Studios . The original sleeve artwork famously featuring beautiful models and muses has been faithfully and lovingly restored . Early albums Roxy Music and For Your Pleasure include the convention-defying sonics of Brian Eno on songs like debut LP track “ Ladytron ” and sophomore LP title cut “ For Your Pleasure .” Indicative of the band ’ s groundbreaking influence , David Bowie ' s project Tin Machine would eventually cover the self-titled album ’ s “ If There is Something .” The urgent glam-pop of “ Do the Strand ” finds singer Bryan Ferry cheekily namechecking artistic masterpieces while sparring with saxophonist Andy Mackay . During “ Virginia Plain ,” guitarist Phil Manzanera chugs alongside Ferry ’ s thrumming piano and trades licks with Mackay ’ s soprano saxophone . “ In Every Dream Home , a Heartache ” is a sinister musing upon the emptiness of materialism that evolves into a creepy love song to an inflatable sex doll . Drummer Paul Thompson propels the krautrock-infused “ The Bogus Man ,” joined by slashes and splashes of a terse guitar . Following Eno ’ s departure , the band became a bit less strange but increasingly compelling . 1973 ’ s Stranded would become Roxy Music ’ s first chart-topping album at home in the UK , led by urbane rocker “ Street Life .” Manzanera injects roots-rock riffs and inventive sounds into “ Amazona .” “ Psalm ” rides Thompson ’ s New Orleans second-line beat toward Ferry ’ s tremulous redemption . Mackay ' s saxophone is featured in “ A Song for Europe .” 1974 ’ s Country Life refines the sound again . The album opens with Manzanera ’ s ringing guitars , Edwin Jobson ’ s layered violin , and John Gustafson ’ s disco bass on the justifiably named masterpiece “ The Thrill of it All .” “ Three and Nine ” fondly recalls youthful days at the cinema and young misfit romance . Ferry celebrates an unexpected shift toward optimism with “ Out of the Blue .” With its psychedelic flanged sound , the song is one of several Roxy tracks that rippled outward into the sound of early singles by Duran Duran . “ If It Takes All Night ” veers toward southern boogie . “ All I Want Is You ” is a stomping Roxy Music anthem with ample guitar heroics from Manzanera and an impassioned vocal from Ferry , who turns from his roguish ways and makes a poetic plea for enduring love . Under the cover photo of Jerry Hall as the album ’ s alluring but deadly title character , percolating Siren single “ Love is the Drug ” represented Roxy ’ s irresistible dance-rock peak . In addition to showcasing Mackay ’ s bracing saxophone fanfare , the nightclub adventure became a calling card for drummer Thompson and bassist Gustafson ’ s combined prowess and served as a blueprint for dance-pop favorites Chic . It was also a # 30 hit in the US , marking the band ’ s highest chart position here . “ Both Ends Burning ” glides atop a bed of swirling synthesizers .
Ferry ’ s lyric for the song reflects the pressure of the band ’ s intense schedule circa 1975 , including five albums made within three years . Following touring to support Siren , Roxy Music would succumb to burnout and disband . Principal songwriter Ferry released three solo albums before the band would reunite . Reunion effort Manifesto ( 1979 ) and follow-up Flesh + Blood ( 1980 ) find the band retooling and reinventing their way toward a consummate conclusion . Although uneven by comparison to other catalog entries , the albums certainly offer charms . Hard-driving title cut “ Manifesto ” is a determined statement of purpose and support , underpinned by the slippery fretless bass of new band member Gary Tibbs . Manzanera ’ s guitar style and newcomer Paul Carrack ’ s keyboard sounds during art-pop song “ Trash ” echoed in contemporary and ensuing singles by the Police and Elvis Costello & the Attractions . Ferry and Mackay team to write the romantic dance-pop favorite “ Angel Eyes .” Ferry ’ s melancholy “ Dance Away ” is the album ’ s most arresting cut , forecasting the band ’ s sweeping symphonic synthpop to come . Thompson departed the band before work began on Flesh + Blood . Album number seven begins with a relatively straightforward cover of Wilson Pickett ’ s R & B classic “ The Midnight Hour .” The album continues with the adult contemporary pop of “ Oh Yeah .” These opening songs are pristine and tuneful , but the band ’ s fundamental art-pop inventiveness feels deliberately suppressed . “ Same Old Scene ” retains a moody vibe while sounding more adventurous and satisfying . The song boasts an irresistible bass groove and soaring saxophone from Mackay . The plodding and leering title cut and a lukewarm cover of the Byrds ’ “ Eight Miles High ,” however , reinforce the sense that Roxy wasn ’ t presenting the peak of their potential . Roxy Music ’ s evolution concluded with the elegant and dreamy sounds heard on 1982 ’ s Avalon . The album ’ s sophisticated synthpop style may have shed the art-pop , post-punk , and quirky experimentation of the band ’ s early days , but the craftsmanship is undeniable as the album radiates an understated form of cool beauty . Ferry croons a keening melody during the honeyed “ More Than This ,” as Mackay ’ s minimalist saxophone and Manzanera ’ s tasteful accompaniment amplify the song ’ s yearning emotion . “ The Space Between ” is subdued but tense , featuring terse funk by
18 illinoisentertainer . com september 2022