Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Ferry, Bryan
Label: Virgin Records
Release: 2010
Rating: 4.5/5
The legendary singer Bryan Ferry, an incorrigible charmer even at sixty-five, is back with his thirteenth studio album, “Olympia”. For the first time in ages, since “Frantic” (2002) to be exact, he’s stuffed his latest studio effort mostly with original compositions, if you don’t count the cover of the Traffic classic “No Face, No Name, No Number” and “Song to Siren”. The latter was originally forged by Tim Buckley.
“Oylmpia” is an incredibly ambitious record in every respect, and it’ll win over fans of Ferry’s solo career and Roxy Music devotees alike from the very first listen. And judging by the structure of most of the tracks, it’s actually closer to art rock than pop rock, which will delight those few prog rock fans who still follow his solo career.
The title of the album refers both to Manet’s masterpiece from 1863 and to Ferry’s atelier/music studio in West London, i.e. the place where it was recorded. The master of innovative sonic direction and untamable dandy, who has actively strutted into his “third puberty” in recent years, has gathered an enviable crew of collaborators around him, made up of numerous famous names and longtime friends, with the Roxy Music buddies standing out in particular: keyboardist Brian Eno, guitarist Phil Manzanera and saxophonist/oboist Andy Mackay, along with the legendary Pink Floyd guitarist and singer David Gilmour, who already worked with Ferry on his solo album “Boys and Girls” (1985).
Special mention also goes to the cult jazz fusion bassist Marcus Miller, whose rhythmic contribution to the album is truly worth its weight in gold. David A. Stewart (Eurythmics) helped Ferry write most of the songs, while the legendary producer Rhett Davies had his back on production (over his rich career he’s handled production for rock heavyweights like King Crimson, Genesis, Camel, Roxy Music and Dire Straits, among others).
The fact that almost the entire classic Roxy Music lineup played on individual tracks (only drummer Paul Thompson and bassist John Gustafson are missing) really shows on the album, which has a strong art rock streak. Most of the tracks were originally conceived for a Roxy Music album that never happened, but Ferry later changed his mind after concluding that, in studio terms, the story of the legendary band was over for good. Eno’s synth textures give most of the songs that ethereal depth reminiscent of the early Roxy Music days, while Gilmour’s guitar romanticism seems downright born to pair with Ferry’s lyrical phrasing.
A perfectionist of Ferry’s caliber didn’t stop at musical polish, though. For the cover girl this time he picked none other than the notorious British supermodel Kate Moss, who is at least as well known for her struggles with anorexia and drugs as for her modeling career. That means even the cover echoes the Roxy Music tradition of half-naked models, which is one more proof that “Olympia” is the Roxy album that never was.
The opening bars of “You Can Dance” strongly recall those of the Roxy Music classic “True to Life”. The mood of the song easily conjures up an image of a nighttime bar with a piano player at the center of attention, plenty of emptied glasses and a lonely soul at the counter, i.e. that typical “Ferry-esque” ambience. On “Heartache by Numbers”, the fruit of a collaboration with Scissor Sisters, some will hear a parallel with the Roxy Music classic “Ladytron” thanks to the galloping rhythm and MacKay’s oboe, a track from their self-titled debut released in 1972. “Me Oh My” has fantastic backing in Dave Gilmour’s slide guitar and the female backing vocals, which easily conjure up a contagious romance. Much like his longtime art rock buddies Peter Gabriel and David Bowie did on their latest solo outings, Ferry likes to use electronic samples in the background on some of the tracks too.
“Shameless”, whose lyrics lay bare the all-around decadence of today’s high society, is one of the handful of tracks on the album that features none of the Roxy Music buddies, although its ambience once again pulls toward that legendary band’s songs. “BF Bass (Ode to Olympia)” is one of the rare livelier tracks, with plenty of elegantly arranged female backing vocal harmonies that add a touch of soul to the song. In between you can pick up on the excellent chemistry between Manzanera’s guitar work and Eno’s layering of synth textures, which recalls Roxy Music at their best. The lyrics are a nifty satire of “social” networks à la MySpace, Facebook and YouTube, which usually drive people apart more than they bring them together. The close of the album is in a much dreamier, more melancholic vein. The romantic-ambient “Reason or Rhyme”, where Ferry’s piano sets the tone over mighty bass lines courtesy of Marcus Miller, is without a doubt the top candidate for the album’s high point.
Mr. Ferry has finally recorded a record of his own that we had to wait quite a few years for. On it he joined forces with some of the best music craftsmen of different eras and made his most inspired album in the last decade, if not in the last two. On one hand it’s a bit of a shame the album didn’t come out as the first Roxy Music record in twenty-eight years, since it could have been a thoroughly worthy successor to the legendary “Avalon” (1982), but in its own way you have to understand Ferry’s decision that, in studio terms, it was best to end this story while it was at the top.
Lineup
Bryan Ferry – vocals, piano, keyboards
Marcus Miller – bass guitar
Flea – bass guitar
Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield – bass guitar
Andy Cato – bass guitar
Andy Newmark – drums
Tara Ferry – drums
Emily Dolan Davies – drums
Frank Ricotti – percussion
John Monkman – electronics
Radar – electronics
Chris Mullings – electronics
Andrew Mackay – oboe
Anthony Pleeth – cello
Perry Montague-Mason – first violin
Emlyn Singleton – second violin
Vicci Wardman – viola
Brian Eno – synthesizer
Colin Good – synthesizer
Shar White – choir vocals
Me’sha Bryan – choir vocals
Alice Retif – choir vocals
Katie Turner – choir vocals
Ruby Turner – choir vocals
Seweuse Abwa – choir vocals
Hannah Khemoh – choir vocals
Aleysha Gordon – choir vocals
Steve Nieve – keyboards
Oliver Thompson – guitar
Nile Rodgers – guitar
David Williams – guitar
David Gilmour – guitar
Phil Manzanera – guitar
Neil Hubbard – guitar
Dave Stewart – guitar
Jonny Greenwood – guitar
Chris Spedding – guitar
Merlin Ferry – guitar
Production
Bryan Ferry and Rhett Davies
Tracklist
1. You Can Dance
2. Alphaville
3. Heartache By Numbers
4. Me Oh My
5. Shameless
6. Song To The Siren
7. No Face, No Name, No Number
8. BF Bass (Ode to Olympia)
9. Reason Or Rhyme
10. Tender Is The Night
