Roxy Music's Best Album?

What sayeth ye TP'ers?

In the review section "Country Life" gets that nod but I can't rank that fine album above "For Your Pleasure" which is just - well I can't think of another record that's really like that one.

Been playing their first 4 albums quite a bit lately after not playing them in a long, long time - still hold up smashingly well.

Anyone prefer them later - I know a lot of people in general argue for Avalon ..........

avalon is my favorite . also flesh n blood.
another album i like is manifesto even though most hate it.

What do people see in 'Avalon'? I always thought it was such a snooze compared to their exciting early albums. Not too far removed from the whole John Tesh/Enya kinda thing in my mind (this was around the time I started calling Ferry 'The Julio Iglesias of New Wave'). In fact, I know people who thought they hated Roxy until they heard stuff like 'For Your Pleasure'.

I might go for 'Stranded' as tops, but it's a tough call. Their late-70s disco stuff gets fairly dull, but up to that, every album has at least a few classics.

Avalon's appeal probably depends on whether your first exposure to Roxy was to their earlier or later stuff (or as Ira said in his TP review: "Those who came upon Roxy late probably reckon it's their best album.").

As for me, I'll wimp out and just say first four, or perhaps "Stranded" (Country Life has some of their best songs, but it's not as consistant as "Stranded").

BTW is it breaking TP-protocol if I ask where's the best place to find some good vintage-era live RM?

"Viva!" is a really good live album from '76 - when it gets to crazy rockin' I might actually prefer some of the the "Viva" versions to the studio.

Siren, definitely. I dont like their very early stuff, and agree the later stuff is mostly a snooze.

But Country Life has the hottest naked chicks on the cover.

When 'Avalon' came out, i was a young snotty teenager, and I haven't listened to it since (tho I still revisit early Roxy). It may very well make a lot more sense to me now, as a cocktail-sipping, Dean Martin-lovin' husband/dad dude.

I listen to Roxy Music quite a bit, mainly For Your Pleasure, Stranded, and Siren.

If I was forced to rank them, here's how I'd do it:

1. Stranded
2. Siren
3. For Your Pleasure
4. Country Life
5. S/T
6. Avalon
7. Manifesto
8. Flesh and Blood

Country Life is my favorite, but both Siren and Flesh + Blood come close.

And if you don't understand the appeal of Avalon, well, I can only guess that you've never put it on the stereo as a prelude to sex.

Quote

But Country Life has the hottest naked chicks on the cover.

Wasn't one of those hot naked chicks the sister of Michael Karoli from Can?

Siren was my intro to them and remains my sentimental favorite, but I also love the first two albums' mix of avant garde with classic rock & roll forms. "Virginia Plain" is probably my single favorite Roxy song.

Avalon is so far removed from early Roxy Music that I have a hard time considering it to be the work of the same band. Aside from that, though, it's probably the single most well-crafted smooth-rock album in history.

Stranded by far. I think I read once that Eno agreed. Maybe even in TP.

For years the only Roxy I owned was Siren and Avalon. I didn't really get into Roxy until I put the Velvet Goldmine soundtrack in heavy rotation. There are a lot of Roxy songs covered on that soundtrack, and that's what made me finally climb on the train. I bought all the reissues (of the pre-Manifesto years) not long afterward.

I'm not sure I could pick an album I'd call the best, though at this point I'm more attracted to the first three than their later work.

I think Siren is their best overall album in terms of song quality, listen-ability, and propulsiveness, but Stranded and Country Life come really close. Their first two are great, but I don't like For Your Pleasure as much as a lot of people. There are some boring bits in the longer songs. The last three are best represented by a great singles collection and all of Avalon, which does work as an amazing mood piece. I can't think of a single Roxy album that I don't like, and only one or two that aren't pretty damned amazing: FYP and Manifesto, and parts of those are certainly great. "All I Want is You" is their most powerful song, to me. But "More Than This" works about as a well as a song can possibly work.

And now I drag the CD's out to test my resolve. Thanks!

Viva! is the only "vintage" Roxy live album (as far as I'm aware). A Roxy performance from 1979 at the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver has made the rounds for a number of years, under several titles (including Concerto and Ladytron). The Roxy Music Live 2-CD set, from the reunion tour, is worthwhile too.

My favorite Roxy Music album is the Walker Brothers' Nite Flights.

Country Life is still the LP I hear in my mind when I like to think of them.

Cool how Byran's voice in Triptych pans left, middle, then right. Geddit? Eh?

Ranked:

1. Stranded (Eno's favourite as well, I've heard.)
2. For Your Pleasure
3. Roxy Music
4. Country Life
5. Siren
6. Flesh + Blood
7. Manifesto
11. Avalon

Looks like a case of diminishing returns. The post-hiatus records really are a league beneath the first five, although they're skilful and pleasant. The strange tameness in the face of wilder new music from Roxy-inspired bands always mystified me. What, Bryan didn't want to compete? Reining in Manzanera and Thompson? To what end?