Roxy Music - One of the Many Gaping Holes in my Collection

[JJ88]

Yes.

I think one of the main reasons is the segment it makes with the other two tunes on that LP side 2. I absolutely love the completely transcendent foulness of "Bogus Man", but when it shifts to the utterly Dave Lycnh'ian "Grey Lagoons" I can't but help thinking that we're perhaps into some Wayne Gacy umbrella-drink holiday heaven. I guess it's somewhat disturbing then that I feel side 2 of FYP to constitute one of the best side 2s of any UK mid-70s "progressive" release. Title track is beyond this world.

And of course the other side has the infamously creepy 'In Every Dream Home A Heartache'- perhaps their creative high watermark.

[at least 100 dead]

For Your Pleasure also gets my vote for best overall RM album, as it strikes the perfect balance between experimentalism and accessibility. “The Bogus Man” is still ahead of its time. (More than a few bands were influenced by its otherworld vibe – check out Simple Mind’s “Celebrate” or Madness’ “Grey Day”, to name a few.)

The debut is awesome as well, but it’s all over the map (and deliberately so). I still crack up every time I listen to “If There Is Something”. Ferry sounds like an overzealous cruise ship entertainer whose drink has been spiked with some really, really weird stuff.

BTW: If you dig Avalon, you'll also love Boys and Girls (Ferry’s excellent 1985 solo album). Those two somehow just belong together, I think, and are great for getting laid!

[GuitarGeek]

BTW: If you dig Avalon, you'll also love Boys and Girls (Ferry’s excellent 1985 solo album). Those two somehow just belong together, I think, and are great for getting laid!

Boys And Girls also has David Gilmour guesting on guitar on at least a couple songs. Gilmour also played on Is Your Love Strong Enough, which was used in the US release of the movie Legend, and he also played with Ferry at Live Aid (where he had to swap guitars in the middle of the first song, because his guitar synth died on him...and during the guitar solo no less!).

[cannygoodlike]

I plugged the Roxy hole in my own collection a few years ago when I noticed that all the CDs were available cheaply and snapped them up over a short period of time. The problem with doing that is that I obviously didn't give everything the attention it deserved. I've always liked the earlier stuff and expected to see that being recommend here but I was a bit surprised at how much love there seems to be for Avalon, which I had always assumed was a bit of an overproduced and insubstantial album. So I gave it a spin last night. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I have just played it again tonight. So I have to give a big thanks to the contributors on this thread for the nudge. It's great when you 'discover' an album you already own!

I also dug out the first two albums today. It's been a while since I played them but they still seem bloody good to me. (Sorry PeterG - got to disagree with you.)

[Oreb]

The 2001 Live is excellent. Strong performances and a set-list to die for.

[Halmyre]

No band has done more to popularise the castanets in rock music.

[Firth]

I bought the 78 album from Phil Manzenara the guitarist from Roxy Music. It was pretty good.

[GuitarGeek]

Well, if we're going to talk about Phil Manzanera's solo records, then one has to namecheck his first one, Diamond Head, which is a great album with lots of guest musicians.

Also worth noting is the Quiet Sun album Mainstream. Quiet Sun was actually the band that Manzanera was in before Roxy Music. They actually broke up because they couldn't get a record deal (they got a particularly nasty rejection letter from Steve Winwood's brother, who was some high ranking henchman at Island Records at the time). When Roxy Music went on hiatus after the first couple albums, Phil took the time to make two albums: one was Diamond Head, the other was the Quiet Sun record.

Apparently, he did the Quiet Sun record on the down low because he was really only supposed to be making just the solo record, but he managed to convince the label bosses to release both. And since the deal was with Roxy's label, Island, that meant that Phil and his Quiet Sun cohorts found themselves in contact again with Muff Winwood, so Phil took the opportunity to remind him who they were and about the rejection letter he had sent them a few years earlier, with basically a "see who gets the last laugh" attitude.

[mogrooves]

Well, if we're going to talk about Phil Manzanera...

801

[NogbadTheBad]

801

Indeed, one of my favorite live albums.

[Halmyre]

Terrible quality but this is my favourite Bryan Ferry interview

[Paulrus]

BTW: If you dig Avalon, you'll also love Boys and Girls (Ferry’s excellent 1985 solo album).

Definitely agree. I also have his later Mamouna album, which is a bit more in a soul/Euro-R&B vein, but still in the same general sphere.

[Adm.Kirk]

I'll vote for Avalon as well. A gorgeous record.

Bill

[Dave (in MA)]

And now for a little levity...

[interbellum]

BTW: If you dig Avalon, you'll also love Boys and Girls (Ferry’s excellent 1985 solo album).

Although hard to get today, I loved the high tech 5.1 surround mix from Boys And Girls. I believe there are a couple of more SACD's from Ferry and RM arround somewhere.

[smackiepipe]

I've got all the Roxy vinyl from 1st album through Avalon. I'm more of a Stranded/Country Life period fan, with Avalon being one of the best 'late night' albums to listen to. You really can hear the whole musical journey going from first to last.

Big Manzanera fan. If you can track a used copy down, try to find "Guitarissimo" which is a well-sequenced comp of Phil's - at then - solo albums: Diamond Head, Primative Guitars, Listen Now, 801 Live.

[Halmyre]

'Stranded' is a kick in the nadgers to all those milquetoasts who claim Brian Eno was RM's beating heart (kind of like the 'no Barrett, no Floyd' school of thought). 'Street Life' is high on the list of 'best opening tracks', and one of the best singles ever to grace the charts.

[bigbassdrum]

1990's Heart Still Beating is a live album of a 1982 concert. The Alan Spenner/Andy Newmark rhythm section does quite well.

[zombywoof]

You may have wondered why I started this thread and went radio silent shortly thereafter. Well! A 'mysterious benefactor' from PE who (in his own words) doesn't wish to ruin his 'resident asshole' reputation in these parts, took pity on this poor college student and mailed me a 'Roxy Music collectors starter kit'! Every so often, somebody asks me ... "Ian, you got any ROXY MUSIC?" And until now I was forced to sheepishly reply, "uhhh, no." Well, let me tell you ... Thanks to said 'mysterious Progressive Ears benefactor', the answer can now be a resounding YES!! Thank you sir!

roxy music cds.jpg

[ItalProgRules]

A 'mysterious benefactor' from PE who (in his own words) doesn't wish to ruin his 'resident asshole' reputation in these parts


Very cool. I remember many years ago while laid up with the flu., a benefactor here at PE mailed me some hard to find discs I had been wanting. Made my 3 days on the couch fly by. Really made my week. He was not a resident asshole though, so, different benefactor LOL.

[zombywoof]

Very cool. I remember many years ago while laid up with the flu., a benefactor here at PE mailed me some hard to find discs I had been wanting. Made my 3 days on the couch fly by. Really made my week. He was not a resident asshole though, so, different benefactor LOL.

I think he was being self-deprecating. I certainly don't consider this user to be that at all.

[NogbadTheBad]

You may have wondered why I started this thread and went radio silent shortly thereafter. Well! A 'mysterious benefactor' from PE who (in his own words) doesn't wish to ruin his 'resident asshole' reputation in these parts, took pity on this poor college student and mailed me a 'Roxy Music collectors starter kit'! Every so often, somebody asks me ... "Ian, you got any ROXY MUSIC?" And until now I was forced to sheepishly reply, "uhhh, no." Well, let me tell you ... Thanks to said 'mysterious Progressive Ears benefactor', the answer can now be a resounding YES!! Thank you sir!

roxy music cds.jpg

Just as long as Dance Away or Angel Eyes don't make their way onto your radio playlists.

[Paulrus]

Just as long as Dance Away or Angel Eyes don't make their way onto your radio playlists.

I like both those songs...

[zombywoof]

Just as long as Dance Away or Angel Eyes don't make their way onto your radio playlists.

I'll squeeze 'em in, right in between The Flower King and Spock's.

[NogbadTheBad]

I'll squeeze 'em in, right in between The Flower King and Spock's.

I'll switch to Dreams No Longer Hesitate while they're on.