Roxy Music Live - S/D

One of the best attributes of Manzanera's playing is that he's rarely flashy even when he's got more going on.

Even on "Remake/Remodel", where he's basically soloing through the entire song, there's something modest about it - "this song needs non-stop lead guitar, I will provide".

he tried but he could not find a way iirc

Been a while since I've heard it, but really enjoyed 801's Live, with Mananzera, Eno & Co. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOG7SfERU0k
That's an LP; there's also more of a CD-length rehearsal of that set posted here and there, dunno how it is. Didn't get into their studio album, Listen Now so much: was okay, but more on the broody Floydian side. Also didn't get into the one by his prog band, Quiet Sun, but some of my friends did. Oh, I did like his Diamond Head!

Oho, here's Andy MacKay's In Search of Eddie Riff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap9G9z-AeZM

Was disappointed in their Roxy-ish pop Explorers venture; mainly what tipped the scales was an off-putting, off-brand Ferry clone (aptly named James Wraith). One after that was billed as Manzanera-MacKay, didn't listen.

Your collective strategery paid off: bought secondhand nosebleed seats last week (though not the worst I could get) for about $80 a pop (after taxes/fees), got to the venue tonight and we were upgraded to awesome $175 face value seats, from the 300 level to 100. I had a hunch when I saw that Ticketmaster had greyed out all these seats that were for sale just a week ago that the upgrades some of you had seen or experienced would be in effect tonight, too.

Band was good, setlist was good, Ferry sounded good enough, everyone was into it, though I am always a little sad/suspicious when every musician has a double. Reminds me of when the saw the Beach Boys 50th anniversary tour and there were as many as 7 or 8 guys holding guitars on stage and I thought, come on ...

St Vincent did indeed kill it tonight. Annie Clark's current ott rock star persona was perfected suited to the occasion. She was having a blast, and I bet she made some new fans.

I would argue that Thompson technically didn’t have a double, and the auxiliary percussionist was largely unnecessary (and often barely audible).

And looking back (all I did was look away), I realize that all the Roxy Music I ever heard on the radio was on WXRT, and it was a regular occurrence.

The percussionist was keeping time for the whole band but also afaict triggering a lot of pads arrayed to look like regular percussion. He was often barely audible because he was often doubling (thickening, mostly) Thompson's snare and tom hits. Not that Thompson was bad or anything, just needed a little juicing. Same with Mackay; there were lots of times the other player was perfectly matching his sax and oboe stuff, to help him out a bit. Again, no biggie: Bryan gets three singers (and thee keyboard players) to help him out, so why not the others?

I was surprised they skipped "Virginia Plain," given the anniversary nature of it all.

Ferry played real guitar on "Flesh and Blood," but it doesn't mean I wanna see him holding one.

Requires a 'apart from on the For Your Pleasure gatefold spread' qualifier imo.

Seeing them in Manchester next month. I haven't been over-excited - I generally avoid arenas and big reunions, even (especially?) for a band this dear to me, but a friend suggested it as a reason to visit. Now though, getting cautiously optimistic.

I know I saw them in 2001, but it's one of those shows that for whatever reason I can't remember a single thing about it except for the venue and where I was sitting. Oh, and seeing Jon Langford there.

And I guess he was back again! (With Alan Doughty of Waco Brothers/Jesus Jones)

https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/308050326_5817507248301628_7110603320778770001_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=sbP3Uz-C6dgAX_oQQXj&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AT_geOd0MQXA-o5WLeX7DgxlNp3RyBzqtHDA06F1haN06w&oe=632E65A8

Nice!

FWIW Hugo Burnham also posted this

there were as many as 7 or 8 guys holding guitars on stage and I thought, come on ...

Guy behind Mike Love was the only surplus player, and as Love had brought just two musicians from his band (this dude who is his bandleader, and his fucking great drummer) was almost certainly there to collaborate on arrangements, not to substitute for inadequacies among Brian’s players.

(Jardine strummed acoustic on just a handful of songs, probably as an aide-mémoire, and David Marks was lifted in the mix for solos.)

This made me laugh…

Last night at Roxy Music a friend reported that a dude on the floor was dancing & having a grand time until a very slow song & then he yelled “THIS IS WHY BRIAN ENO LEFT” which is both hilarious and not incorrect

September 20, 2022

Last night at Roxy Music a friend reported that a dude on the floor was dancing & having a grand time until a very slow song & then he yelled “THIS IS WHY BRIAN ENO LEFT” which is both hilarious and not incorrect

— Caryn Rose (@carynrose) September 20, 2022

Eno was on several slow ones on the first album.

It doesn't seem to be correct at all honestly, just a cheap joke.

not correct, def cheap, and def funny

My friend I took had no idea about the band's formative years. He only knew the smooth stuff, but found it fascinating that the same band could do both so well.

Missed this - Bill Wyman was able to write a nice primer in NYMag:

https://www.vulture.com/2019/03/roxy-music-guide-bryan-ferry-brian-eno.html

With Ferry no longer an obstacle, Eno could follow his muse and record blistering, high-velocity slammers like Music for Airports and On Land (originally titled Land Speed Record).

hahaha

How's that Ferry album he produced?

He didn't produce it. He co-wrote a song on Mamouna and Frantic apiece and was responsible for sonic gahoozits on the former.

"I Thought" (the Ferry/Eno collaboration on Frantic) is the capstone of his career for me. It's Ferry's "I Can't Give Everything Away", he even plays harmonica on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4HSj8IR8GE

It's a beautiful melody, and their harmonies are gorgeous.

wow never heard that song before. Maybe one of the best songs of all time?

Andy MacKay, riding with Mott The Hoople---"All The Way To Memphis":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuMOWrRZ0HA

Also on their "Honaloochie Boogie":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGdVMpuBiik

Damn, had no idea that was him. What a great album, Mott's best by a good margin.

Well, Mott and Brain Capers, I think---anyway just noticed that 2006 CD reissue of the former has bonus tracks I'd like to hear:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mott_(album)

Mamouna and Frantic both excellent albums

Eno also did a lot of keyboard stuff on Olympia, which was the failed attempt at making a new Roxy album, AFAICT

Have only heard Mamouna once but was really surprised by how good and strange it was - felt like it pushed Ferry’s solo aesthetic almost into abstraction- incredible grooves and barely-there songs - hope it lives up to my memory of it!

Sounds like I need to give Frantic a listen

Eno also did a lot of keyboard stuff on Olympia, which was the failed attempt at making a new Roxy album, AFAICT

― akm

He plays on only four songs -- Ferry plays most of the parts.

I still like Mamouna: the end of a method but not quite abstracted; the grooves + vocals + words are at times sexy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_GmpQI0LEg

& then he yelled “THIS IS WHY BRIAN ENO LEFT” Like those who turned against the Dead after Pigpen left the building---

They stole his liver, man

Rummaging around the Ferry solo discography I realised I had never heard this - which according to the Legend soundtrack wiki page is a reheated scrap from the Avalon sessions. Absolutely not great! But better than the awful version of He’ll Have To Go he inexplicably released as a single a few years later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jVclWz_eXU

Wow, el wrongo.

If you want to criticize his only unfortunate sartorial decision of the '80s, fine; but this is a fine, elegant sequel to "Slave to Love."

his only unfortunate sartorial decision of the '80s

Horns and talons do not suit him at all.

To me it seems stodgy while Slave To Love feels slinky - but I am glad to hear there is a positive take to be had, perhaps it will grow on me.

The clip is weird! Very like I remember his ‘The Fly’ single also being weird - just loitering on a big set while bits from the film are back-projected seemingly at random. They feel very low-budget for such an expensive gentleman!

Gilmour reprises his "No More Lonely Nights" solo to lesser effect but it still works.

A little late to chime in but "Is Your Love Strong Enough" is how I learned about Bryan Ferry and then backtracking Roxy Music in the first place so it will always have a place in my heart.

Last night was good fun -- very little to add to what everyone else has already said on the thread but it struck me as a perfectly valedictory performance with appropriate side performer boosting. Just being able to see Manzanera do his thing was reason enough. I'd thankfully avoided spoilers and steered clear of this thread until now so I didn't quite know what to expect and was generally happy with the results -- I did sadly miss those early 2000s shows (which I probably grumble about way upthread), so without being able to compare them directly and having seen Ferry in 2019 I'll say I lowballed a bit and was very pleasantly surprised.

Fuck yeah…this is my ideal set…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY8_lLbpszM

isn't there, way uptread, a list of tunes they never did live? Like it would be so amazing to hear a live "Whirlwind…"

"upthread" … this sounds great, some of the performances were used for Viva…

That setlist rules.

If that Newcastle show was used for parts of Viva, does that mean it was all professionally recorded? Is it just sitting around somewhere?

I’m pretty sure they played Whirlwind in Stockholm in 1976 but I am seeing conflicting set lists. I remember hearing it on my bootleg if that show tho.

Feel like there may be quite a bit of Roxy live material that’s never been officially released.

"Whirlwind" is in all the 1976 sets on setlist.fm. It's on the Stockholm bootleg, which is song for song the setlist I saw back then.

https://www.discogs.com/release/2830508-Roxy-Music-Why-Do-You-Think-Im-A-Funky-Chick-

Saw Roxy Music last night in Manchester. It was a great show and I never thought I’d get to see them, but my mind did wander to how much careful planning must go into tours with older performers must be well-planned. I felt it was a slightly oddly paced setlist and I was surprised at some of the major hits left out. I wonder if Bryan’s energy dictated the shape of the set - he had an electric piano he sat at, but rarely played, for several songs and there were a few long instrumental sections where he disappeared presumably for a rest. He did seem frail but I knew his voice hasn’t been what it was for years so I wasn’t expecting a miracle and I was really pleased he didn’t have backing vocalists shadowing every line like he has on some solo tours.

This seems to definitely be the last roll of the dice but it was a great great night.

def seemed to give both him and Andy a rest. Tara was Bryan's chance to go freshen up, then just after that I think there was a song where Andy wasn't needed.

Phil is told to shut it and do as he's told.