Release date: June 16, 1972
Label: Island Records
Production: Peter Sinfield
Length: 42:12
Genre: art rock/progressive rock/glam rock
Rating: 9/10
Cult art rockers Roxy Music, who left their mark on the prog rock, glam rock and pop rock scenes alike, are best known for making the hugely successful 1982 album “Avalon”, home to two of their biggest hits, the title track and “More Than This”, and for having musical heavyweights in their ranks like the legendary singer Bryan Ferry, keyboard innovator Brian Eno and guitar grandmaster Phil Manzanera, all of whom went on to successful solo careers.
Long before “Avalon”, in the early seventies, there was nothing to suggest that Roxy Music would ever become a worldwide phenomenon with a pile of unforgettable hits and evergreens. The original version of Roxy Music was founded in 1970 by Ferry, who had a failed audition with King Crimson behind him, and bassist Graham Simpson.
Even though Ferry didn’t land the singing job with King Crimson because his vocals were deemed “incompatible” with their music, Robert Fripp and Peter Sinfield were impressed enough by his singing to help him get a deal with Island. Sinfield also took charge of producing the Roxy Music debut, which came out in 1972 and, thanks to its innovative sound, became an unexpected success.
On it, Ferry and Simpson, who left the band soon after the debut came out because of his eccentric behavior, were joined by saxophone wizard Andy MacKay, drumming oddball Paul Thompson, enigmatic synth innovator Eno, who was talked into joining at the last minute, and guitar virtuoso Manzanera, who landed in the band after a strange turn of events. The guitarist gig had originally gone to David O’List, but he blew it for lack of seriousness very quickly, and Manzanera, who was the band’s equipment guy at the time, gladly stepped into his shoes.
The Roxy Music debut radiated the incredible energy of a band that had carved out a completely distinctive style, a bizarre art rock cocktail of glam rock, prog rock and proto-punk. With his one-of-a-kind vocal approach, Ferry won over glam rock fans in an instant, while MacKay wowed with his wild wind-instrument flourishes, Manzanera with his subtle guitar work, and Eno with his incredible ear for strange sounds and the occasional ambient expanse on the VCS3 synthesizer. They seasoned the whole thing with an extravagant look and live shows full of glamorous costumes. Standing out most were Ferry, who mostly dressed like a member of high society, Eno with his androgynous look, Manzanera in welding goggles, and Thompson in red tights and a leopard skin.
The half-kitschy, half-brilliant glam prog hybrid “Re-Make/Re-Model”, which opens with the din of a lively party in a nightclub, was the prototype of a classic early-period Roxy Music creation: Ferry’s nonchalant, utterly distinctive singing, avant-garde sax bursts, melodic guitar passages and proto-punk rhythms. Then comes “Ladytron”, where Eno impresses by laying down subtle ambient curtains while playful symphonic arrangements crank up the mix of glamorous and futuristic vibes.
A fine example of their dazzling eclecticism was “If There Is Something”, which sounded rather American in the intro, as if it had been cooked up in the middle of a cowboy saloon. Thanks to the “saloon” piano and the “yee-haw” guitar lines, it flirted with country in the first part. Later, with the help of majestic jazzy-symphonic arrangements, in which the VCS3 synthesizer stood out, it gradually morphed into progressive rock.
“Virginia Plain”, with its cheeky sax lines, subtle guitar variations, proto-punk rhythms and Ferry’s mischievous vocals, was the first hit in Roxy Music history, even though it wasn’t on the original version of the album at all and first came out only as a standalone single. The lyrics were reportedly inspired by one of Ferry’s paintings. The subtly tinted “2HB”, whose lyrics contain the best-known quote from Humphrey Bogart’s film classic “Casablanca” and which ends with a short synth solo, was an early ballad experiment that, thanks to some almost avant-garde instrumental bits, differed quite a bit from Ferry’s later, proper ballads.
“The Bob (Medley)” was another example of eclectic experimenting with different musical styles and improvised VCS3 sounds, where avant-garde experiments, wonderfully subtle moments, glam rock playfulness, symphonic prog grandeur and proto-punk aggression all join hands. “Chance Meeting” was marked by irritable guitar improvisation run over a piano and a melancholic vocal confession.
“Would You Believe” was a mellow glam rocker with Ferry’s falsetto-leaning vocal chameleonry and bouncy piano-and-sax passages. The melancholy requiem “Sea Breezes” featured mournful singing backed by a troubadour-flavored oboe and dreamy ambient waves, while “Bitters End”, with its cabaret atmosphere, was a thoroughly glamorous closer to the album.
The Roxy Music debut created a strange and hugely innovative bridge between progressive rock and glam rock, and along with Sinfield’s superb production and Ferry’s half-metaphysical, half-lovesick lyrics, that was one of the key ingredients in its big, unexpected success. In their early period, meaning between 1972 and 1976, when the five albums of their glam rock era came out, Roxy Music were truly something special on the music scene of the time. That went for their music as much as for their look.
Review by: Peter Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. Re-Make/Re-Model (5:14)
2. Ladytron (4:26)
3. If There Is Something (6:34)
4. Virginia Plain (2:58)
5. 2HB (4:30)
6. The Bob [medley] (5:48)
7. Chance Meeting (3:08)
8. Would You Believe (3:53)
9. Sea Breezes (7:03)
10. Bitter’s End (2:03)
Roxy Music:
Bryan Ferry – vocals, piano
Phil Manzanera – guitar
Brian Eno – synthesizer, tapes
Andy Mackay – oboe, saxophone
Graham Simpson – bass guitar
Paul Thompson – drums
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Rik Kenton – bass guitar on “Virginia Plain”
