Tradition for Roxy Musics Albums to feature images of women on the cover artwork.Rolling Stone called it the band's "masterpiece." Vibe (no, really) ranked it amongRoxy Music’s Country Life It was after Siren that Roxy Music’s albums deviated from their traditional sultry cover girls. Roxy Music were an English rock band formed in 1970.The front cover features bandmember Bryan Ferrys then-girlfriend. So, without further explanations, let's talk about Siren. The first entry on my perfect albums list, is from a band I've talked about on this site, and that is one of my favorites of all time: Roxy Music and I think this album in particular is the one that most people will enjoy easily.
In mildly technical terms. Even the audiophile crabcakes on the Steve Hoffman music forums gave the box set high marks. In 2012, Roxy Music’s catalog was remastered and issued in a single lump. It featured a soire of mannequins male and female in.
Garbo is an acquired taste, MonroeUniversal. So we come to the conclusionThat Siren lacks subtlety rather than passion. The hooks are punched up, the pathos played up, and (voila!) we goFrom Greta Garbo to Marilyn Monroe in two easy payments. Mind you, I like almost every song on here, andThat's by design. Maybe it's the banalityOf "Love Is The Drug" or the rushed arrangements, perhaps the knowledge of what wouldCome makes me twinge at the traces of disco, but to me Siren feels less like aCulmination than a commercialization. All of which begs the question: Do these guys even own aCopy of Country Life? It's not that I don't like Siren, but I don't love it the way IDo Country Life, For Your Pleasure, even their first album.
On the prior STRANDED and COUNTRY LIFE, Roxy had attained the perfect blend of their artier explorations and glam rock leanings. Obviously, that's exactly what some folks wereLooking for, but a masterpiece? One of the world's top 100 albums? I'd be surprisedIf Roxy fans rated this among the band's top 5 albums (Avalon and Viva! Roxy MusicIn 1975, Roxy Music released their fifth album, SIREN, and it was both a triumph and a departure for the English glam/art rockers. The love songs are simply that, the European cafes replaced by late-nightDiscos, the hero vulnerable and human. It's when Siren sounds most like Country LifeThat I'm happiest: "Prairie Rose" blooming anew in "Whirlwind," "If It Takes AllNight" spilling over into "End of the Line," "Nightingale" following the manicTailwinds of "All I Want Is You." But Ferry never returns to his old, cryptic self It's as if he went from solo album to Siren without making the requisite costumeChange.
This number manages to be both eminently danceable, and a wry commentary upon disco's frequently shallow, hedonistic scene of "nose candy" and casual encounters. The infectious "Love Is the Drug" is disco-flavoured, true, and doubtless caused many long term followers to fear the worst as it first boomed out of their stereos, but Ferry is no Donna Summer. The "sexy" slinky sound with the generic unvarying beat was, for many seasoned rock fans like myself, boring, tepid listening, but - if you were so inclined (I wasn't) - it was very easy to dance to.Songwriter Ferry, like many of his contemporaries, hearkened to disco's "siren" song, and incorporated its beat and hip-swaying bass line for SIREN's opener. With suave front man Bryan Ferry now firmly ensconced in his white dinner jacket, bowtie and "seen it all" playboy image, the group was arguably more quintessentially "Roxy" than ever before.BY '75, as those of my generation will recall (some with fond nostalgia, others, with a shudder), disco had become a major force in the music industry, and on the airways.
Other fine tracks include the easy-going "End of the Line," which features some nice Eddie Jobsen violin, along with effectively evocative harmonica and piano, and "Sentimental Fool," which opens with some eerie Manzanera guitar and atmospheric keyboards, before morphing, about half-way through its six-plus minutes, into a more straight-forward paean to the bitter-sweet pain of romantic love, and the heart-quickening, life-affirming allure of the fairer sex. Henceforth, the rocking edge, experimentation, and often darkly clever lyrics would be absent, in favour of ever greater monetary - if not artistic - "success."Still, "Love Is the Drug" is a good song, and the only one on SIREN that gets the disco treatment. After SIREN, Roxy, regrettably, would never again release an album as well suited to long term fans' more eclectic tastes. It was also a harbinger of things to come, as the next two albums, the disappointing "one-hit wonder" MANIFESTO, and the slick FLESH AND BLOOD would be even more unabashedly dance floor and airwaves-oriented - and thus much less imaginative and interesting.
I don't really see convincingProgressive elements in the overall music: I even think it arguably stands near the lowerLimit of the prog related classification acceptance. The ancient example of Odysseus and crew notwithstanding, you can safely listen to this SIREN song in complete confidence of "a really good time." Whole-heartedly recommended!That's the kind of rock music that really B-O-R-E-S me, especially the side 1! I cannotBelieve that my favorite keyboardist Eddie Jobson is involved: Mostly, I cannot recognizeHis style or influence, except on the not bad "She sells", on which he plays his typicalRhythmic piano and violin, plus some interesting clavinet parts: with a more aggressiveGuitar, this track could be taken for a Curved Air's one. One of their defining, truly essential albums, it yet marked the end of an exciting era for the band. Life imitating art?)Overall then, SIREN was another solid four-star offering from Roxy Music.
On the other hand, listening to the first 4 tracks leads to a realState of impatience. The side 2 is slightlyBetter and more original. The psychedelic partOn "Sentimental Fool" is just irritating with the grinding gross guitar. The inoffensiveElectric guitar is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY bland: an unprecedented case in the progHistory! The sax parts are just inexpressive and insipid. Bryan Ferry's voice is not mature at all: you haveTo wait untill his solo career of the 80's to really appreciate his voice.
It willReach number two on the UK charts (being held off the Nr. One of their best track ever and the fifth great opener in five albums. An absolute "chefD'oeuvre". Pop, melodious, with great saxing from Mackay. Of course everybody loves thisSong (or not ?).
This mellow song has a catchy melody and Ferry sounds prettyDecadent in this number (as Roxy was on stage). Omnipresent bassAnd nice piano. It has been played in every Ferry andThe very croony "End Of The Line" is also a very Roxy (Ferry?) song.
"Both Ends Burning" is one of my top five from Roxy :Incredible Mackay, great bass from Gustafson, superb vocal interpretation as always.This is a great moment of music. Manzarena atHis best : one the few hard rock tune from Roxy."She Sells" is probably the weakest track on "Siren" : rather funky, but still not bad at"Could It Happen To Me?" is, again, a very good song : commercial, pop with nice rythmAnd, again, a great backing band (piano in particular).IMO, the best is yet to come. It opened up Roxy usic's Siren"Whirlwind" is another gigantic Roxy song : incredible rythm and feeling. I love that track very much. ItStarts with pretty weird sounds for about 2'30" or so (it reminds the atmosphere ofTheir first album very much).
This leads us to the closing numberThis closing number is another highlight of this very good album. I can't help : I just love this Roxy sound !It's one of the few Manzarena / Ferry compositions. Such a gorgeous"Nightingale" is also very good and keeps the quality of this album at "just anotherHigh". This ratherLong song (over five minutes) for Roxy could have lasted for ever.
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