Roxy Music

[SmedIndy]

OK....fans of glam, new wave, etc.

I may have to do a rethink of Roxy Music. I bought a greatest hits CD to explore their early stuff with Eno, and for the stuff on "Siren" but was really impressed with their later work (especially in the way "Avalon" sounded on my car CD player).

I had dismissed "Avalon" and "Angel Eyes" outright in my petulant youth.

Any thoughts from the NDF panel on Roxy Music?

[johnny]

I like "Avalon", "Love is a Drug", and "the Space Between". Never really sat down and dived into a full album, really paying close attention like I do with other stuff.
Talented, but they never really grabbed my attention.
Seems like they transformed their sound over the years, becoming more soulful instead of art-schoolish, if that makes sense.

I like what I have heard of Ferry's solo stuff.

Defenitely one of the scariest looking bands I have ever seen. :p

[SmedIndy]

No, I totally understand about their evolution. This greatest hits package goes in REVERSE chronological order, which makes it rather unique.

Just that in 1982, I was in a much different place than I am now. And I hear and understand things differently.

Old age and treachery will do that for you!

[pwdennis]

Originally posted by SmedIndy

Old age and treachery will do that for you!


I don't know about Roxy Music (I like "rock & roll" but not "rock") but you certainly hit the nail on the head here

[poorme]

dismissing music without giving it a thorough listening is always a bad idea. I have "siren". Probably haven't listened to it in 3 years. kind of "cold" sounding

[SmedIndy]

I didn't dismiss it WITHOUT hearing it, Poorme. I saw videos on MTV and felt they weren't my cup of tea. Boring, actually.

The videos are still boring, though.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Funny, I have been a fan of RM for a long time and was thinking that I had to give them a rotation in the car again. I've just popped in in the CD player this morning. Avalon is a great song, but More Than This has a special meaning for me and the wife going back to our very early days together.

My Sunday is now starting damn well.

[pwdennis]

Sometimes context is important.

Heavy Metal is a music format that I cannot stand to listen to, although I have heard enough of it (teenage stepsons in the house) to know that there are some interesting lyrics to be found in the midst of all of the musical clutter. A few years ago, probably as a gag, Pat Boone issued an album called PAT BOONE IN A METAL MOOD / NO MORE MR. NICE GUY where he took a dozen metal/hard rock tunes, had them set to sort of jazzy big band arrangements and gave it a whirl. For the first time I was able to appreciate some of the metal canon (although I still am not a fan of the genre). Boone approached the material completely seriously.

In a similar contextual change a band named BIG DADDY took a bunch of 80s Pop/Rock (material by such as Madonna, Sinead O'Connor, Springsteen, Whitney Houston, Police, etc) and performed it as late 50s Doo-Wop. BIG DADDY did some lampooning of the material but it was still interesting

[SmedIndy]

PW -

There's a book that analyzes heavy metal from a music theory standpoint by Robert Walser, drawing parallels between the heavy metal guitar soloists and the violin virtuosos of the 17th and 18th century (among other topics). It's a great read.

I've proven again that (for the most part) never dismiss an artist or a genre based on a listen 10 to 20 years ago. However, Britney will still be Britney in 2025.

[VNV Nation]

Paganini, Yngwie Malmsteen, same guy.

[pwdennis]

Originally posted by SmedIndy
PW -

I've proven again that (for the most part) never dismiss an artist or a genre based on a listen 10 to 20 years ago. However, Britney will still be Britney in 2025.


I'm not sure I agree with the "proven" statement but you are dead on about Britney. The Pepsi commercials, however, are cute - probably the best work she's done, which, in itself, is a sad commentary on her musical integrity

[spitball]

Originally posted by VNV Nation
Paganini, Yngwie Malmsteen, same guy.

Yngwie is the WORST example of self indulgent crud on this planet.His lookatme lookatme lookatme style almost killed rock.
All those noodlemeisters that have followed the same path should be given a John Lee Hooker album, locked up for a year,and forced to listen to it over and over again until they repent their sins.
On subject:
I liked Roxy Music in the mid and late eras because of the musicianship.John Wetton's bass playing is so good it's sick.
Bryan Ferry's singing leaves me cold though. A major buzz kill.

[Skip]

Originally posted by SmedIndy
However, Britney will still be Britney in 2025. Well, I think her center of gravity may be a bit lower (but then again, ...)

Originally posted by VNV Nation
Paganini, Yngwie Malmsteen, same guy. Just for Smed - Yngwie is Bruce's younger brother, right?

[SmedIndy]

Originally posted by spitball


.
On subject:
I liked Roxy Music in the mid and late eras because of the musicianship.John Wetton's bass playing is so good it's sick.
Bryan Ferry's singing leaves me cold though. A major buzz kill.

Spit -

Check the credits.

They had a revolving door at bass. John Gustafson played on the studio albums in the mid 70's. Wetton was only on one tour but he may have gotten an album credit (that he didn't really play on). For Manifesto, they had two bassists (one being Gary Tibbs, future Ant of Adam and the Ants) and Alan Spenner.

http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=B6sr9284r053a~C

[spitball]

Originally posted by SmedIndy


Spit -

Check the credits.

They had a revolving door at bass. John Gustafson played on the studio albums in the mid 70's. Wetton was only on one tour but he may have gotten an album credit (that he didn't really play on). For Manifesto, they had two bassists (one being Gary Tibbs, future Ant of Adam and the Ants) and Alan Spenner.

http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=B6sr9284r053a~C
There's a live album out there with a kickin' version of " Out Of The Blue" featuring Wetton.
Jeez man, your talkin' about the late 70's and early 80's. That period is mostly a haze to me:rolleyes: so the memory's a little dicey.Gustafson's style and Wetton's style were similar though.

[SmedIndy]

Well, not for me. I was in elementary and junior high, so I can see all obstacles in my way.....

[spitball]

Yeah I was rockin while you were just a snot nosed kid.
In other words, I'm a geezer.:)
Anyway, a while back ( couple months?...memory is the 1st thing to go) some friends went to see Roxy Music at the Greek Theater.
They were in heaven.

[SmedIndy]

I came by it honestly. I had a much older brother and sister, and have a 45 (Incense and Peppermints) at age 3 to go with my Close and Play.

I didn't realize Roxy reunited....

[spitball]

All I know, smed , is that Bryan Ferry is singing. I asked my friends who was in the band. They didn't know. They wanted to see Bryan Ferry.
As far as my musical awakening... I think it was from birth. My parents loved music of all kinds. Latin jazz, soul, jazz, and some pop . When I was a kid in D.C. it was soul on WOR or WOOK. How I ended up liking country I'll never know.
Actually I do. I played in some cow-punk bands and for kicks we'd play a George Jones song just to piss off the audience. To me that was more punk than anything.

[TimmyB]

This thread got me to thinking -- I've liked just about any Roxy Music I've come across, which, admittedly, hasn't been much. I've heard the few hits that get any real "classic rock" radio rotation and a couple of "videos" that VH1 used to play on their awesome 8-Track Flashback show from a few years back.

So, I went and checked out "Roxy Music". Figured I'd start at the beginning. So far, pretty cool. I think I will delve deeper.

Note to PW: Johnny Cash does a killer cover of Soundgarden's Rusty Cage on his 1996 album Unchained. He comments on each of the songs in the CD booklet. His thoughts on the song are priceless.

[spitball]

Originally posted by TimmyB
This thread got me to thinking -- I've liked just about any Roxy Music I've come across, which, admittedly, hasn't been much. I've heard the few hits that get any real "classic rock" radio rotation and a couple of "videos" that VH1 used to play on their awesome 8-Track Flashback show from a few years back.

So, I went and checked out "Roxy Music". Figured I'd start at the beginning. So far, pretty cool. I think I will delve deeper.

Note to PW: Johnny Cash does a killer cover of Soundgarden's Rusty Cage on his 1996 album Unchained. He comments on each of the songs in the CD booklet. His thoughts on the song are priceless.
That's a great record. Mostly "The Man in Black" and an acoustic guitar.

[Skip]

Originally posted by spitball
That's a great record. Mostly "The Man in Black" and an acoustic guitar. Ditto to that. :thumb:

[SmedIndy]

Originally posted by TimmyB
So, I went and checked out "Roxy Music". Figured I'd start at the beginning. So far, pretty cool. I think I will delve deeper.



Timmy -

When you get to "Country Life" you'll need to hide the cover from the wife and kids.

[spitball]

Originally posted by SmedIndy


Timmy -

When you get to "Country Life" you'll need to hide the cover from the wife and kids.
:naughty: :naughty: :naughty:
Now THAT'S marketing!!

[TimmyB]

Originally posted by spitball

That's a great record. Mostly "The Man in Black" and an acoustic guitar.


...and when he uses a backing band it's Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. The album is a classic.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Originally posted by SmedIndy
I came by it honestly. I had a much older brother and sister, and have a 45 (Incense and Peppermints) at age 3 to go with my Close and Play.



Incense and Peppermints. By the Strawberry Alarm Clock. On UNI Records (psychadelic design on yellow background).

[pwdennis]

Originally posted by TimmyB

Note to PW: Johnny Cash does a killer cover of Soundgarden's Rusty Cage on his 1996 album Unchained. He comments on each of the songs in the CD booklet. His thoughts on the song are priceless.


You are right - he does do a killer version of Rusty Cage (I'm afraid I've never heard Soundgarden's version, but I do have nearly everything Cash ever recorded - listen to the BITTER TEARS album if you want to hear something beyond remarkable)

[SmedIndy]

Originally posted by Fuzzy Bear


Incense and Peppermints. By the Strawberry Alarm Clock. On UNI Records (psychadelic design on yellow background).

Who cares what games we choose? Little to win, but nothing to lose.

UNI had a large chunk of the psychedelic market in their day. The 4 CD Nuggets collection has a bunch of old UNI acts on it.