Rocksy Music

From Tom Port's Better Records Website:

Roxy Music/Roxy Music: "One of my Desert Island discs"

I bet I can guess why! (and it has very little to do with tonality)

 

Actually, I love that Roxy Music LP. That one and the romantic "Flesh & Blood". I've got one of them "Promo Copies" regular label with the song titles, checkmarks and time lists on a sticker in the front. Also love "For Your Pleasure" "Siren" and "Avalon" (although not as much as all of you must! )

This is strange, because I woke up this morning with "Virginia Plain" playing in my head. I thought "Sheesh, all those girly pictures on the covers" but they've been there so long, I don't even think about it. Not trying to speak for anyone else, but the heck with the women on the cover. The music inside is much more important to me. Great stuff!

 

Yeah, I don't really notice the covers anymore (even the Jerry Hall one). But what great music, and boy was the tour last summer good.

 

All their records mean a lot to me. My formative, shall we say, romantic years were then.

Even to this day, it's a thrill to play any of the first five.

I have some "DJ timing strip" cover versions, but they pale compared to the imports. Subgeneration tapes and American EQ: brighter.

Everyone should try to find the Roxy Box with the first seven albums, not the German one, which sucks, but the real Brit box. It's amazing.

They are the Beatles of Art Rock to me.

Check them out if you haven't yet. Start with Avalon, go to Siren, then work your way back from there.

TP

 

Roxy remasters...

I got an original 1984 German CD of the debut Roxy Music and compared it to the recent Virgin remaster. I much prefer the German one; it has more details and better dynamics, IMO. Anyone else notice this? I don't think the remaster sounds bad, but not as good as this old German CD.

 

The new "Avalon" remastered in HDCD is excellent.
I am afraid to press my luck and get the others.

 

I love the girly covers, but I'd trade them away, never to be seen again if I could have a whole album of "Prairie Rose" sessions!

 

LPs, of course! Why would I talk about some silly CDs? I have the CDs of all the Roxy albums for convenience. Not exactly the real thing IMO.

And a DJ timing strip is that big white piece of paper on the cover with all the songs listed and their times so that DJs can know how long the songs are if the info is not available inside. They come with WLD LPs inside: white lable demos.
I love them. Have quite a few.

TP

 

Jerry Hall as the Siren is on the custom label for the original British pressing of Siren. Found one in England and could hardly believe my eyes when I pulled it out of the sleeve.

And it doesn't sound good! The original Brit versions aren't as good as the later ones! Go figure.

TP

 

and not all of them are girls. Look closely at Stranded and Country Life

 

OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!

This is really creepy. I don't know how many times (heh heh) I've looked at these album covers. I guess I've never really LOOKED at them...

I asked for my wife's "expert" opinion (who is not a Roxy fan). Here's what she said:

Stranded - "Definitely a guy. Has an adam's apple"
Country Life - "The one on the left looks like the result of estrogen treatments. The one on the right has a mannish jaw, plus it looks like there is a conspicuous 'bulge'. Also, looks like they both have adam's apples".

There you have it!

 

I would suggest you look down a little further past the Adam's apple on the Stranded cover for some even more convincing proof. Funny thing is guys have been lusting after these sexy "women" for years, not quite getting it...

 

Anyone here pick up the 2 different versions of Manifesto?
The single versions of Angel Eyes and some other tracks I can't recall now were used on later pressings. I always thought the first version was great.

 

Hey, I've got no problem with Douglas's facts. He's cool. I'm going to double my original statement that I love the girly covers. There is absolutely nothing wrong OR mistaken or creepy about that! I did not say "I love the girls on the covers". The covers are GIRLY, right Douglas?

In the meantime, I love "Prairie Rose" but always associated it with TEXAS the state, and was impressed that Brian and Phil - Brit art boys - could pen such a powerful hymm to the Lone Star. Now it occurs to me after all this time that it might also be about Jerry Hall. Is that foolish, lame, out of the loop?

 

Absolutely! I didn't mean to imply there was anything creepy about it. As a matter of fact, I think it's kind of cool Roxy helped lots of men explore their bi-curious side. Excuse me, I need to water the flower in my hat now.