Roxy Music 'Avalon'

The sibilance [sp] of the track does the rest.

It is the best album OMD ever made.

I'm sick of ILM, if anyone cares.

Have fun.

It's a very well put together record, for sure — and pleasing in many respects: hooks, melodies, synths. And I kind of enjoy it.

But to me, Avalon is the sound of Ferry falling hopelessly in love with a character he had been parodying up until then. As a result, it's utterly impossible to hear this record as anything other than the consequence of that transformation. Does it reflect 80s soullessness? Absolutely — but not in a conscious way at all. And so other than it being made by a legend, nothing about it makes the record all that much different than any other pleasant radio fare from the era.

Does that make sense?

Bryan's son protesting at Tony Blair's constituency home in support of foxhunting almost exactly 20 years later - ie the Ferry lineage now *more* old-establishment than the PM - was the logical conclusion. That's not a diss of "Avalon", far from it.

I HEART "Avalon", btw. "True To Life" is my high watermark - where Bry goes all Liz Fraser on us (at least in terms of being vowelly and impenetrable) and sounds gloriously faded glam-y.

I remember him coming to NYC in 1988 and my then-GF saying "We gotta see him' and I had a deep reaction of 'Why???"

As for the music, I may have mentioned this before, but the feeling of hanging out in some polynesian themed hotel lounge I get is totally unique.

Though the model was in fact a woman -- certainly it was cryptically conveyed, though.

Robin, I'm well aware of Lucy Helmore's background and Ferry's social climbing (his London home was one of the first features in World Of Interiors magazine, it was all very trad and landed gentry, not an inch of modernism anywhere). Though I would disagree that no one cared about Ferry after "Avalon", I know plenty of people who adored "Boys & Girls" and to whom Ferry means an awful lot, just as much as Bowie.

The big difference is that Eno's pieces are aiming for the illusion of stillness, like a water feature while Ferry is trying for stillness. Or put another way Eno's still curious, Avalon's the work of a man who's found his place, both socially and romantically, and is contented. It's no suprise that he packed Roxy in after that as it was an artistic dead end, though he did try refining it with diminishing returns over the following 15 years. It's also no surprise giving his recent background that Frantic is probably his best and most invigorating work since then.

my mom inexplicably had "boys and girls" in her collection but has no memory of hearing it or buying it. i liked it but was typically afraid to admit to that.

jesus christ, grad school has robbed me of the luxury of spending more than 30 minutes thinking about anything except work. i really miss being able to make extended observations like the one that opens this thread. i think i'll slit my wrists.

No, stay true to life. That's the main thing.

Oh my guffing fod. I can't believe this thread came up just now! I was driving home tonight and I saw this street called "Avalon" and I vowed to try to remember to look up the Roxy Music album called that, but I was trying to memorize these other three musical things I'd come across tonight at the same time and then by the time I got home I totally forgot what the 4th thing was and it was Roxy. Thanks ILM! *whew*

ah so that's why amateurist has been so quiet lately

jesus christ, grad school has robbed me of the luxury of spending more than 30 minutes thinking about anything except work.

There's a reason I left it.

amateurist is wrong about "To Turn You On." Predictable chord sequence, icky sentiment, blah blah blah -- he sings it beautifully, especially the way he enunciates "God help me."

I heard avalon on one of the episodes of heroes last night.

I can't picture that song being party music really.

Alfred OTM.

I could walk you through the park if you're feeling blue or whatever...

Weird, I was watching 'Matchstick Men' on A&E tonight and "More Than This" was playing in a totally blue collar bowling alley where Nick Cage and Alison Lohman were having a father/daughter game. I thought then "I'm gonna dig out 'Avalon' and give it a refresher spin" but forgot. As Bimble said, Thanks ILM!

In a way, this is an album which screams to be listened to on a Bang Olufsen stereo in a room filled with expensive design furniture, in a huge Westend flat.

Have I tried? No. Can't afford that. :)

Yet, this is New Romantics in a nutshell, but it's kind of nice really because nobody had done anything like that before.

finding the guitar line from more than this being used as the standard segue on a radio talk show here in addis was a lil surprising

love love love the album avalon, and c'mon the smoothness is the entire point of the album and title track would rank as my fave track from the album, Yannick Etienne's cries at the end are just gorgeous

Truly, this album is a gift to humans. There ought to be universal acknowledgement of that, at least. Try and imagine a world without it - you just can't.

love Ferry's keyboard work too -- the best Prophet 5 song on earth.

the best Prophet 5 song on earth

"Biko" to thread stat.

uh...4CD set?

My $0.02, despite amateurist's admonition upthread not to simply say 'it rocks' - toss off the instrumentals, and albums don't get more perfect than thi

I think they're referring to the _Thrill Of It All_ 4CD box, which is just about perfect - except it doesn't contain the entirety of _Avalon_, you'll still need it.

Robyn Hitchcock's cover of "More Than This" is stunning, apropos of nothing.

whoa, where is that from?

That box set looks good but ultimately doesn't interest me much. I like early Roxy (especially Country Life), but I LOVE the Manifesto - Avalon run (including the unjustly hated-on Flesh + Blood) SO damn much, and I have those records on multiple formats.

When I read '4CD box' upthread, I was envisioning a Funhouse-esque, super bloated, meticulously sequenced monster box of Avalon outtakes, alternate tracks, demos, etc. Now THAT would be something...

whoa, where is that from?

What, the Hitchcock cover? Originally from a single but available on one of his Greatest Hits collections from the 90s.

Crazy! Thanks man...

I used to have the 7" of Roxy Music's "More Than This". I remember exactly what it looked like. My best friend once played that song on his stereo out of the blue, too, I wasn't expecting it, wouldn't have even thought he'd know it.

Yes, Robyn H.'s cover of "More Than This" is great.

If I ever spot a copy of the CD with the "Always Unknowing" b-side, that will make the 4th copy of this thing I'll have bought, and it'll be worth it. Great song.

i'm hooked on the vocal delivery throughout this album. but particularly on the singles

If I ever spot a copy of the CD with the "Always Unknowing" b-side

That's on the rarities disc in the _Thrill Of It All_ box.

'take a chance with me' is pretty fantastic

hard to argue with the super smooth lushness of the title track. i'm really warming to this textured 80s sound. even though i may have found it irksome not six months ago.

Oddly enough I've played this more than once in the last week. Pretty much everything about it is perfect smoove.

Plus I have the More Than This 7"!

Is he playing all of Avalon, plus solo & Roxy hits

sounds like it's this

He's not bad live, but of course there's not a lot of (any) improvisation and it's all about replicating the albums. He's a pretty weird and compelling performer, though, has good moves and makes funny faces.

Thanks, that sounds about all one can expect (he's 73!). Roxy are somewhat heroes of mine and I've never seen him live, but this new tour swings by close to me. I'll probably just go do it. Good moves are underrated.

and his hair -- well.

Sign me up for that ravenous coiffure at 73!

This was his latest full setlist:

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/bryan-ferry/2018/theatro-dasous-thessaloniki-greece-3be988f8.html

The Main Thing
(Roxy Music song)

Slave to Love

Don't Stop the Dance

Ladytron
(Roxy Music song)

Out of the Blue
(Roxy Music song)

Oh Yeah
(Roxy Music song)

Casanova
(Roxy Music song)

Tokyo Joe

Bitter-Sweet
(Roxy Music song)

Windswept

Bête Noire

Zamba

Stronger Through the Years
(Roxy Music song)

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
(Bob Dylan cover)

My Only Love
(Roxy Music song)

In Every Dream Home a Heartache
(Roxy Music song)

If There Is Something
(Roxy Music song)

Re-Make/Re-Model
(Roxy Music song)

More Than This
(Roxy Music song)

Avalon
(Roxy Music song)

Love Is the Drug
(Roxy Music song)

Virginia Plain
(Roxy Music song)

Encore:
Let's Stick Together
(Wilbert Harrison cover)

Jealous Guy
(John Lennon cover)

Editions of You
(Roxy Music song)

I've seen him three times with increasing delight. He played "Zamba" and "Bete Noire" last time!

That seals it!

Great setlist too

Saw him last year, fabulous show. If he ever meant anything to you, absolutely, go!

I tried but could not find a way!

I've seen him three times and Roxy once. They've all been equally good, and while there's nothing revelatory about him live (unlike, say, David Byrne's most recent tour), yeah, if he means something to you, check it out. Which is honestly not something I'd say for just any legacy act.

I so wish I could have seen Byrne's recent tour. This isn't that, but it's really good. I never saw Bowie until his final tour in 2014, and now my memories are maybe better than the actual show, which was excellent. And you never know when it'll be your last chance.

xp lol Alfred.

Tix ordered, thx guys!

I never saw Bowie until his final tour in 2014

I sure wish he had such a tour. You mean 2004?

I was in the lobby of the venue when the roadie fell from the rafter in July 2004.

Bowie final tour 2004, you mean. I saw him that year at MSG, was great. Hard to believe I saw him not long before that opening for Moby on that ill-begotten Area 2 tour.

xpost!

Yes, 2004, stupid fingers...

that's no way to talk about a dead man

Stupid Fingers would be a great band name.

have consistently missed Ferry and Roxy on all of their tours through the bay area ....I won't miss this one. would be nice if manzanera were on this tour as well.

Tix ordered, thx guys!

― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, January 14, 2019 7:17 PM (four months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

So I saw Ferry's first show of his new European tour on Monday and quite simply: it was a ton of fun! How could it not be when Ferry himself was enjoying it so much? He was so enthused, throwing the audience kisses and just moving about with such swagger all night. His voice isn't what it used to be, that was pretty clear (the first couple of songs he sounded more like Stuart Staples), but that was entirely ok. His backing bank was phenomenal, specifically the drummer and sax player. They were on stage with ten musicians, which I thought was very generous. They ripped through the songs pretty quickly, the bigger hits sometimes only one verse + chorus, but it all made perfect sense and it was just a very tight, lively show, with great sound. We had a blast.

OT: This was by far the concert with the highest average age I've ever went to. I saw people in their 70s taking photos with their ipads :)

Ha, excellent. Looking forward to August.

The surround mix of this is glorious.

The back-to-back sequencing of "To Turn You On" and "True to Life" slays me.

It's pretty genius. "To Turn You On" is my secret favorite on the album.

He never sung again with such unshaded passion; I can see him falling on one knee while singing "God help me!"

The keyboard sound on that track = fireplace simmering.

How to make "Or whatever" sound apocalyptic.

The chord changes and melody on "To Turn You On" make me think he was trying to write a Siren-era song with a 1982 arrangement, it feels a bit out of place on this record.