Entertainment For Lively Minds
ATM: Bonnie Prince Billy - a beginner's guide
Posted by nacnud on 13 January 2012 - 6:35pm.
Hello Massive,
A friend of mine has bought me a ticket to Bonnie Prince Billy later this month in Glasgow as part of Celtic Connections.
To be honest I've heard much praise but never got round to buying / listening to any of his work.
So here I am asking the Massive: where do I start?
Thanks in advance,
nacnud
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I only have...
... "I See A Darkness" - but I do intend to investigate further. It took a while for me to get into it but I can recommend it.
Ease Down The Road
is my personal fave as it features his more relaxed, dare I say it, happy side.
Quite fruity lyrics too; yum!
I've got a couple of albums,
but not really listened to them properly.
However, what I've heard I like but I can't speak with any authority (sorry)
But what I can do is post this little beauty.
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - 'The World's Greatest' (R.Kelly cover)
(I love this version, just don't listen to the original after playing this - It's flipping ace and kind of spoils this a little)
Heard this on Guy Garvey's 6music show
And it's lovely
I'd start with
Master and Everybody. It's a bit more produced than the very sparse I see a Darkness but is gorgeous.
Hello
I would definitely second 'Master and Everyone' - it has some truly gorgeous songs. Here's the opening track 'The Way':
Were you aware that he previously recorded albums under the name 'Palace' (or variations like Palace Songs, Palace Music etc). Some of that early work is spellbinding, although I honestly don't know how much of it he performs now. There is a curious but brilliant record out called 'Bonnie Prince Billy performs Greatest Palace Music' where his new alter-ego covers his old one.
Here's the 'Bonnie' version of 'West Palm Beach':
compared with the sparser Palace version:
I hope you get into him and explore further, he's great!
I saw him in the perfect setting...
...a small, wooded, leafy glade in Oregon, at a local festival. The sun was slowly sinking and the entire scene was bathed in a warm, golden glow that can't be emulated by electricity. The audience was respectful and reverent...
..and he was just dull, I'm afraid, so I went to see Cpt Bogg and Salty instead, who are kind of a pirate version of the Wiggles...