Roxy Music documentary BBC4 2200 tonight (7/12)

[blossomchris]

Ferry to Roxy Music, compares to Thatchers hatred of the unions, they both killed the spirit

Bloss

 

[neildalton]

I'd be interested to hear them, the first is also my favourite album.
Neutered is a bit harsh no?
You say "Roxy writing" but all of the tracks on the first (and second iirc) album are credited to Ferry, it was always Brian F's band...so it was up to him what he did with it...hence Eno's witty remark about there only being room for one Brian...take your point about the Lounge Lizard direction BF took them in.

Hey Weekender,

I agree - what we’re left with are, manifestly, Ferry songs.

My point was that, if he’d been more willing to let the music flow - if he had been less afraid, more collegiate, less controlling and proprietorial regarding the creative output of the band he’d formed - he’d now be looking back on a much more thrilling and highly regarded collection of recordings.

Ps I’d forgotten - it wasn’t Manzanera at this point in the recordings. It was The Other Guy.

PPS. You should now find a few of these starting to appear on YouTube

 

[Martyn Miles]

Music docs. on BBC 4 used to be good, but they’re saving money to make EastEnders better.
Sorry, I meant better in the BBC’s opinion...

 

[deebster]

Yep, many are pants now

Lost count of the number of times I've seen the same clips of Anarchy in the UK and snarling punkettes

 

[Hazelberry]

For anyone who enjoys the earliest Roxy writing, there are now good quality copies in circulation of their rawest, most experimental 1971 demos. These include primitive iterations of things like BOB Medley, 2HB and The Bogus Man; lengthy, organic sound explorations favoured by Eno, Mackay and Manzanera, yet to be be neutered by Ferry.

For anyone who saw those early gigs, you may recall this as the thing you loved. Something only partially captured on that first album (their best) and never to be seen again.

How Ferry could have traduced Roxy so - reconfiguring it, in effect, into a smoking jacket and a box of cologne - remains one of life’s small sadnesses. That he achieved it with such speed should make the cognoscenti think.

I must look for these early recordings, thanks.

For Your Pleasure isn't quite as exuberant or diverse as the first one. But it's more consistent in style, and to my mind the equal of the first album.

It's well worth seeking out the first CD releases as they sound fabulous compared to the LPs and the equally poor flat transfers from a few years ago.

Ferry had very definite ideas about how his songs should be performed. Increasingly he reduced space for improvisation and experiment, particularly by Manzanera and Mackay: they and Eddie Jobson became compliments rather than foils. All spontaneity was gone by Siren: even Thompson sounds bored on that album.

 

[Hazelberry]

I'd be interested to hear them, the first is also my favourite album.
Neutered is a bit harsh no?
You say "Roxy writing" but all of the tracks on the first (and second iirc) album are credited to Ferry, it was always Brian F's band...so it was up to him what he did with it...hence Eno's witty remark about there only being room for one Brian...take your point about the Lounge Lizard direction BF took them in.

I don't agree that early Roxy was solely Ferry's band. Although the tracks on the first two albums are all credited to Ferry, they couldn't have been made what they are without the imagination and work of the other band members.

According to Eno's biography, when the crisis with Eno came to a head, and after a good sulk, Ferry gave the band a choice to either continue with him or go with Eno. They chose the safest course of action.

While in Roxy, Eno beat Ferry both on stage and in the bedroom. Ferry was a jealous guy all right.

 

[Weekender]

I don't agree that early Roxy was solely Ferry's band.

I agree re the others important contributions. A bit like Reed and the Velvet Undergound maybe. I should listen to the demos mentioned...
I'll have to read the Eno book, I'm sure it would be entertaining. (Edit.. just purchased).

 

[Hazelberry]

If you're an Eno fan you'll enjoy the book, Weekender. It's been a few years since I read it so my recollection about his leaving Roxy may be more rustworthy than trustworthy.