Bryan Ferry: Live At The Royal Albert Hall - 1974

Bryan Ferry shocked his Roxy Music-devoted audience by running through most of his 1973 album, These Foolish Things, on his first few solo concerts in 1974. This one was from The Royal Albert Hall on 19 December. Quite a lot of the set list were that album's sixties pop covers performed in that somewhat tongue-in-cheek, vaguely camp style by a now tuxedo-ed Ferry. The lounge lizard persona was a full throes now, the avant-garde spacey, fiftires-throwback weirdo of 1972-73 Roxy Music had been left behind. Ferry was now a role model for the classy, affluent, aspirational male. The sound quality is punchy enough, given that it dates from 1974 and has not obviously been available. Despite its muscularity, it has a mono-ish tinge to the sound.                                                                     

Sympathy For The Devil is delivered enthusiastically, powered along by Paul Thompson’s fine drumming. It is much better in its live form than on the studio album, when it just doesn’t work. This version is vibrant and compelling. Ferry actually sounds suitably diabolical. Then we get a breakneck romp through the shorter poppier numbers from the 1973 album. The slightly gauche I Love How You Me is enhanced by its fine saxophone solo. Baby I Don’t Care is frantic as is the odd choice of It’s My Party. Ferry’s cover of one of my all-time favourites in The Beach Boys’ Don’t Worry Baby is ok, but it can never match the sumptuous original. Phil Manzanera contributes a fine guitar solo.

It is now time for a Ferry original, the riffy rock of Another Time Another Place from that year’s summer’s album of the same name. Also from that album is the lively, brassy Fingerpoppin’. Three other tracks from that album were played but not included on this release. That made nine from the first solo album, seven from the second, and one Roxy Music track.

Smokey Robinson’s The Tracks Of My Tears is as ill-considered and clumsy as it was on the original album. Sorry, Bryan, you made a right mess of this one. The Beatles’ You Won’t See Me is chunky and unsubtle but enjoyable enough. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes was always a favourite of mine and it is done well here, Chris Mercer, I think, nailing the saxophone as he did on the record. Then it’s time for A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall. I have always loved this back to buying the single in 1973. Ferry and the band do justice to what is no doubt a difficult song to play.

The album’s only Roxy song is A Really Good Time from 1974’s Country Life. It is done really well and I can’t help but yearn for a bit more Roxy material after hearing how well it was performed, despite respecting that this was a solo concert. The “In” Crowd is performed rousingly and before you know it, proceedings are over with These Foolish Things. Ferry does this evocative, beautiful song with suitable élan. Great stuff. I love it.

A short show, but a good one. Great to be able to finally experience it after all these years.

Incidentally, the original set list also included Help Me Make It Through The Night, Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever, You Are My Sunshine and Funny How Time Slips Away.

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