The gorgeous models on the sleeve. No, it’s not The Cars.
The preening front man and his androgynous keyboard player. No, it’s not Duran Duran.
The eight albums in ten years before calling it a day. No, it’s not ABBA.
The career slump when they flirted with dance music. No, it’s not U2.
It’s the group whose hit single “Pyjamarama” served as inspiration for the name of the most successful British girl group of all time, Bananarama. There’s a great Trivial Pursuit question for you.
It’s Roxy Music, of course. One of the most influential British bands that toed the line between glam and progressive rock. The forerunners of the infamous art rock and New Romantic scene. They may never have gotten to be household names here in the States, but slap “More Than This” on the stereo and people immediately know who they are.
Not that they need the accolades, but from today forward Roxy Music may also be referenced as The Daily Vault’s October 2009 Artist Of The Month.
Formed by art school buddies Bryan Ferry (vocals) and Graham Simpson (bass) after placing ads in Melody Maker, Roxy Music set the British pop arena on its collective ear when their self-titled debut record was released in 1972. Their stage personas were the most controversial. The creepy, stringy blond in the corner wearing feather plumes and tinsel and twiddling knobs? Oh, that’s just Eno. Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno, to be precise. No wonder he’s weird, just look at the name his parents saddled him with.
And then there’s Mr. Rock God himself, the grounding force who just happens to be the sexiest guitar player who ever lived, with the coolest Fly shades that latter day egotists Kanye and Bono would kill for. Yep, he’s the Man: Phil Manzanera. Fleshing out the visually stunning sextet are horn player extraordinaire who can hit notes that are as sharp as his sideburns, Andy Mackay, and the drummer who is a dead ringer for Queen’s drummer Roger Taylor, Paul Thompson.
Simpson would leave after one record and Eno after two, but Roxy was all about legacy building, and despite several lineup changes along the way, they wouldn’t quit until they were sure they had left their mark. And evolve they did, as they slowly stripped away the artifice and honed their sound down to a shiny “Mother Of Pearl.” Their American breakthrough would come with their Top 40 hit “Love Is The Drug” in 1975, which found Ferry trading in his glittery spangles for some colorful leather suits.
They may have gotten more commercial with their last few albums, but don’t call them a sellout. Roxy Music simply came of age. In their newfound maturity, they garnered the respect of their peers and critics. The biggest shock came when Bryan Ferry announced that their 1982 masterpiece Avalon would be their last, at least for a while. Did they achieve what they initially sought out to? Why on Earth would you quit when you were clearly on top of your game? When, if ever, will Roxy Music reunite and give us fans the farewell album we deserve? Twenty-seven years later and that final chapter has yet to be written.
Beginning on October 6 and running every weekday through the end of the month, the Daily Vault will publish reviews of every Roxy Music studio album, plus the occasional live disc and, filling out the month, a smattering of solo releases from Messrs. Ferry and Eno.
Founded in January 1997, the Daily Vault has featured more than 6,200 reviews of more than 2,800 artists from all across the musical spectrum, written by a volunteer staff from around the world. Previous Artist Of The Month retrospectives have spotlighted the work of artists from Tori Amos to Frank Zappa, including the Beatles, Depeche Mode, Garth Brooks, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Yes and many others. Themed retrospectives have included punk, hip-hop, classic soul, classic jazz, Broadway musicals, Christian Contemporary Music, live albums, modern prog and Woodstock At 40.
