For your pleasure in our present poll, part false part true part anything (Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure poll)

Interesting that clip has him with a guitar. They pose him with a guitar in the self-titled sleeve, too, right? (yes)
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/531546a7e4b004de19791ef4/1485323695824-6HA6YRGMO6C6M01F2LIH/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kLaIFavX0OhVOy7QHn6Ja19Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpxOwi4ThAvgETjeD2XiR38Eq7g6Wifu_0z5Tq_38Z4jrhv7nA59c1Ma2vJZ2wdngjQ/Gatefold?format=1500w

tbf they pose everyone with a guitar, which I think is hilarious

With cool guitars.

great photo, maybe my favorite band pic of theirs

bogus man

my man <3

My least favorite of the classic five-album sequence, but that's not saying anything.

That first side!

Grey Lagoons probably isn’t my favorite song on here, but if I see people hatin, I’m throwing it a vote

It's great!

This is impossible. Just finished relistening to it, it's been a few years. I love the immediate rockers, love the arty drones, love the ones I think of as Cole Porter on acid.

Only a 9.5 according to Pfork, unlike the pure perfection that is Fetch the Bolt Cutters.

― pomenitul, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 10:38 AM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

ewing gave it a 10 in 2012! https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16810-roxy-music-the-complete-studio-recordings-1972-1982/

glad to see the grey lagoons love, i was nervous since it missed the countdown in the roxy music ballot poll results

the harmonica breakdown is such a great moment, literally the last thing you expect to happen on this album.

I may toss "Strictly Confidential" a vote: Ferry's first successful ballad. The way it almost sounds conventional makes it creepier and sicker and awesome.

love strictly confidential. the use of woodwinds is a big reason the album feels as moody as it does (and it really is a masterpiece of moodiness). it's almost disappointing when the drums come in and it briefly turns major, but that's mere prelude to another two minutes of heavy atmospherics and phil manzanera brilliance.

Interesting that clip has him with a guitar. They pose him with a guitar in the self-titled sleeve, too, right? (yes)

― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 8:42 AM (one hour ago)

He's playing a little bit in the clip... the guitar is oddly tuned to open Eb-minor (Eb-Bb-Eb-Gb-Bb-Eb) which is kind of prevalent in Bukka White/Skip James, and maybe a couple Syd Barrett songs.

It's a mimed performance.

The only two Roxy tracks on which Ferry plays guitar are "Pyjamarama" and "Flesh + Blood."

this is also my least fave of the first five, but I still love it. I'm always surprised by its weirdness.

speaking of which, it's so odd that Ferry the singer and lyricist on those earlier Roxy albums are so strange and affected and funny yet as a personality he always seems ... like he lacks one. not in a bad way, just the total and tonal opposite of his Roxy persona of that era.

Yeah. I've written elsewhere that no major rock singer-songwriter has been such a nullity offstage; he has nothing of interest to say in interviews, almost revels in banality. Performance really is the meticulous putting on of a white tuxedo coat.

or eye patch!

i'm assuming the "stranded" poll is named something very stupid and that's why i can't find it ?

I tried a lot of search terms for Roxy polls but really couldn't find anything for FYP or Stranded. All other 6 were polled.
Stranded would be one of my desert island discs but I expect more of a landslide win for 'Mother of Pearl' in a Stranded poll than for 'In Every Dream Home A Heartache' in here, so I thought this to be more exciting. Could be wrong.

Also happy to see the love for Grey Lagoons. And for Bogus Man.

Huh. Stranded is my least listened to of the first five.

Stranded would rule for "Serenade" alone. And it's the album with "Mother of Pearl," "Street Life," and "Amazona"!

Casual fan who loves "Editions of You" to death.

Stranded poll:

HEY GOOD LOOKING BOYS, GATHER AROUND: ITS THE "STRANDED" POLL

Strange. Really couldn't find it. Maybe this one's been done as well then.
Ah well, even if it has it won't hurt running it anyway, I'm already enjoying the comments.

tbf I couldn't find this one.

hot tip - don't use the ILX search, just google it

I would've gone for Do The Strand, but I'm a bit burnt out on that song because every time there's a BBC Whistle Test/70s clip show they *always* put that song on it. I assume there must've be some other Roxy Music performances filmed but you'd never know it.

I expect people are a bit wary of voting "Do the Strand" but, fuck it man, what a banger.

Always loved the fact that Steve Jones and Paul Cook called their first band the Strand. Shows the reach Roxy had even among hooligans like the young Jonesy!

weary of the waltz...and the mashed potato schmaltz

Tempted to vote for it on the strength of "Rhododendron is a nice flower" alone.

Listened to this last night - my favourite Roxy - title track for me, what a perfect finish to the Eno era

Also best Roxy album art

I agree!

If I had to rank the first five:

1. For Your Pleasure
2. Country Life
3. Stranded
4. Siren
5. Roxy Music

My ranking

1. Roxy Music
2. For Your Pleasure
3. Stranded
4. Country Life
5. Siren

It seems safe to assume that Manifesto would be your no. 6, Flesh and Blood your no. 7 and Avalon your no. 8.

Not that familiar with any of them, but I suspect Avalon may be my #6

Actually I have listened to Manifesto, was not that impressed.

In my impressionable late teens, I started exploring their discography via Allmusic, whose ratings oscillate between 4.5 and 5 stars for the first five LPs then suddenly drop to a 3 for Manifesto and a 2 (!!!) for Flesh and Blood before vaulting back up to a 5 for Avalon. I dutifully avoided Manifesto and Flesh and Blood for fear of being disappointed, so when I finally did check them out, I was pleasantly surprised. One of the most consistent bands of their era imo.

I've never heard "Manifesto" or "Flesh and Blood".

But, yes, one of the most consistent bands of any era.

You should! (imo) They bridge the stylistic gap between Siren and Avalon, and pave the way to Duran Duran (if any of that is of interest to you, that is.) I listened to F&B on a cassette in my car so many times when it came out, it's probably my most played Roxy album, if far from my favorite. xp

I tried with those and I just can't get into them, I like Avalon though

Yeah, fair enough, different strokes. I'm sure I hold Flesh and Blood (and Ferry's In Your Mind) in much higher regard than most do. It's all about their place in the timeline of my life. (Wishing there was an eyeroll emoji for that last sentence.)

Here you go:

🙄

(I don't think it warrants one, though.)

lol, thanks!

I like flesh and blood

“still falls the rain” off manifesto is good

I'm sure it would sound good if I put it on, but I rarely play "Manifesto." "Flesh and Blood," on the other hand, I put on more than "Avalon," tbh.

I only found out recently that the version of Angel Eyes on Manifesto is very, very different to the single version.

there's also an alternate version of Trash (Trash 2) that I like a lot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XmVsgA0w_g

F+B their worst album, which means it's, what, a B?

Sounds about right.

Let's not forget that it comes with a cover of 'Eight Miles High', of all things.

I have weird mad love for Flesh + Blood. Oh Yeah, Same Old Scene, My Only Love and No Strange Delight are four of my favourite songs of theirs.

If memory serves, when Dave Marsh made that (fwiw) 1001 Best Songs/singles book, "Over You" (from F&B) was the only Roxy included. That song proves that Roxy was definitely listening to the Cars listening to Roxy.

F+B has the best cover art

this whole album rules but had to vote for in every dream home a heartache. i also love bogus man but the live version on viva! edges out the album version

the viva version of 'in every dream home a heartache' is also better tho

I've never heard Viva. Guess I should get on it.

The backing singers on Viva! come in rather strenuously.

hot tip - don't use the ILX search, just google it

what's the best way of going about this ?

Preface your google search with 'site:ilxor.com' (sans quotes).

ah thanks

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Didn't expect this big of a blowout.

DO THE...STRANSKI!

I expected Dream Home to 'win' but not by this much. Still, it's really nice to see that every track got voted for, minimum of 2 even.

surprised/impressed by bogus man's showing - I used to find that song super hard work but then it clicked, I get it now

amazing that a song as good as grey lagoons can come last

I used to like, but not love, "The Bogus Man" but then a few years later I really fell for Bowie's "Station to Station" and that long, hypnotic, grinding art-funk-noise.

yeah it's that long supple jam section in the middle that totally makes it work

I'm kind of surprised, tbh. "Dream Home" is not one of my faves on this album. It's like their "Freebird" or something (not that I dislike it or "Freebird").

Bogus Man voter here. What a weird, beautiful thing.

Bogus Man was the most immediate track for me when I bought this album... just sounds so damn cool and otherworldly

Wow that version of Trash, so Avalon-esque when I figured it was written to be fundamentally a new waver. Want to hear the hot jazz-age version next.

Voted “Editions of You.” The synth solo never fails to knock me out. I heard FYP for the first time the same day I had my first listens to Miles Davis’ Pangaea and Scrawl’s He’s Drunk. That was a good day.

poor Ferry stopped running to play the organ solo years ago; these days he doesn't leave the keyboards.

I voted for Strictly Confidential just because of my mood that day - I'll take any song on this perfect album. My question is: do you think David Bowie CONSCIOUSLY modeled 'Lazarus' on 'Strictly Confidential'?