Category: SACD

Title: Bryan Ferry – Frantic (2002)
Genre: Rock
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Frantic manages to touch upon virtually every musical style of Bryan Ferry’s career. Ferry has proved to be as interested in covering other artists’ material as penning original songs, and he straddles a smart mix of originals and covers here. Two brilliant Bob Dylan songs appear among the opening tracks: “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” sees a return to the eclectic, energetic experimentation of Ferry’s early albums with Roxy Music as a lush modern swirl of instruments mingles with the singer’s stylized vocals and throwback harmonica; “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” completes the Dylan pair, as Ferry intones with confidence and again takes up harmonica over Colin Good’s rolling piano. The reverent Leadbelly cover “Goodnight Irene” reimagines Ferry as a kind of blues troubadour. “One Way Love” sees the Drifters’ song reworked as a squall of distorted guitars and keyboards. Almost half of Frantic’s songs originated from late-’90s sessions with Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, and Stewart is given a co-writer credit for these songs. Though the Stewart songs tend to favor edginess over songwriting, a few of them manage to break through the bombast. “Goddess of Love” is probably the best song about Marilyn Monroe since Kitchens of Distinction’s “When in Heaven,” and there’s a passing musical resemblance to that great song. “Hiroshima” works like an ominous take on Roxy Music’s synth-heavy Avalon period, with raging guitar dynamics contributed by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. Roxy Music fans will find more reasons to rejoice with the superb album closer, “I Thought,” which was co-written with Brian Eno, who sings backing vocals and plays keyboards. Some listeners might suggest that an album this varied has an identity crisis, but with standout tracks as glorious as the Dylan covers and the Eno closer, Frantic is a fascinating addition to Bryan Ferry’s accomplished discography.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

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Title: Bryan Ferry – Boys And Girls (1985) [Reissue 2005]
Genre: Rock
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Having at last laid Roxy to bed with its final, intoxicatingly elegant albums, Ferry continued its end-days spirit with his own return to solo work. Dedicated to Ferry’s father, Boys and Girls is deservedly most famous for its smash single “Slave to Love.” With a gentle samba-derived rhythm leading into the steadier rock pace of the song, it’s ’80s Ferry at his finest, easy listening without being hopelessly soporific. As a whole, Boys and Girls fully established the clean, cool vision of Ferry on his own to the general public. Instead of ragged rock explosions, emotional extremes, and all that made his ’70s work so compelling in and out of Roxy, Ferry here is the suave, debonair if secretly moody and melancholic lover, with music to match. Co-producer Rhett Davies, continuing his role from the latter Roxy albums, picks up where Avalon left off right from the slinky opening grooves of “Sensation.” The range of people on the album is an intriguing mix, from latterday Roxy members like Andy Newmark and Alan Spenner to avid Roxy disciples like Chic’s Nile Rodgers. Everyone is subordinated to Ferry’s overall vision, and as a result there’s not as much full variety on Boys and Girls as might be thought or hoped. The album’s biggest flaw is indeed that it’s almost too smooth, with not even the hint of threat or edge that Ferry once readily made his own. As something that’s a high cut above the usual mid-’80s yuppie smarm music, though, Boys and Girls remains an enjoyable keeper that has aged well.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

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Title: Bryan Ferry – Boys And Girls (1985) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Having at last laid Roxy to bed with its final, intoxicatingly elegant albums, Ferry continued its end-days spirit with his own return to solo work. Dedicated to Ferry’s father, Boys and Girls is deservedly most famous for its smash single “Slave to Love.” With a gentle samba-derived rhythm leading into the steadier rock pace of the song, it’s ’80s Ferry at his finest, easy listening without being hopelessly soporific. As a whole, Boys and Girls fully established the clean, cool vision of Ferry on his own to the general public. Instead of ragged rock explosions, emotional extremes, and all that made his ’70s work so compelling in and out of Roxy, Ferry here is the suave, debonair if secretly moody and melancholic lover, with music to match. Co-producer Rhett Davies, continuing his role from the latter Roxy albums, picks up where Avalon left off right from the slinky opening grooves of “Sensation.” The range of people on the album is an intriguing mix, from latterday Roxy members like Andy Newmark and Alan Spenner to avid Roxy disciples like Chic’s Nile Rodgers. Everyone is subordinated to Ferry’s overall vision, and as a result there’s not as much full variety on Boys and Girls as might be thought or hoped. The album’s biggest flaw is indeed that it’s almost too smooth, with not even the hint of threat or edge that Ferry once readily made his own. As something that’s a high cut above the usual mid-’80s yuppie smarm music, though, Boys and Girls remains an enjoyable keeper that has aged well.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

(more…)