS AND HALOES.’ 14: ‘BEEP BEEP BEEP.’ 15: ‘THE CLOUD ENGINEER.’ 16: ‘A DISTANT MEMORY.’ 17: ‘THIS MAY SOUND STRANGE.’ 18: ‘A LITTLE WOOZY.’ 19: ‘THE WAY OF THE WORLD.’ 20: ‘ATOMIC CORAL.’ 21: ‘MEMORIES AND RECOLLECTIONS.’ 22: ‘PUSH THE BUTTON, SPIN THE DIAL.’ 23: ‘ELEVATOR TRANSCENDANT.’ 24: ‘CHELSEA FLASH.’ 25: ‘IT’S A LONG TIME BETWEEN DREAMS.’ 26: ‘MADAME MIDNIGHT.’ 27: ‘THEME FROM AN ENGLISH ECHO CHAMBER.’ 28: ‘HERE ON EARTH.’ 29: ‘THE SILENT HOUR.’ 30: ‘WIND IT UP AND WATCH IT GO.’ 31: ‘AZTEC HELICOPTER.’ 32: ‘KEEP YOUR TELESCOPE FOCUSSED ON THE STARS.’ 33: ‘MARVELLOUS REALMS.’ 34: ‘ONE A.M.’ 35: ‘DRAGONFLY WINGS OVER STILL DARK WATERS.’ 36: ‘ECHO MIRROR ONE.’ 37: ‘DRIVING A BLUE CAR TO THE STARS.’ 38: ‘WHOOPS! I’M GOING BACK IN TIME.’ 39: ‘GLORIOUS MARCH TO THE GATE OF SPRING.’ 40: ‘AFTER THOUGHT.’ 41: ‘ONCE I DREW PICTURES WITH LAKELAND PENCILS.’ 42: ‘IMAGINARY MUSIC.’ 43: ‘NEVERNOON.’ 44: ‘THE GOLD BEYOND THE BLUE.’ 45: ’THE ILLUMINATOR.’ 46: ‘MONDO BRAVADO.’ 45: ‘THE INVISIBLE KID IN THE CORNER.’ 46: ‘SPOOKY DOINGS.’ 47: ‘THE HOUSE OF MORPHEUS.’ 48: ‘DANCE OF THE SONIC CULTURE GODS.’ 49: ‘THIS RIVER.’ 50: ‘THE MYSTIC.’ 51: ‘ALLOW ME TO INSIST.’ 52: ‘DOCTOR SONAR’S WAITING ROOM.’ 53: ‘IN MY IMAGINATION.’