Do you wanna, do you, do you wanna know where all this now apparently de rigueur art rock originated from? Take one look at the inestimable influence of Roxy Music. Edgy progenitors of a sophisticated cocktail of glam, kitsch and blue-eyed soul, hot housing the creative genius of not one but two very different talents in Bryan Ferry and the mercurial Brian Eno, they laid the groundwork for an emboldened and knowing post-modern adult-pop aesthetic. If it wasn’t for these guys, the blueprint for Franz Ferdinand wouldn’t have existed.
Roxy Music long ago secured a place in the Parthenon of Great British Bands. But what’s impressive is how fresh their music sounds in 2006. That resonance will be put to the ultimate test later this year, with a brand new album emerging in the autumn, the band’s first in 24 years. It promises to be more than simply a re-hash of the same old formula. For one, it’s not in Roxy’s nature. And secondly, the ever-critical, always scrupulous Eno is making an appearance.
The iconic Ferry remains the visual magnet. A renaissance man, his debonair charms, bespoke attire and very English good looks seem impervious to the rigours of time. Perhaps he imbibed some sort of elixir back in their heyday. His features remain preserved as if in aspic, almost as timeless as Roxy’s tunes.
Long-time cohorts, guitarist Phil Manzanera, drummer Paul Thompson and saxophonist Andy Mackay are also on board both for the record and the tour. And Eno, not strictly in the band since he left acrimoniously following the group’s second LP, 1973’s For Your Pleasure, has contributed two songs to the new release, along with keyboards on a number of tracks.
“Eno was never designed to be in a live band, but to be there when there’s something creative happening,” Phil Manzanera summarised, and Eno would probably agree. Either way, the presence thereon of one of the modern age’s true sonic greats bodes well for the record. Eno is not one for platitudes so we can take it that his recent comment that the magic was still there was heartfelt. “The band hadn’t changed one bit in terms of its internal dynamics,” he said. “Just the same chemistry. After all that time, the relationships seemed exactly the same.”
It bodes well for the Live At The Marquee gig too, offering the intriguing prospect of a tightly selected batch of new songs to look forward to. In addition, Roxy will also strongly feature classics from their eight full-length records, all turned out in a prodigious period between 1971 and 1982.
The group blitzed the charts early with their heady mixture of glam rock and arch lyricism, and their self-titled debut spawned the hit ‘Virginia Plain’. Ferry assumed creative control of the outfit after Eno’s departure, calling a halt to their more experimental leanings and directing it into sleeker avant-pop avenues. It was to lead to Roxy’s big commercial breakthrough. The release of both Stranded and Country Life – particularly noted for its raunchy cover displaying lingerie-clad models – cemented the band’s position as part of British rock aristocracy. Their fifth long player, Siren, contained the classic ‘Love Is The Drug’, its slick saxophone lick making it one of the biggest UK dancefloor classics of all time.
Roxy Music continued to fuse refined guitar pop and sophisticated soundscapes, culminating in the brooding synths of their last LP, the marvellously measured Avalon, which – in addition to the beautiful title track – contained the hits ‘More Than This’ and ‘Take A Chance On Me’. The band subsequently split to focus on solo projects, but the impulse to get back together has always been strong. “We can still be interesting. We can still be Roxy Music,” Manzanera said. And that’s all you’d ask for.
It promises to be some night at the Marquee. The glad rags will be out because Roxy Music’s haughty-pop and silky allure demand it. But a devil-may-care attitude, a smidgen of hedonism and a whole lot of good time vibes will also be in attendance. As the man said, the little girls understand – and all the rest of the girls too!