The Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music Album By Album Thread

The Preface

Welcome. This thread will include all official studio and live albums and at least two DVDs by Bryan Ferry (solo) and Roxy Music from Roxy Musicto the Live At the Apollo DVD to Dylanesque… in chronological order of release. Only two of the many compilations will be discussed, the first, Greatest Hits, and the best, The Thrill of It All box set.

All solo, duet and band albums credited to Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay, and Eddie Jobson will be excluded. All merit attention and discussion, just not here.

All aspects of the band and albums are open for discussion… musical expertise, instruments and gear used, creativity, lyrics, concerts, singles, image, album artwork, production, sound quality of different editions. Plus, importantly, we are all adults and, I am going out on a limb here, educated, meaning that we can follow more than one train of thought throughout the thread. If two or three people want to concentrate on sound quality, or two or three others want to dwell on image from year to year, the rest of us can talk around them. Nor must we agree on everything. If you dislike an album, that is valid, as long as you explain why. And of course the personal, what the recordings mean to you, favorites, when you first heard them, etc.

If you wrote and published a relevant review, say in a college newspaper, feel welcome to include it at the proper spot in the thread.

I ask only one courtesy of the respondents: don’t jump ahead of the sequence (although latecomers are welcome to join in at any point in the recording history up to the current album under discussion).

My avatar will show the current album under discussion.

As far as the pace at which we should move through this large catalog, each album will receive five to seven days dependent on response and my schedule. Some albums will receive less, again dependent on response.

Besides my writings, I will quote from David Buckley’s The Thrill Of It All, Pete Frame’s “Crimson and Roxy” family tree, AMG.com, Chris Turner’s Roxyrama.com, Manzanera’s official site, Wikipedia pages, among many other sources. Links will be provided, and are welcome additions. I will include full reviews from numerous magazines, some laudatory, some critical and negative, all to put the albums in historical context. These reviews don’t necessarily reflect my views.

For your pleasure…

Dr. Weber

 

BRYAN FERRY & ROXY MUSIC DISCOGRAPHY

01. Roxy Music (June 1972)
02. For Your Pleasure (March 1973)
03. These Foolish Things – Bryan Ferry (October 1973)
04. Stranded (November 1973)
05. Another Time, Another Place – Bryan Ferry (June 1974)
06. Country Life (November 1974)
07. Siren (October 1975)
08. Viva! (June 1976)
09. Let’s Stick Together – Bryan Ferry (June 1976)
10. In Your Mind – Bryan Ferry (April 1977)
11. Greatest Hits (October 1977)
12. The Bride Stripped Bare – Bryan Ferry (September 1978)
13. Manifesto (March 1979)
14. Flesh + Blood (May 1980)
15. Avalon (June 1982)
16. The High Road: Live EP (March 1983)
17. The High Road DVD (1983)
18. Boys and Girls – Bryan Ferry (June 1985)
19. Bete Noire – Bryan Ferry (November 1987)
20. Heart Still Beating: Live (October 1990)
21. Taxi – Bryan Ferry (March 1993)
22. Mamouna – Bryan Ferry (September 1994)
23. The Thrill Of It All (4CD box) (October 1995)
24. As Time Goes By – Bryan Ferry (September 1999)
25. Frantic – Bryan Ferry (April 2002)
26. Roxy Music Live (June 2003)
27. Dylanesque – Bryan Ferry (June 26, 2007)

Dr. Weber

 

Where our story begins, part I (quoted from the “Crimson and Roxy” family tree by Pete Frame):

In summer 1971, a penniless Bryan Ferry sat in his Shepherd’s Bush council flat and explained to the Melody Maker’s Richard Williams that Roxy Music were going to make it “in as civilized way as possible.” All he wanted was the best management, the best agency, the best record company, and adequate finance. If he got them, he knew the band would be very good and very popular. He got them… and he was right. A year later the first album was in the top ten, and the first single was in the top five.

Andy Mackay, teenage oboeist, played in the London Schools Symphony Orchestra. Started playing sax at Reading University, where he studied music and English literature. Played in university band and orchestra; became obsessed with avant-garde music – through the pursuit of which he met Eno. Left in 1968; traveled, did odd jobs, and taught English. “When I’d met Bryan he’d only written a few songs with the help of Graham Simpson. He had no grand plan at the time, though I wouldn’t deny that he was very ambitious.”

Brian Eno’s avid interest in avant-garde music led to his becoming president of the students’ union at Winchester School of Art (66-69), purely so union money could be used to hire prestigious musicians to come and lecture – mostly to himself. In turn, Mackay hired Eno to lecture at Reading.

Dr. Weber

 

Where our story begins, part II (quoted from the “Crimson and Roxy” family tree by Pete Frame):

Roxy Music #1 (November 1970 to June 1971):
Having lost teaching job (for allowing his classes to become record sessions), Ferry concentrated his efforts on formation of a band. Simpson, friend from university and bassist in Gas Board, was already in cahoots. Next came Andy Mackay, (answered an ad in January 1971), who as well as being a competent reedman, actually possessed a synthesizer. They co-opted Mackay’s acquaintance, Eno, to operate the synthesizer and function as general technical supervisor, and Dexter Lloyd, an American classical timpanist, to play drums. Roger Bunn, previously with Enjin, was Roxy’s first guitar player.

Roxy Music #2 (June 1971 to February 1972):
Following Lloyd’s departure, an MM small ad turned up Paul Thompson, who’d played in various Newcastle groups, notably Smokestack, with whom he’d moved to London in early 1971. David O’List subsequently joined – tracked down by Ferry, who’d marveled at his work with The Nice – but his current style was at odds with the others, and he left again (to play with various rehearsal bands until resurfacing with Jet). Phil Manzanera, meanwhile, was standing at the sideline awaiting his opportunity; he’d been passed over in favour of O’List and had accepted an alternative role as sound-mixer in the interim. With Phil on board, they were ready to go.

Roxy Music #3 (February to June 1972):
Attempts to interest record companies were useless; Ferry’s demo tape was greeted with universal thumbs down… but Melody Maker and John Peel were sufficiently interested to give them national exposure. In early 1972, they signed with EG management (also handlers of Crimso, ELP and T. Rex), and in March recorded first album with Pete Sinfield producing. Roxy Music, to the chagrin of their many detractors, became overnight stars; theirs was the most stunning & stylish debut of the early seventies. “It was inevitable,” said Rosarita. -PF

Dr. Weber

 

Roxy Music
****

Recorded at Command Studios, London, March 1972
Released: June 1972
Label: Island ILPS 9200 (UK); Reprise MS 2114 (US)
Peaked at #10 in the UK; no chart activity in the US
Engineer: Andy Hendriksen
Producer: Peter Sinfield for EG Records

Cover concept: Bryan Ferry
Art: Nicholas deVille
Photography: Karl Stoecker
Artwork: C.C.S.
Clothes, makeup and hair: Anthony Price
(Cover model) Kari-Ann’s hair: by Smile
Equipment by McInnes Laboratories & Turner

All songs written by Bryan Ferry
Arranged by Roxy Music

01. Re-Make / Re-Model (5:14)
02. Ladytron (4:26)
03. If There Is Something (6:34)
04. Virginia Plain (2:58) (not included on the original British release)
05. 2HB (4:30)
06. The Bob (Medley) (5:48)
07. Chance Meeting (3:08)
08. Would You Believe? (3:53)
09. Sea Breezes (7:03)
10. Bitters End (2:03)


Bryan Ferry: vocals, piano, Hohner Pianet, Mellotron
Brian Eno: VCS3 synthesizer, tape effects, backing vocals
Andrew Mackay: oboe, saxophone, backing vocals
Phil Manzanera: electric guitar
Graham Simpson: bass guitar
Paul Thompson: drums
Rik Kenton: bass on “Virginia Plain”

The AMG review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine:

Falling halfway between musical primitivism and art rock ambition, Roxy Music's eponymous debut remains a startling redefinition of rock's boundaries. Simultaneously embracing kitschy glamour and avant-pop, Roxy Music shimmers with seductive style and pulsates with disturbing synthetic textures. Although no musician demonstrates much technical skill at this point, they are driven by boundless imagination — Brian Eno's synthesized "treatments" exploit electronic instruments as electronics, instead of trying to shoehorn them into conventional acoustic patterns. Similarly, Bryan Ferry finds that his vampiric croon is at its most effective when it twists conventional melodies, Phil Manzanera's guitar is terse and unpredictable, while Andy Mackay's saxophone subverts rock & roll clichés by alternating R&B honking with atonal flourishes. But what makes Roxy Music such a confident, astonishing debut is how these primitive avant-garde tendencies are married to full-fledged songs, whether it's the free-form, structure-bending "Remake/Remodel" or the sleek glam of "Virginia Plain," the debut single added to later editions of the album. That was the trick that elevated Roxy Music from an art school project to the most adventurous rock band of the early '70s.


Personal notes and observations:

Sha Na Na on LSD? On image alone… referring to the photos in the gatefold or insert… Ferry and Mackay look like Fifties greasers. So do Manzanera and Eno, only with long hair. Two are wearing leather jackets, two faux leopard skin jackets. These are four of the most contrived if not pretentious photos in the early days of glam, with Ferry looking especially pretentious. Only Thompson looks relaxed, his tiger head shoulder pad notwithstanding. Granted, the Manzanera photo remains classic because of his fly-eye spectacles.

Sha Na Na on LSD? Try the contrasting vocals starting at 1:36 in “Would You Believe?,” sounding like Bowser and bandmates emulating Danny & the Juniors. Even Mackay nails the timing of saxophonist Leonard Baker.

Is this one of the greatest and most imaginative debut albums in the history of the format, or something less? Does it merit five stars or four, the number given at AMG? After deliberation I also settled on four stars, docked in measure due to Ferry’s vocal histrionics.

Dr. Weber

 

I like it, but really different from the "sound" Roxy is known for...

 

I think it's a fine debut but since then I think other debuts have eclipsed it; Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures for example, whose lead singer I'm sure was influenced by early Roxy. And I don't think it has the gravitas or influence of Velvet Underground And Nico. So I think it's something less but it still continues to fascinate me, and If There Is Something is a classic alternative rock track. I find it in parts ridiculous, especially the combination of avant rock and doo wop on Bitters End, and also the medley The Bob, which I'm still not sure whether it's groundbreaking or rubbish, but I'm not too bothered because most of it is outstanding. 2HB, Ladytron, Chance Meeting and Remake/Remodel are weird and wonderful. The follow up is better so I think 4 stars is about right.

 

Roxy's First Album

Roxy's first album was a tentative effort compared to subsequent Roxy albums. I'm pretty sure that this album was more successful in the UK than the US.

I actually do like this album but it has always received less time on my turntable than the Roxy albums that came after. My favorite song on this album is Chance Meeting. I have a German pressing of the album which follows the UK song set, in other words no Virginia Plain.

Scott

 

i love this lp. i like the wacky mixtures of various elements & the sound of them finding their way. the dopey synth solo on virginia plain is both hilarious & entrancing & this single sounded so different at the time.

four stars is probably deserved as i think that their next lp was even better.

 

I know this record has its adherents, but for me it's a two or three star effort. As it's the only Roxy recording that did not survive my transition from LP to CD, I haven't listened to it in years, but my memory is of that a shrill, start/stop effort that didn't really provide a coherent listening experience and which I never really wanted to revisit.

I dunno, I guess I have a love/hate relationship with Roxy. I saw them once, on the Avalon tour, and after that, I couldn't listen to Bryan Ferry sing for at least a year. I later saw Bryan on either the Boys and Girls or Bete Noire tour and had a smilar reaction. Yet I count them among my favorite acts and I love forward to the development of this thread.

 

My favorite would be "Would You Believe?" And would agree that "The Bob" is rubbish.

I'd give it 3 stars. I much prefer Ferry's remodeled versions of "2HB" & "Chance Meeting" and the funky middle part of "Sea Breezes" over the originals.

Of course I didn't get into Roxy until the early 80's and that was with Stranded which is still my favorite.

 

The overview of each album in this thread, in this case post #5, will include British and American chart numbers...

Roxy Music peaked at #10 in the UK; no chart activity in the US.

Every Ferry solo studio album and every Roxy Music studio album charted higher in the UK than in the states.

Dr. Weber

 

I think this album exhibits the greatest Eno influence, and I like it for the same weirdness I hear in his music. The pull between "Art" and "Pop" was the strongest on this one as well, no surprise.

 

What was Phil's background, Doc?

 

I recently got back to the first Roxy album for the first time in many years. A great, great album highlighted by "Re-make/re-model", "Ladytron", "If there is something" and "2HB". My dad's copy, the original unremastered German EG CD also has the "Virginia plain" single on it. It sounds great.

 

Manzanera’s mother was Columbian and his father English. During his early years he lived in Hawaii (thus the Diamond Head reference), Venezuela, Columbia, and Cuba. He began playing Spanish guitar at the age of six. While still a teenager in the UK, he played in Quiet Sun, a band that included bassist Bill MacCormick (later in Robert Wyatt’s Matching Mole), and Charles Hayward (later in Gong).

Manzanera auditioned for Roxy Music after Roger Bunn’s departure in September 1971, but was passed over in favor of David O’List. Undeterred, he worked as a soundmixer and roadie until O’List left in February 1972. Then he passed his second audition.

Buckley writes of Manzanera’s earliest days in the band: “This was a lead guitarist who simply didn’t lead – perfect for a band that already had two musicians who could hardly play.”


Dr. Weber

 

I really love this album. It seems like Sinfield let the band do their thing and all the players make a big contribution to the overall group sound. Ferry's songs are almost like sketches with lots of room for the others to fill in. Paul Thompson's great drumming really takes the songs to another level. I always thought the part in the Bob that goes "to many times beautiful too many times sad..."sounds like Jefferson Airplane ?!

 

I played it yesterday for the first time in ages and loved it, even The Bob. I was struck by the similarity Bitters End has with the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band!

 

Here's looking at you, kid.

 

Most of the elements perfected in later Roxy albums is present in their debut, although it's still a bit tentative when compared to what would lie ahead.

The highlights are "If There is Something", "Would You Believe", and "Ladytron."

A four-star album, but still a crucial development in the 70's world of glam and art-rock.

 

It's one of my absolute favorite Roxy albums. Much better than "For Your Pleasure" IMO.

 

According to Buckley in The Thrill of It All, page 92, quoting Manzanera, “At the very early gigs, Eno was seated in the audience, mixing the sound, playing his synth and singing. And at that time, we had no amps – everything went into the mixing desk to be treated. It must have looked very strange with no instruments on stage.”

Additionally, quoting Buckley: “However, the impulse to perform on stage being what it is, by early 1972 Eno had assumed an on-stage role, with devastating effect.”

-Dr. Weber

 

Looking back for me the first releases left me somewhat on the fence in 1972. They appeared more Glam than others. Was it just fashion rock? Think Bowie and Bolan were strange. Bryan voice was unique sounding add MacKay’s ornate saxophone and Eno's tape treatments made it even more avant-garde. Then the name....Roxy Music ! WOW.


“Virginia Plain” was a great 3 minute single. The tracks “Sea Breezes” and “If There Is Something” became classic Roxy tracks and they proved their lasting appeal three decades later. I like these first two LP’s much more now than then.

 

They not only aged well they seemed to improve with age!

 

This album's appeal hasn't diminished for me since the day I dashed through to Oz records on Westgate Road, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne on a Saturday afternoon, after frantically finishing my car washing round to make enough money to buy it.

I can still remember the wonderful fresh smell of the Tinsley Robor glossy sleeve, the turquoise lined inner sleeve, the Island label, and Kari-Ann's long legs, wowzer this was a natural progression from the single and it's b-side "The Numberer", fresh, different, unlike anything I'd heard. I find it hard to associate Polydor and Virgin etc with Roxy Music circa 1972 - 1975.

I agree with jwoverho that smaller elements occurred later, "Tara" almost could have come from the first album, don't get how "The Bob" medley is considered rubbish though, hearing it live in a half-full City Hall nearly blew my head off.