Brian

it's bryan, thomas. but you know that.

eno, just barely.

Eno of course, but Ferry better in a real scrap.

MacDonald.

(OK, Eno)

It might have been Eno at one time, but I think U2 have made him soft.

Ferry - because he'll knock anyone out with his hair.

I actually think Eno is tougher than he looks. Anyway, I'm saying Bryan Ferry (yeah I did know): his voice, persona and vision are an inspiration - I just like the idea of him so much more than Eno. Certainly Eno has been involved in more records I love (though not many more) but his little ideas seem to me often better than his big ideas (generative music = BBC Micro 'Life' w/notes) and even when I agree with him, as with his 'curatorship' thing he never seems to phrase the stuff in a way that might spark or excite. Oblique Strategies are good though.

A thought - ever notice how the pre-punk/glam era is the ONLY period in the history of music that produced artists who are still capable of producing interesting stuff decades on? The sixties bands - forget it, I can't see anyone feverish with anticipation over the new Paul McCartney or Mick Jagger offerings. The contemporanerous 'dinosaur' bands are now mullet nostalgia. As for the punks themselves, you can always catch the Damned or the Stranglers on fourth support slot at Dingwalls, and everyone justifiably lost interest in even Strummer, Jones, Lydon et al years ago. (Except for the ones that are dead, like most of the US punks.) Meanwhile - face it, even if they aren't your number one priority purchase, new stuff from Eno, Ferry, Reed, Bowie, and (sometimes) Iggy is always going to seem more relevant to 'today' in comparison. (This holds somewhat true even on the 'mersh' end of glam - Satan-spawned their new stuff might be, people always have a bit of slack for Elton John and Kiss, as opposed to James Taylor or Aerosmith - or Pere Ubu.) Perhaps the art-school crowd got it right - when it comes to creative longevity (i.e. not Status Quo cabaret medleys), self-awareness/'style'(more a state of mind than a 'look', but I can't think of a better word right now/passing acquaintance with a sense of humour, not 'authenticity' is the deciding factor? (I know Iggy is supposed to be 'authenticity' personified, but I bet the kids who were into Grand Funk Railroad and Ten Years After in 1970 - the vast majority - didn't think so.)

As for Ferry vs Eno - my total veneration of all things Roxy precludes a sensible answer, but I can't help wondering what the hell happened to Ferry's amazing alchemical talent after 'In Your Mind'. I think Johny Marr said it best - "Bryan suffers from an extreme lack of confidence, to the point where he airbrushes everything out with the production. It's a shame, because he's really a radical guy."

eno would lure ferry into his hammer-esque analogue laboratory & paralyse him with some wibbling proto-moog death ray. i'm happier with eno whenever he retains traces of ferry's glam mince, a lot of the ambient noodling leaves me cold. yeh , oblique strategies are good and, at the risk of sounding like a twat, quite useful.

ever notice how the pre-punk/glam era is the ONLY period in the history of music that produced artists who are still capable of producing interesting stuff decades on?

A compelling argument, yes.. Ah, but do you remember how in the early 80's, none of those artists were relevant? Bowie topped the chrats with "Let's Dance" - and everyone hated him for it. Lou did the Honda moped commercial. Iggy Pop - what was he doing then? "Zombie Birdhouse"? (I LOVE Zombie Birdhouse & if anyone wants to discuss it, start a new thread.) David Johansen - well, what has he done since the Dolls that was great? (Although the Animals' medley on "Live it Up" was pretty cool at the time, even as weak as it was.)

My point is: Looking back on their careers, the material they were putting out then was not bad, but at the time, no one gave a shit about any of it. Then, all of a sudden (I think it was when the VU rereleased their catalog) these guys were the godfathers and suddenly they were infallible.

So that could still happen to the Stranglers. OK, well maybe to PiL?

So you reckon Ferry would win in a real scrap, Billy? I guess you're probably right. When there was a mid-air scrap over Africa a few months ago, when a psycho tried to kill everyone, Bryan was there to the rescue. OK, I'm not sure if he actually saved the lives of the passengers, but I was struck by how dapper he looked on the photos; not a hair out of place.

I reckon both would be pretty tasty in a scrap but I'm relying on crude regional sterotyping in that Ferry's from Washington, Co Durham and Eno's from Woodbridge, Suffolk. I've been told that Durham is a good area if you want a punch up on a Saturday Neet.

Ooh, it's so hard to pick because I love both of them...in terms of albums I love it would be Eno, but overall I would have to say Ferry because Bryan doesn't do horrid and shocking things like hanging out with the icky U2 and James.

Eno vs Ferry. McCartney vs Lennon. Reed vs Cale. I think to chose between one of those is absolutely futile. They all made their best music together. I could live without their solo output but never without their band's records. So my first (non) answer would be Roxy Music.
On second thoughts it is Eno (and Lennon and Reed). Not because of his ambient stuff which I never got into. But the pre-ambient records "Taking Tiger Mountain", "Another Green World" and "Before and After Science" really left a deep impression on me. The instrumental "Through Hollow Lands" from the Science album is probably the most aptly titled track I know of. I had a period in the late seventies / early eighties where I put it on repeat and tried to meditate to it. Which did not work of course as meditation is about silence. Nevertheless that track opened a new world for me. "Another Green World" is a universe on its own. It makes a great artist that he can create a parallel world.

Nicole raises a very good point. i will have to side with Ferry. I mean, James! dear oh dear

Yeah but could Eno play like that on 20 tabs of acid!!

Um, OK. Seriously though Alex Roxy Music is a big point in BF's favour cause their first album after Eno left is an absolute masterpiece - they did need him of course but also didn't. And Ferry's first solo album is ace too.

Nicole's answer is most useful (though the sneaking soft spot in my heart for a couple of James albums means I'll have to replace them with the Talking Heads in terms of comparisons). However, Eno *did* write "Third Uncle," which Bauhaus covered so freaking brilliantly...

Roxy Music is a big point in BF's favour cause their first album after Eno left is an absolute masterpiece...

But not as much as the last album they did WITH Eno, which in my opinion is a fair slice better than anything else they ever did. Still, though, I love them, although it took me sort of a while to appreciate them. Maybe I just need to give that album more time...

ned did you just say you liked james more than the talking heads?

I think he did. But then this is the world's biggest Smashing Pumpkins fan we're talking about here.

I love Eno, and his vocal records, but have very little use for the later ambient stuff. Ferry on the other hand is one of my all-time favorites; he gets my vote.

"Taxi" is pretty good; he shows more energy and interest in his work than the last several records, and while I don't love "As Time Goes By", it sure is weird; how about those vocals?

And he thinks Menswear are underrated. Everyone his bad taste. But James had their moments if I remember well, hadn't they?

However, Eno *did* write "Third Uncle," which Bauhaus covered so freaking brilliantly

Eno's version is far superior to Bauhaus's.

Just as Al Green's version of "Take Me to the River" is far superior to Ferry's. And the VU's version of "What Goes On" is way better than Ferry's. Although I really like Roxy's version of "Like a Hurricane" - and I'm a huge Neil Young fan.

And the second Roxy Music album is their best one. But don't try to get Eno back together with the rest of the band. Remember what happened when he reunited with John Cale?

ned did you just say you liked james more than the talking heads?

I most certainly did. Amount of James albums I own: 3. Amount of Talking Heads albums I own: none. Complain all you want, imagine how little I care. ;-)

Remember what happened when he reunited with John Cale?

There were some good songs on that album, though, for me at least. "Lay My Love" in particular was charming.

Every Roxy Music album is brilliant. Well, except for "Flesh and Blood". But every other one!!

In a recent interview, Eno was asked what his favorite Roxy Music album was, and he said he absolutely enjoys "Stranded"...(the first post-Eno album).. he went to say Roxy didn't really need him.

i thought this was going to be about ken sweeney. 'understand' still lovely after all these years.

Wrong Way Up is a lovely album, the best thing either man had done for years! For goodness' sake it has "Cordoba" on it. I find it uniquely comforting. Hooray! I've found an underrated non-canonical record!

I bought a copy of Stranded on CD last night (prev. had only on vinyl and no turntable) in my eagerness to work out whether it or For Your Pleasure is better.

Um, OK. Seriously though Alex Roxy Music is a big point in BF's favour
You are right Tom. I had temporarily forgotten that Eno was only present for the two first albums. It must be Alzheimer ;-). But that makes it even more difficult for me to chose. Let's call it a draw.

Cordoba is so very classic. But it sounds like almost all Cale. While most of the rest of the album sounds hardly any cale.