Eyelids- A Colossal Waste of Light
The Who- A Quick One (True Stereo, Abbey Road HSM)
David Bowie- Low
The Meters- Message From The Meters (Sides Five & Six)
Bunny Wailer- Blackheart Man
Roxy Music- Montreux, 4/29/73
Jon Cleary- So Swell
Queen- Greatest Hits II
Todd Rundgren- Initiation (Side One)
Todd Rundgren & Ethel- Eindhoven, 2008
Thursday, May 4, 2023
5/3/23
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8 comments:
Pure, uncut envy re: Roxy Music live (bootleg).
Watched Moonage Daydream this past weekend on HBO. One of the many musical highlights for me was the version of Sound and Vision. I once read a critic describe Low as ‘sitting on the dock of the Rhine’. With the piano in the forefront, it might be true.
https://youtu.be/_OiY-9NajOM
Loved your review of the new LT album! Very much looking forward to Friday.
Be well, sir!
I'm working my way through Roxy Music right now. Just on Manifesto.
Hahaha. So far...
Roxy Music *** -- sounds like three different bands (all interesting) finding for control over the debut
For Your Pleasure *** -- solid arty followup
Stranded *** but not as solid, maybe 2 1/2 . Artistic fights?
Country Life and Siren both *** 1/2 -- peak for the arty Roxy era
Manifesto *** maybe leaning 3 1/2 -- East Side solid arty and West Side solid Ferry solo, shades of Avalon to come.
I began with Avalon then moved forward to Boys and Girls and THEN back to artier Roxy Music era. That may explain why Avalon sounds like Roxy Music to me. It's clearly the peak artistic expression of Bryan Ferry and makes perfect sense with later solo stuff and These Foolish Things. But if I'd heard them as they came out or in that order, I might wonder what happened to the angular, eccentric, forceful band and who was the lounge lizard taking over.
Because you didn't ask:
For Your Pleasure/Siren- ****
(They alternate being my favorite)
Stranded- *** 1/2
Country Life- *** 1/2
Manifesto- ***
Roxy Music- ** 1/2
Avalon- ** 1/2
Flesh & Blood- **
Not only is my asking always implied, I'll ask this (again): a year by year list of favorite albums or a comprehensive list by artist of their albums and your ratings. That's either the Pazz & Jop approach or the Rolling Stone or Robert Christgau encyclopedic approach. We roughly agree except on Stranded and Avalon (my favorite!), so that's cool.
But why would anyone listen to me? I just listened to The Modern Lovers debut "The Modern Lovers" FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME EVER! Loved it. So much music, so little time.
Unsolicited ranking:
I alternate between For Your Pleasure, Stranded (Eno’s stated favorite), and Country Life as my favorite. Then Siren - the album I share as an introduction to the band, followed in close order by the debut, Avalon or Manifesto (like the tie for first three above, it really depends on the day for these three as well). And there are days when Siren is the best thing I’ve ever heard.
Finally, Flesh and Blood - saved only by those singles (pure pop perfection!).
For me, most of these are like choosing your favorite child, as they say.
Not many bands that you can say that about. A terrible problem to have. Lol!
I recall one BW reader once commented that it all went south when ‘The Great Paul Thompson’ departed and I believe that to be true as well - though I hadn’t considered that until they mentioned it.
Have a wonderful day!!!
Give Frantic a listen - my personal favorite of Ferry’s. And I’m a fan of nearly all of his solo albums.
Namaste
Frantic is my second favorite Ferry album after "In Your Mind."
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