Roxy Music: Viva! (Live) - 1976

Released after Roxy Music's first incarnation had taken their four year sojourn, in 1976, this is a good, but a little frustrating live album, in that it only contains eight songs, one of which is the extended mono-paced The Bogus Man. I do feel more tracks should have been included, to be honest. 1979's Showing Out is a much better live album, however, this is the only official release from this period. That album's sound is much worse, being one of these recent semi-official bootleg, this one has a much better sound as I said, the material is comparatively sparse.

Out Of The Blue is a killing opener, with a great bass, drums and Phil Manzanera's brilliant guitar solo, then we get a slow-paced, atmospheric Pyjamarama - featuring two great Andy Mackay saxophone solos (the second admittedly drowned out a bit the guitar) - before the afore-mentioned menacing but thoroughly groovy shuffle of The Bogus Man. The highly evocative, ghostly Chance Meeting is beautiful and Both Ends Burning with its frantic, disco-influenced groove has a lively, crowd-pleasing appeal.

The extended, ten-minute If There Is Something from the band's debut album is one of this album's highspots, along with the old blow-up doll song In Every Dream Home A Heartache, again, enhanced thrillingly by a killer Manzanera guitar solo. 

Do The Strand is a pumped-up, madcap closer with it's "Eskimos and Geordies" line for Ferry's home-town Newcastle audience and also the appropriate instrumental additions to the "fandango" and "tango" references. It is all over, however, before it has begun. Surely a double album should have served us better. The only other live material from the early period of the band can be found on the 'deluxe edition' of the debut album.

The sound quality is excellent on this 1999 remaster too.

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