Roxy Music: Roxy Music - 1972
"Is this a recording session or a cocktail party?" - Dr. Simon Puxley
Like Bryan Ferry's old friend Dr. Simon Puxley, I have always found this debut album from a band that I have loved since 1972 extremely hard to categorise, or indeed analyse, because it was just so very unique.
It was recorded in early 1972 at a time when music was populated by interpreters of the blues like Led Zeppelin, Free and The Rolling Stones, prog rock, folk rock, socially aware soul artists like Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield and, of course, glam rock. It has to be said, however, that Roxy were as much of an influence on subsequent glam rock as it had been on them. Into this musical zeitgeist, Roxy Music came from, well, nowhere, seemingly.
The opening track, Re-Make Re-Model, was a fantastic start, with all the individual Roxy members taking solos in Bryan Ferry’s ode to a car number plate (CPL 593H). This track just sort of summed up what early Roxy were all about - exciting, individualistic, innovative, futuristic, revivalist. All those things rolled into one intoxicating whole. After some background chattering noise the track kicks off into a glorious cacophony of blaring saxophones, searing guitar, thumping drums and bleeping, wailing synthesisers, perfectly blending contemporary, upbeat glam rock with classic riffy rock and, notably, a retrospective late fifties rock and roll vibe. It was a magnificently heady maelstrom of exciting sounds and stands as one of the finest first album/first songs in any era.
The quirky Ladytron features the “sound like the moon” that Ferry had asked Brian Eno to create, with its insistent, exciting synthesiser climax. The song is most mysterious, full of weird electronic sounds and those rudimentary but intoxicating synthesiser breaks merged with some Latin castanets and an infectious staccato bass line. It was the first sign that this was a most unusual, creative band. I remember them doing it on The Old Grey Whistle Test to great effect. Roxy Music as the avant-garde retrospective futurists truly arrived with this track. Check out the frantic, instrumental ending - seriously impossible to pigeonhole but stunningly exhilarating.
If There Is Something is indeed something of a mini Roxy classic. Again, all the instrumentalists feature heavily over Ferry’s “acquired taste” unique voice, and romantic lyrics. It is a track of several changes within its six and a half minutes or so. It starts in breezy, slightly country, twangy fashion, before turning slower, heavier and more insistent, the drums becoming more powerful and the saxophone and guitars playing off wonderfully against each other. Finally, the song moves into a third part, with a melancholy but passionate Ferry vocal taking this remarkably innovative song to a close. It is a song that was always done well live, often being considerably extended, and, indeed, Ferry still does it these days. Incidentally, it was covered really well by David Bowie and Tin Machine on their second album. At this point in the album we leave futuristic, ground-breaking rock music a long way behind and head for Roxy/Ferry's romantic, stylistic other world. It is here that the album proves itself to be something very different to anything in the mainstream.
2 H.B. is an understated and attractive tribute to screen legend Humphrey Bogart, driven along by a seductive electric piano and referencing the white jacket that Ferry would come to revere over the subsequent years.
The BOB (Medley) was, apparently, about the Battle Of Britain. However, only the clumsily-placed and irritating machine gun and siren sound affect noises hold any sort of clue to that one. To be honest, the track is more than a little bit messy. It is a bit odd, to be honest, sitting very incongruously alongside the rest of the album's generally avant-garde ambience. The Battle Of Britain was an heroic affair but did it need commemorating on this album by a strange bunch of seventies ex-students? Probably not. I have never been convinced by the track at all. That said, there are several good points hidden within its many changes of pace - some fine bass, its sonorous introductory synthesiser and electric violin-sounding interjections, for example. A couple more listens and I find myself quite liking it.
A highly evocative number, Chance Meeting was also inspired by old classic films such as Brief Encounter. It is packed full of classic forties cinematic atmosphere.
Sandwiched between two dense, pensive numbers we return to a more familiar rousing glammy rock sound on Would You Believe?, with an upbeat, rock n roll song featuring Andy Mackay’s superb saxophone, doo-wop harmonies and rocking piano. It was classic Roxy rock.
In Bitters End we had an odd, slightly unfinished lounge bar-ish two minute track to finish what was, all things considered, a quite remarkable, but challenging debut album. Once again, some doo-wop was utilised and a rock and roll saxophone. The last line of the song has Ferry saying that it "should make the cognoscenti think....". It certainly did that.
This was Roxy Music's first outing, remember, David Bowie and Marc Bolan, 1972’s two other great innovators, had been putting out albums for several years by then. It was one of music's more remarkable debuts. I probably listen to the album about once a year these days and whenever I do I am always amazed by it.
Virginia Plain was the big one that introduced the world to Roxy Music. Did anyone really know what hit them in September 1972, when Roxy Music appeared on the scene with this wonderful single? Who were Roxy Music? No-one really knew. They were a disparate bunch of middle class students (and down-to-earth drummer Paul Thompson) and they looked like Teddy Boys - like 50s revivalist members of Sha Na Na - dressed at times in what looked like bacofoil suits as if they were Dr. Who extras. They remain, to this day, a group that were totally impossible to pigeonhole and they were all the better for it. They were simultaneously retrospective and futuristic both visually and musically - blaring rock and roll saxophone mixed with odd-sounding tape loops, weird synthesiser noises and powerhouse glammy drumming from Thompson sitting solidly behind Bryan Ferry's bizarre, quavering voice, the like of which had not been heard before. Take the frantically-madcap sound of this track and its strange lyrics as the perfect example, sonically and lyrically. What was that all about? I bought the single in 1972 and was hooked and I remain so. "Make me a deal and make it straight.......". I never, ever tire of the song.
Worth mentioning too is the 'b' side to Virginia Plain, The Numberer, which was an odd 'b' side in that, rather than showcasing Roxy's burgeoning new talent, it sounded like a new band's initial clumsy demo. It is an instrumental. Its sound is very rudimentary, particularly Paul Thompson's usually impressive drums, which sound very amateur, and the general sound overall is somewhat tinny and lo-fi. This is quite noticeable in comparison with the excellent sound on Virginia Plain and on the album. The plus points are the weird keyboard sounds, Andy Mackay's crazy saxophone and the break in the middle when the band launch into some late fifties-style rock'n'roll guitar. That seemed to fit in with the whole futuristic/retro vibe expressed in the band's costumes and hairstyles on the album's cover. Maybe I have been a bit harsh, because, several listens later, I am finding it more and more strangely enjoyable. Its problem is that, for such a polished group, it sounds too raw and rough-edged.
Regarding the BBC cuts on Disc Two of the “deluxe edition”. Fantastic. You get the entire album (apart from the relatively inconsequential "Bitters End") played live in the BBC studio, not sequentially though. They are excellent in sound quality and interesting versions, proof that Roxy could really play. If There Is Something is outstanding. Re-Make Re-Model and Would You Believe? are both just a sheer pleasure to experience. Just listen to Andy Mackay's saxophone on the latter. Roxy Heaven. The fade out to Ladytron is nailed on as well. I was thinking they might have made a bit of a mess of The Bob (Medley) but they pull it off, somehow creating a few synthesised background noises to accompany what always was a most quirky, somewhat bizarre song. They do it again on the Paris Theatre live performance too, with some additional wailing noises too and parping sax. Chance Meeting has a great extended ending on the live takes.
The sound quality on the live cuts is not quite as good as on the BBC sessions but it isn't bad, some nice stereo separation. Considering it was from a smallish venue in 1972 it is probably as good as could be expected.
This CD is worth it for the wonderful BBC Sessions alone, add to that the Paris Theatre tracks and I am more than happy to shell out for what is the only official live representation of this truly ground-breaking band from 1972 when they were really cooking.
