From My Collection #31: Budgie – Power Supply

Welcome to another edition of From My Collection. This past Monday, January 10, the metal community was struck by the sad, yet unfortunately not shocking loss of Budgie founder and frontman, Burke Shelley. A pioneer in the deepest sense of the word, Shelley led Budgie on and off for 40 years, before ultimately retiring in 2010 as the result of an aortic aneurysm. Although they never reached the heights of fame and fortune that their peers in Black Sabbath and Deep Purple did, Budgie were equally as influential. Among the bands who have credited them as an influence over the years are Soundgarden, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, and a little band by the name of Judas Priest, who got their start opening for Budgie. You see, if it weren’t for the creative advances of Shelley and his band of misfits, this very site and most of the bands we take for granted may not be here today. For that, we raise our glasses to the sky and pay tribute Mr. “Homicidal Suicidal” himself with this special edition of From My Collection, in which we revisit one of the band’s more unsung releases, Power Supply.

The year was 1980 and the NWOBHM was in full swing. Bands like Iron Maiden, Saxon, and Angel Witch were tearing up the charts and concert halls alike. This left the “dinosaurs” of the early 70s to fend for themselves. Black Sabbath found themselves revigorated, thanks to the addition of Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Deep Purple was now four years gone, but former members found great success in their native country with bands like Gillan and Whitesnake. Ritchie Blackmore meanwhile was busy reinventing Rainbow as an AOR band, in hopes of stateside stardom. Uriah Heep was floundering both creatively and commercially, thanks to a clumsy attempt at pop rock in Conquest. And Budgie? Well, their motto must’ve been, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”

Unlike their fellow pioneering peers, Budgie spent the 70s virtually unknown in America. Sure, they had extremely minor regional success in markets like St. Louis and San Antonio. This was thanks to those markets’ cutting edge radio stations, KSHE and KMAC respectively. However, even a distribution deal with A&M couldn’t land Budgie success in the regions that mattered to major labels: the west coast, the east coast, and the midwest. Hence Budgie and A&M parted ways, and just in time. You see, while Creem begged the question, “Is heavy metal dead?” among a sea of punk and disco, the burgeoning NWOBHM scene answered with a resounding, “NO!”. Instead of beating the dead horse that was the American record market, Budgie shifted their focus to the changing sound and style in their homeland with their eighth studio album, Power Supply.

Of all the 70s metal bands who changed with the times, perhaps none changed more than Budgie. Gone were the progressive meanderings, folksy interludes, and sludgy guitar tone that put them on the map. This was now replaced by a short, sharp shock approach as heard on Power Supply‘s opening track, “Forearm Smash”. This high voltage, boogie laden, hooky headbanger was not uncommon to what Raven and Vardis were doing at the time. It was tailor made for the Sounds reading audience and radically different from anything Budgie had released before. The same can be said for the molten metal attack of “Hellbender”, whose menacing riffs and gritty vocals are similar to Judas Priest circa British Steel.

My favorite cut on the album is the anthemic “Heavy Revolution”: a straightforward, fist pumping ode to the greatest music ever created. Indeed, the NWOBHM was a “Heavy Revolution”, paving the path for all metal scenes and subgenres to follow. Shelley’s impeccable (pun intended) vocals soar with melody and power. Side A then closes with the southern tinged “Gunslinger”. The centerpiece is a blistering guitar solo courtesy of Big John Thomas, who makes his debut on this album. Talk about a first impression!

As we flip over to side B, we’re greeted by the raucous title track. Yet another boogie metal blitz in the vein of “Forearm Smash”, “Power Supply” presents a serious dilemma to this ever-ready rager: Do I dance or headbang? Why not both? Whether you prefer the two step, neck snap, or good ol’ fashioned slam dance, “Power Supply” is guaranteed to tear up the mosh floor no matter where it’s played! Following this is another Priest inspired romp, “Secrets in My Head”. One would think side B is following the same template as side A until they get to “Time to Remember”.

An AOR ballad reminiscent of a forgotten Triumph album cut, “Time to Remember” boasts melodies and atmosphere that is nothing short of hauntingly beautiful. This is no syrupy sellout. “Time to Remember” proves that Budgie can pack as much soul into a mellow ballad as they can a full blown heavy metal affair. Closing it all out on a simplistic, hard rocking note is “Crime Against the World”. Call it four on the floor, basic, or even unsophisticated, but “Crime Against the World” goes toe to toe with any track off AC/DC’s Back in Black. Hell, I’d argue it’s better than any song off Back in Black, save for “Hells Bells” and “Let Me Put My Love into You”.

So how did Power Supply play out for the underdogs of 70s metal? Quite well! The album sparked a newfound interest of the band, which culminated in two more albums, 1981’s Nightflight and 1982’s Deliver Us from Evil, and a headlining slot at the 1982 Reading Rock festival. Playing underneath them that day were Trust, Praying Mantis, Baron Rojo, Tank, Stampede, and The Angels, just to name a few. Indeed it was a “Heavy Revolution”, one that they partially helped usher in. And it wouldn’t have been the same without the rumbling bass, eardrum shattering vocals, and surrealist lyrics of Mr. Burke Shelley. Rest in power Burke. Your legacy will forever live in the hearts and souls of headbangers worldwide.