Roxy Music: frickin' nice or frickin' not nice

I found my Roxy album - Country Life. Nice mix of guitars and Ferry-isms, though I wish some of the musical weirdness of the earlier work had remained. I'm not sure if I'm going to warm much to anything else; there is a fine line this walks wonderfully. I do like some of the songwriting later on, but the production grates more than Ferry's warbly voice did on the early stuff.

EZ snappin, I always liked the vocals of Roxy Music but stuff like Joy Division and The Fall had odd vocals for me.. Do you like Joy Division or The Fall, if so did you ever have trouble getting around the vocals?

I'm curious if we're just flip on what kind of vocals are sort of annoying to us...
Vocals can be such a hinderblock to people and what they listen to. I should know, I hate basically all new mainstream rock (or whatever that stuff is they play on the radio), and I can usually tell if I hate it just by hearing the singer do 1 or 2 lines or an ear-cringing chorus. Basically I'm immediately put off by music with "bad vocals" it seems.

Never had any problems with the vocals of Ian Curtis or Mark E. Smith. Love live recordings of Joy Division, but not as enthused about them as a studio entity. The Fall I don't like except for the song "Cruiser's Creek".

In general, I don't have any problems with vocalists. I like some people who are generally considered appalling, and dislike others whom are quite loved. I can't put my finger on what about Ferry's warble that's always bothered me, but it's been there since childhood.

I read somewhere online that the opening of Pyjamarama was sampled on a rap record...anyone know if this is true and if so, which one?

Hello.

http://www.roxyrama.com/classic/cgi-bin/2012/cginews.cgi?record=3

wow, I haven't heard a lot of that stuff before, very nice

doesn't surprise me at all that you're into this band Ned!

great news

urgh, always meant to get the thrill of it all, but cold never find it for a good price. and now it's even more expensive! wonder how pricey this box will be. my guess is: very pricey.

Finally – to own (remastered) copies of "Always Unknowing," "Lover," and "Hula Kula."

I love that remake of "Manifesto."

Thanks again to everybody who helped me upthread. Still enjoy Country Life and Avalon.

finally on CD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UOjmKHpq50

The Numberer was on the 4th disc of The Thrill Of It All box set along with most of the other b-sides.

I think I'll wait for the individual reissues, provided they include bonus tracks. There's too much post-'75 stuff on the box, which I'm either lukewarm towards (Avalon) or actively dislike (Manifesto).

Can't believe I'm gonna buy all this stuff yet again, even though I have most if not all of the b-sides and remixes. Wonder what's on the DVDs, hopefully something other than what was already on the DVD comp they made a few years ago

afaik, the DVDs are just hi-res audio of the CDs. Which seems redundant, to say the least.

I've got "The Thrill Of It All" box and felt it wasn't missing anything critical aside from the rest of "Avalon". They picked the best late-period tracks and that 4th disc of b-sides is all-killer-no-filler.

As for a proper DVD -- why, there's even a thread on it:

FINALLY -- a career spanning Roxy Music DVD

That DVD is awesome.

I wish they would release the complete BBC sessions. That stuff is awesome. Search: the bootleg "First Kiss."

did we discuss these already? they are hot.

http://soundcloud.com/bryanferry/avalon-lindstr-m-prins-thomas

http://soundcloud.com/bryanferry/love-is-the-drug-todd-terje

Andy Beta alludes to it.

Completely buried in this 'Roxy Music Break Up' story (ie, Mackay and Manzanera are done):

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/roxy-music-break-up-20141103

The news for Roxy Music fans isn't all bleak. "We have some fantastic box sets of the first two albums out next year," says Manzanera. "There's all sorts of things; extra (Brian) Eno ingredients and stuff. I'm very excited about it."

I really regret missing them in 2001, but Eno-era boxes! Plural!

Yeah I was over in the UK when they played that 2001 tour here, figures. They'd come back a couple of times but honestly I kinda just wanted to see that first time through -- friends went and said it was a barnburner, but what can you do!

But yes, box sets! Extra Eno stuff?! Bring it. (And will this mean they'll continue from there?)

Just hope it is all stuff by the 1st 2lp line-up(s?) there isn't much stuff with Davy O'list on is there?
I think he's on at least one BBC session but has claimed that he wrote most of Manzanera's guitar lines for at least the first lp.
I haven't heard that BBC session in a while think it's more pedestrian than Manzanera though. I thought he was good with the Nice though or at least they were better with him in.
Manzanera was one of my fav guitarists for a while for the 1st 2lps though.
Don't remember hearing about the BBC stuff being released before.
& live Eno era stuff would be welcome too.
So wonder what this is and how big a box set is being talked about.

The gradual dissolution of the band over last decade is one of the more unfortunate reunion stories. Bit of a shame.

Well to be fair they never did anything new or tried to record a comeback album (which I always thought was a smart move). It almost felt like a 'eh, sure, why not' thing after a certain point.

They actually did try to make a new album:

During a March 2007 interview with the Western Daily Press, Ferry confirmed that although the next Roxy Music album is definitely being made, it would not be vended for another "year and a half", as Ferry had just released and toured behind his twelfth studio album, Dylanesque, consisting of Bob Dylan covers.[29]

In June 2007, the band hired a Liverpool-based design agency to develop their new website supporting their new album. Early in the year, Phil Manzanera revealed that the band were planning to sign a record contract. During an October 2007 interview, Ferry said that the album would include a collaboration with Scissor Sisters.[30]

However, in November 2009 Ferry stated that there would be no new Roxy Music record: "It was overly publicized, when Brian Eno and I went into the studio together, that we were re-forming. We worked together for a few days, weeks maybe, and I decided I didn’t really want to do a Roxy thing. It’s going to be a solo record. Brian plays on a couple of tracks though. I don't think we'll record as Roxy again. . . . It would be great to do some more Roxy Music concerts, although I don't think Eno will be involved."[citation needed]

iirc, any usable material from those Roxy sessions ended up on Olympia. It's sad, as the footage in a recent-ish Roxy doc shows them all in high spirits at the sessions, and excited about what they're working on.

The Olympia album cover doeas seem as "usable material for a Roxy album"

Bryan Ferry is 70 today. You do you, old man.

Time for a Roxy Music binge, methinks!

He doesn't sound a day over 80.

Got the first Roxy album on... the vocal on the middle part of 'If There Is Something' remains completely laugh-out-loud hilarious. Wonderful sheep impersonation there, Ferry.

Amazing how modern their early stuff still sounds today. Together with joy division my fave band of the 70s.

Soooo, Reunion Tour?

https://pitchfork.com/news/roxy-music-announce-first-tour-in-11-years/

I saw them in 2001 (and St. Vincent in 2014); I thought it was a very well done "setting" of their history - a museum exhibition, but a very lively one where "Out of the Blue" and "Oh Yeah" each got their due.
I'm sure Ferry is in better health than Phil Collins, but I'm wary of going to see any singer verging on 80.

ferry sounded great when i saw him in 2019(?)

yeah he was in fine voice during that tour. also looked fantastic, tbh

I've never seen Roxy Music live before, but I'm impressed at the size of the venues they're in. I wouldn't have guessed that they had that much clout, stateside.

It was 2017 for me, but yeah there was nothing wrong with his voice or his energy (or his always somewhat stilted dance moves.) It was a wonderful show.

Honestly, the frailty of the singing on Avonmore made me want to give him some oxygen, but I trust all your views.

I saw him in 2017. The voice was querulous, but the band was unexpectedly sharp.

I've never seen this fabulous photo before, so I'm just going to leave it here.

https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/roxy-music-Brian-Cooke-1392x884.jpg

he was assisted by backup singers on the more energetic tracks, but on songs like "every dream home" and "to turn you on" i appreciated his quavering

He can go for a Lad in Satin feel now.

he played "Bete Noire" and "Stronger Through the Years" in '17, so more points for him.

I missed the reunion tours to my lasting regret so I'm glad this is happening.

I've never seen this fabulous photo before, so I'm just going to leave it here.

Wow, that's a shot from the Remake/Remodel video set. Filmed at the Royal College of Art London on July 5th 1972, as per the notes from the director on the video itself here: https://vimeo.com/69638630

fucking Ticketmaster and their variable pricing bullshit, just tell me what the tickets might cost you tedious fucks