Bryan Ferry / Roxy Music – Bryan Ferry - The Ultimate Collection With Roxy Music (Austria DADC)

Bryan Ferry / Roxy Music – Bryan Ferry - The Ultimate Collection With Roxy Music

Bryan Ferry – The Ultimate Collection With Roxy Music brings together the solo work of Bryan Ferry with some of the defining recordings of Roxy Music, tracing the sophisticated art-rock, glam, pop and new-wave sound that made Ferry one of Britain's most distinctive musical figures. The collection spans material from the early 1970s through the late 1980s, highlighting both Ferry's work as Roxy Music frontman and his evolution as a solo artist.

The collection opens with the 1988 remix of “Let's Stick Together,” Ferry's stylish reinvention of the 1962 Wilbert Harrison song, before moving into “The 'In' Crowd,” “Dance Away” and Roxy Music's “Angel Eyes.” The contrast between Ferry's solo recordings and Roxy Music's increasingly polished pop sound illustrates the remarkable breadth of his career. Roxy Music had evolved from the experimental glam and art-rock of their early albums into a sophisticated blend of electronic textures, romantic pop and dance-oriented arrangements.

Several of Ferry's most recognisable solo recordings feature prominently. “Tokyo Joe,” “Don't Stop The Dance,” “Slave To Love” and “Help Me” demonstrate the sleek, sophisticated character of his 1980s work, while “He'll Have To Go” and “The Price Of Love” reveal his enduring interest in reinterpreting older pop and rock material. His distinctive vocal delivery and carefully constructed arrangements became increasingly influential within the emerging world of sophisticated pop and the so-called New Romantic sound.

Roxy Music are represented by some of their most enduring songs, including “Dance Away,” “All I Want Is You,” “Jealous Guy,” “Love Is The Drug” and “Avalon.” “Jealous Guy,” Ferry's celebrated interpretation of the John Lennon composition, became a major Roxy Music hit in 1981, while “Love Is The Drug” remains one of the band's signature recordings, combining funk-influenced rhythm with Ferry's cool, detached vocal style. The closing “Avalon” provides an appropriately atmospheric finale, drawn from Roxy Music's acclaimed final studio album of the same name.

The collection also includes “This Is Tomorrow”, Ferry's solo interpretation of the song originally associated with Roxy Music, creating another link between the two strands of his career. From the glam and art-rock experimentation of Roxy Music to the elegant synth-pop, soul and sophisticated pop of Ferry's solo years, the album provides a concise introduction to an artist whose influence stretches across art rock, new wave, glam rock, pop and electronic music.

For fans of Bryan Ferry, Roxy Music, 1970s art rock, 1980s sophisticated pop and New Romantic music, this collection brings together many of the key songs associated with Ferry's distinctive career. With “Love Is The Drug,” “Avalon,” “Jealous Guy,” “Slave To Love,” “Don't Stop The Dance” and “Let's Stick Together”, it offers a compact overview of one of British pop's most enduringly stylish catalogues.

Tracklist

1. Bryan Ferry – Let's Stick Together ('88 Remix) – 2:54
2. Bryan Ferry – The 'In' Crowd – 4:33
3. Roxy Music – Dance Away – 3:45
4. Roxy Music – Angel Eyes – 3:06
5. Bryan Ferry – He'll Have To Go – 4:03
6. Bryan Ferry – Tokyo Joe – 3:54
7. Roxy Music – All I Want Is You – 2:51
8. Roxy Music – Jealous Guy – 6:12
9. Bryan Ferry – The Price Of Love – 3:24
10. Bryan Ferry – Don't Stop The Dance – 4:20
11. Roxy Music – Love Is The Drug – 4:03
12. Bryan Ferry – This Is Tomorrow – 3:36
13. Bryan Ferry – Slave To Love – 4:27
14. Bryan Ferry – Help Me – 4:37
15. Roxy Music – Avalon – 4:15