LIVE

An excellent album, after so many years they came back on stage and gave concerts all over the world as good or even better than they did in the past. Especially Lucy Wilkins did a great job. She is a topartist. I hope that this wasn't the final Roxy Music Tour. The only song I missed during the concerts is If There is Something. I'm happy that it is on the CD.

THIS IS THE ONE!!!! "Roxy Music Live" is IMHO the best live album released in this century: an impressive track listing (seems like a greatest hits live), great packaging (plenty of photos, a text about the 2001 tour, some info about the recording), great sound and great playing (Mackay and Manzanera are on top form, Paul Thompson - back at the drum stool - is fiery but ellegant, and the guests are all impressive musicians - the great Chris Spedding is among them, and he got plenty of space for his soloing). I would give this album 6 stars if I could! And don't forget to check out for "Roxy Music Live at the Apollo" DVD, which is as good as this album (there is a snap of the DVD at 2nd. CD: the video for "Both Ends Burning").

I can't see any reason for a Roxy Music reunion tour besides pure mercenary nostalgia, but it's still good to hear Bryan Ferry and the boys (and girls) together again, and near peak form too. And, unlike a lot of other aging rock stars trading on past glories, this at least is a legitimate reunion, with four fifths of the acclaimed mid-70s line-up present and accounted for.

First the good news: the always underrated Paul Thompson is back behind his drum set again, and more than anything else it's his rock-steady downbeat that conjures up the quintessential spirit of classic Roxy Music. Another silver lining is the addition of Chris Spedding, hanging his leather jacket alongside Roxy mainstay Phil Manzanera in a match made in air-guitar heaven. Spedding could always be found somewhere inside the binary orbit of both Ferry's and Brian Eno's early solo careers, and on his own was a post-Punk guitar hero of the first magnitude (remember the album "Hurt By Love"?).

Speaking of Eno, no one really expected such a forward-thinking celebrity to dust off his pink feather boa for a return engagement (in a mere supporting role) of his early Roxy hermaphrodite alter ego. But Eddie Jobson is conspicuously absent as well, and the lack of his Plexiglas electric violin leaves a hole on stage too big for even the talents of his replacement Lucy Wilkins to fill. Meanwhile the Roxy Music Revolving Door Bass Player Policy is still in place. It would have been nice to hear ex-Crimson King John Wetton holding down the low end of the stage again, but newcomer Zev Katz fills the bill well enough, although I suspect he was offered the gig on the strength of his appropriately stylish name.

But what about the music? The two-CD set opens with a blistering version of "Re- Make/Re-Model", and then continues on a whirlwind 22-track tour of the band's back catalogue, spliced seamlessly together from shows all around the world. There aren't many unexpected choices in the set list, but fans will be relieved to find the majority of songs lifted from their first three influential albums (although the single best represented LP is, of course, their popular 1982 studio swan-song "Avalon").

The real surprises are the stunning extended versions of two otherwise routine Roxy ballads: "While My Heart is Still Beating" and "My Only Love" (off the later "Avalon" and "Flesh & Blood" albums, respectively). The former allows Manzanera a long, nervous, effects-filled solo in a very Fripp-like mood, and the latter gives Spedding a turn in the spotlight, with his slow, emotional guitar solo building into one of the more ecstatic musical climaxes since Pink Floyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky".

Later, after a likewise superb "Mother of Pearl" (with both guitarists deliciously trading licks under Ferry's world-weary party animal croon), the show more or less devolves into a slick, predictable parade of greatest hits: "Dance Away", "Jealous Guy", "Love is the Drug" and so forth, all played with spirit but hardly straying from the studio originals by as much as a single note.

And that's a problem. There's a certain lack of spontaneity to the project, with nothing to upset the delicate clockwork timing of the newly re-tuned Roxy Machine. Heck, even Eno's little VCS3 synthesizer squirts at the fade-out of "Re-Make/Re-Model" are reproduced (pre-recorded?) verbatim, some thirty years after adorning the band's self- titled 1972 debut.

Couldn't they have taken a few more liberties with such well-worn, already familiar material? In my dusty vinyl library is a bootleg from the 1975 "Siren" tour, and during the thumbnail solo spots at the end of "Re/Make" you can hear micro-samples of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" (Manzanera), Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" (Mackay), "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" (Ferry, who covered the golden oldie on his second solo album), and something from Jobson sounding like a pastiche of "Three Blind Mice".

I guess the new band was too hard at work to risk having a little fun, unlike in the old days, when the vulgar overkill of Antony Price's outrageous wardrobe designs were all the rage. On the other hand, song for song these new versions all sound better than the originals, if only because the live production is so sharp and the performances so well-rehearsed. If not for the applause you might never even guess it was a concert recording.

In its entirety the twin CD is a much stronger valedictory than the somewhat mechanical 1990 live set "Heart Still Beating". The encore alone is almost worth the near-two decade wait for another tour: a suitably ghostly reading of the "For Your Pleasure" title track, maybe the high water mark of early Roxy Music weirdness. As the hypnotic coda slowly fades into the ether (with, take note, the audience edited out altogether), we're left with what may be the perfect farewell to Brian Ferry and company...until the next tour, of course, or better yet (cross your fingers) a new reunion, this time in the recording studio.

This is the ultimate Roxy Live album. When I reviewed Viva! I mentioned that most of their giant numbers were not represented. It was slightly corrected, in a way, with "Heart Still Beating" in 1990.

What the fan gets here, is what he has expected from Roxy during the last twenty-five years or so. Like the cover mentions : "The Best Of Roxy Music - Live In Concert". As it was a reunion tour, Roxy had no album to support, so they offered a kaleidoscope of their fabulous repertoire.

The original line-up (except Eno unfortunately) was re-united for the occasion. As a guest, Chris Spedding was playing rythm guitar. It is quite remarkable that after having the bass player from The Vibrators (Gary Tibbs featured on Manifesto and Flesh+Blood) they enrolled another member of this association (you know the one reponsible for pogo dancing : one goes up, must come down!) with Chris Spedding.

Roxy had the brilliant idea to include very old numbers in this tour. What a nice gift to its old fan database (to which I belong). I saw this tour and it was quite a pleasant concert I must say.

Even their great debut album is featured with three of its most interesting songs (but all of them were great, IMO) : "Re-Make-Re-Model", "Ladytron" and "Virginia Plain" featured on the CD remastered version. Four songs from "For Your Pleasure" : the title track, "Do the Strand", "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" and "Editions of You" which is totally devastating here (almost punkish). The best three songs from their third album sit here as well : "Street Life", "A Song For Europe" and an extraordinary version of "Mother Of Pearl".

My only regret is that their last two albums from their early days (the one I like the most, by far honestly) are under-represented. Only "Out Of The Blue", (wonderfully played) from "Country Life". I would have liked to hear "Casanova" and "Prairie Rose" but these tracks were only played live during the "Country Life" supporting tour).

From "Siren" we get "Both Ends Burning" for the third time in a row on a live album. This version is far much better than the one available on "Heart Still Beating". The second and last number from "Siren" is of course "Love Is The Drug" which has been played in each Roxy tour since 1975. "Whirlwind" and "Sentimental Fool" would have been great as well.

From their second era, I really miss "Manifesto" (but it was featured on "Concerto") and "Same Old Scene". The remaining numbers are not really my cup of tea in terms of studio albums (you can read my review to get details, but each one was rated with two stars) so getting them live do not really change my mind about them.

If, like me, you are a Roxy maniac, you'll create your own "Best Of - Roxy Live" compilaton from their four live offical albums. If you are a casual fan, I highly recommend this one. Four stars.

Oh yes! 5 perfectly earned stars to the pioneers of it all. The always- way ahead of their contemporaries and average audiences band: the great Roxy Music redefined and perfected "Live" at last!

Any follower of this band knows Roxy live albums suck! Why? At last we know. Opposite to their always painstaking studio labor, when on tour they rarely rehearsed (Manzanera himself speaking). Why? Who cares I have never been a great fan of live albums.

So what is so fascinating about this work? Well Roxy is on top shape taking very seriously these gigs to be their last. So we have to go back to Roxy 1: Hell broke loose like never before in the underworld rock scene.

These guys were out of the radar (shamelessly they still are). It was not Rock nor Pop (Strand?), with spices of the worlds to come (Hi! Mr. Bowie, you kind sound like...?). They were Roxy Music as such; they made no compromises. (that will explain their lack of commercial success). Why? Because they saw themselves as artists more in a "another planet kind of way" but artists at last. So in "Roxy Planet" everything goes according to their own laws of existence. As I have reviewed; this band set the style of a 100 bands with each "For Your Pleasure" track. Sadly ten years before its time.

So planet Earth was just realizing there was this kind of Art-Rock and that it will sell (if properly marketed) like fresh bread.

Meanwhile these guys were just creating one of the most underrated and genuine bands of them all; and still got their way of not selling out; until they understood the "values" of this planet, and when so; they already had evolved into a perfectly 3 tight-piece unit that moved freely and mostly to Bryan Ferrys´s own quest for perfection and visions.

So this is not a "romantic" review for long-past heroes.This is the band that made the impossible possible and this is actual proof that they are still setting their own laws and rules with extreme accuracy and musical perfection.

Great trip through their musical history and historic because of the circumstances.

*****5 well deserved PA stars!

One of the fundamental aspects of the live shows is to choose properly the list of songs, including the order. Actually, I believe that with skill Ferry and suitable companions made that selection. Throughout the concert, the group will generate a special atmosphere with its classic and others not so much.

The band sounds homogeneous and pure, with good chemistry. It has not lost any of its recognized energy. Ferry's voice and charisma still intact, obviously with more maturity. The sound quality is more than noticeable.

When announcing a meeting of this kind of group for a tour, we bow eyebrows. Looking at the result, I do not have anything but praise. One of the legendary bands that fortunately gave us music of the late previous decade, adding to its already extensive and excellent discography, the best legacy live on stage There is no song or section on or missing. And I find no compelling reason to not qualify this offer as great.

Review Nº 838

"Live" is a double live album of Roxy Music. From what I know, it was the fourth and last official live album of Roxy Music, until now, and was released in 2003. It isn't a classic live album recorded from only one live show and released to promote a new studio album from the band. It contains live performances from all their studio albums taken from a great variety of locals on their 2001 reunion live world tour, and represents the entire set list from those live concerts.

The line up on the album was formed by their original line up Bryan Ferry (vocals and piano), Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy MacKay (oboe and saxophone) and Paul Thompson (drums). Unfortunately, the keyboardist Brian Eno was an exception and didn't appear on the album, and the original bassist Graham Simpson too, but we mustn't forget that Roxy Music never had a permanent bass player. Beyond the original members, some guest musicians appeared on the album. Chris Speeding (guitar), Colin Good (piano), Zev Katz (bass), Julia Thornton (keyboards and percussion), Lucy Wilkins (violin and keyboards) and Sarah Brown, Yanick Etienne, Michelle Brown and Sharon White (backing vocals).

"Live" has twenty-two tracks. "Re-Make/Re-Model", "Ladytron" and "If There Is Something" were originally released on "Roxy Music". They were recorded at Detroit Pine Knob in 29, July, Milan Forum in 24 September and Birmingham N.E.C. in 17 June, respectively. "Virginia Plain" was originally released as a single. It wasn't initially released on their album "Roxy Music". Later, it was a track added to that album. It was recorded at Stuttgart Schleyerhalle in 22 September. "In Every Dream Home A Heartache", "Editions Of You", "Do The Strand" and "For Your Pleasure" were originally released on "For Your Pleasure". They were recorded at Antwerp Sportspaleis in 14 September, Perth Ent. Centre in 19 August, Vancouver G.M.P. in 3 August and Adelaide Ent. Centre in 17 August, respectively. "Street Life", "A Song For Europe" and "Mother Of Pearl" were originally released on "Stranded". They were recorded at Hamburg Sporthalle in 19 September, Perth Ent. Centre in 19 August, and Vienna Gasometer in 26 September, respectively. "Out Of Blue" was originally released on "Country Life". It was recorded at Manchester E.N. Arena in 28 September. "Both Ends Burning" and "Love Is The Drug" were originally released on "Siren". They were recorded at Milan Forum in 24 September and Perth Ent. Centre in 19 August, respectively. "Dance Away" was originally released on "Manifesto". It was recorded at Adelaide Ent. Centre in 17 August. "My Only Love" and "Oh Yeah!" were originally released on "Flesh + Blood". They were recorded at Stuttgart Schleyerhalle 22 September and Detroit Pine Knob in 29 July, respectively. "While My Heart Is Still Beating", "Tara", "More Than This" and "Avalon" were originally released on "Avalon". They were recorded at Glasgow S.E.C.C. in 29 September, Toronto Air Canada Centre in 16 July, Tokyo Int. Forum in 7 September and London Apollo in 2 October, respectively. "Jealous Guy" is a John Lennon's song. It was released on Lennon's album "Imagine". It was never released on any studio album of Roxy Music. It was released on their live EP "The High Road". It was recorded at Birmingham N.E.C. in 17 June.

With this document of their reunion in 2001, Roxy Music presents one of their best live albums. In terms of prog their second best after "Viva! Roxy Music". After almost twenty years of abstinence, Roxy Music was fully on the retro track. The selection of songs is more than satisfactory and, compared to the 1982 tour, places a clear emphasis on the 70's. But a few hits from the 80's shouldn't be missed either. The double CD is, like "Heart Still Beating", not the recording of a single concert, but a live compilation that was created at various locations around the world. It contains the full program of the world tour and follows the London concert in the order of the songs as seen on the "Live At The Apollo" DVD. In addition, there are only the two songs "More Than This" and "If There Is Something", which is the plus point of the CD edition. The band is in top form having a lot of fun. The focus is the band's stars Ferry, Mackay and Manzanera.

Conclusion: "Live" is a great live album. In a way, we even can say that is better than "Viva! Roxy Music". Since it was a reunion tour and the band had no album to support, they offered a great choice of their fabulous repertoire. "Live" has everything we can expect of a live album. It has a perfect alignment, an impeccable repertoire choice with different versions from the original songs and in the case of "A Song For Europe", "My Only Love", "Both Ends Burning" and "Tara", they're practically new songs. So, it's perfectly representative of the band's career and of all their studio albums and finally has a magnificent musical live performance and a great sound. "Live" shows that Roxy Music was a great band and that they're also great when performing live. "Live" is a living proof that even thirty years later, their heart is still beating. To conclude, I only want say one more thing. When I was young I had the privilege and the honour to be on a live performance of them, I think on "Avalon" live tour. And I can assure you they were great when performing live.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)