Boud Deun ~ USA ~ Virginia

The Stolen Bicycle (1998)

The Stolen Bicycle is the 3rd, and as it turns out, last studio album from this fine Americana Jazz Fusion group from Virginia. For each album, Boud Deun increased the complexity in favor of melodic development. As with anything in life, when you move the lever from one side to the other, you hit upon a peak in the middle. And for Boud Deun that was clearly Astronomy Made Easy, where they balanced everything just right.

The album is certainly technically proficient, and there's much to absorb. However, the songs are somewhat interchangeable. Take the 14 part (yes, 14) 'Churches' as an example. Seems I could randomly program the entire suite, jumble them in any order, and have the same experience. There's just not much in the way of a composition with a purpose. It's 14 random jams - albeit tightly played and skilled. I thought my perception coming out of the 2024 listen may have been a bit too critical, but as I sit here and jot down some thoughts, I'm forming the conclusion what this album means to me. The other two have special time and place memories for me, while we hear a group growing together in an exciting way. The Stolen Bicycle is Boud Deun's day at the office. It becomes understandable, then, that the band may have felt the same way. They said everything they wanted to, and decided to hang it up.

I should stress it is a very good album, but is missing some key ingredients I listen for. ProgArchives has a different point of view, and rates this their highest. It is, for certain, more professional. If such things matter to you.

Ownership: 1998 Cuneiform (CD). Booklet with a children's story written by guitarist Shawn Persinger. Acquired in 1998.

1998; 2/22/24; 3/9/26 (review)
 

Fiction and Several Days (1994)

I waxed on below about Boud Deun for the Astronomy Made Easy album. The debut is a bit rougher and less focused, but no less pleasurable. Great guitar and violin work can be heard here, with some inventive songwriting. These guys were at the forefront of the 90s American progressive rock renaissance. As an aside, it appears this is two albums sewn together. Quite literally Fiction ...and... Several Days.

To add, I enjoy covers like this one, with the rusted farm equipment and a chicken on the back. Real America.

Ownership: 1995 E.H.P. (CD). Acquired in 1995.

1995; 6/18/20 (review)

Astronomy Made Easy (1997)

Boud Deun represents - for me at least - the optimism of the late 1990s. Both in life and in music. In particular, progressive rock had really found its footing again, and new and exciting bands were cropping up all over the world. Boud Deun's privately pressed debut was met with great enthusiasm, so much so that America's premier progressive rock label at the time, Cuneiform, scooped them for their roster rather quickly. Because of this association with the label, you'll often see Boud Deun tagged with the Avant Prog genre, but that is simply not the case here. Cuneiform, especially in those days, were promoting various kinds of progressive rock, beyond their core base. And it didn't hurt that Boud Deun were practically neighbors with the label, hailing from northern Virginia.

The regional note plays a role in their music as well. One can point to the Dixie Dregs as perhaps the blueprint for their sound, at least when The Dregs were focused on jazz fusion verse country rock. But it also becomes clear that Boud Deun had a knowledge of worldwide progressive rock. Their sound mixes in European styled jazz rock but with a touch of Appalachia. And a sophisticated kind of symphonic fusion, that we also find in Europe and Japan. Let's be clear: Astronomy Made Easy does not pull a single punch - it's very intense folks. But here's the kicker - it's also highly melodic, so that it does stay in the memory banks. Technical plus melody plus regional folk customs + rockin' out = success.

On a personal note, I brought along a pile of CDs before I was to be married in April of 1997. It was the long road trip from Denver (where I resided at the time) to Dallas (where I grew up). If I were to associate one album from that period of time - it's this one. So nostalgia plays a big role in my own subjective viewpoint. What's more interesting here for those reading this is... I hadn't heard the album in 22+ years since then. And guess what? I remembered much of it. It came back as each track unwound itself. I often read this is one of those highly technical albums that is academic overall. I beg to differ.

Ownership: 1997 Cuneiform (CD). Die-cut booklet. Acquired in 1997.

1997; 11/15/19 (review)

4/15/20 (new entry)

Dreadnaught ~ USA ~ New Hampshire

Gettin' Tight with Dreadnaught (2015)

With CD in hand, I see they have maintained the early 60s retro jazz theme in regards to the cover and album title, a nice little detail that I appreciate anyway. The always deprecating and humorous Dreadnaught tells us "...we're 19 years in and think we're making the best music of our career. Of course, we could be completely off base about that". lol. And in their bio section we get this gem "Two-thirds of the band definitely have Italian blood". I love irreverence.

Jokes aside, Dreadnaught means business once the tape starts rolling. Blasting out of the gates with Nervous Little Dogs, Dreadnaught come out fighting with fuzz bass, heavy guitar, and roaring rhythms. I haven't heard this kind of fury since the glory days of Nucleus era Anekdoten. The Badger opens in faux disco mode, and shifts gears quickly to a Canterbury like sound. A type of music that fits Dreadnaught like hand in glove, and a sound I would like to hear the band explore further. Knife Hits is a nice bit of instrumental post rock, with some Kong-like heaviness mixed in. Barefoot Kicker is the closest thing to what one could call prototypical Dreadnaught (is that even possible?), with a hint of Americana, rural rock, and complex progressive rock. Excellent use of keyboards and violin on this one too! The odd track out is This Time Next Year which brought to mind The Steve Miller Band, but does fit their oeuvre quite well actually.

Ownership: 2015 Red Fez (CD)

5/10/15 (acquired / review)

Have a Drink with Dreadnaught (2013)

After eight years of non recorded activity, Dreadnaught come back with a new EP, that shows no signs of cobwebs. For Have a Drink With Dreadnaught the group has shed the colder Crimson tones, and have added a good dose of West Coast psychedelia. This music comes across more natural to their Americana tendencies. The melodies are more thought out, and the jams flow more freely. The Grateful Dead, or perhaps even Phish, no doubt should be part of the conversation when discussing this album. I also appreciate the retro early 60s album title.

Like their idols Frank Zappa, Dreadnaught have worked hard to avoid categorization. As such, it will be difficult for a potential fan to enjoy everything the band releases - though no one should question the musicianship, hard work, and quality of the material therein.

Former ownership: 2013 Red Fez (CD)

6/18/14 (acquired / review); 7/5/25

The American Standard (2001)

The band describes themselves as thus: "Over the course of over 17 years, half a dozen albums, and more metric shifts than you can shake a stick at, the ever-evolving DREADNAUGHT has carved out a musical niche unlike any other. This is because, very simply, we're totally and utterly deranged."

lol. Well, it's probably not far from the truth - at least from a musical perspective. If there's one persistent theme amongst the two albums I've heard, it's that Dreadnaught has a strain of Americana in them. The type of Appalachia based music one might find in Central Pennsylvania or West Virginia*. I hear elements of a contemporary fusion band such as Boud Deun, as well as historical early 70s groups from the region like Bucknell University's own Fred. On The American Standard, there's also a distinct modern Crimson influence, with its angular melodies, and dark textures. The tag one reviewer applied to Dreadnaught - "King Crimson at a Hoedown" - is most apt for this album. A very interesting direction to take for a band from New Hampshire.

* - I've read a few reviews where they refer to this as "Southern". That's a different concept altogether, and far more common to hear. The American roots music that Dreadnaught have focused on is a different strain, and rarely heard in progressive rock.

Ownership: 2001 Red Fez (CD)

6/14/14 (acquired / review)

6/14/14 (new entry)

Fred. 1971-1973 USA-Pennsylvania (archival)

For an archival release, this one has an amazing sound, with a sophistication you rarely hear from this period - in the USA that is. The songwriting is first class, as is the harmony work. In fact, some of this reminds me of the absolute best of Crosby, Stills and Nash. These guys were clearly schooled in music academia. They were from Bucknell University in central Pennsylvania, and perhaps not surprisingly, violin is a major part of their repertoire. The violin is definitely from the Appalachian school of folk music, and not a classical riff in sight. When present, it reminds me of those PBS specials on the history of 1800's America. Some vicious fuzz guitar leads are really awe-inspiring in this setting. Interestingly enough, the band has two more archival releases, and they're both in the Mahavishnu Orchestra jazz rock arena. So these guys definitely had chops to go with their songwriting skills. There is no other album like this that I know of anyway. It's post-psych, pre-progressive with a touch of Appalachia rural. I could see this one continuing to grow as the sound is a bit unfamiliar still.

CD: 2001 World in Sound (Germany)