THE HIGH ROAD

Roxy Music was a British progressive rock band that was formed in London by art students in 1971. I think that many of you can agree with me when I say that Roxy Music's sense of style, by turns effete, subversive, sexy and confounding, was only exceeded by their brilliance as one of the 70's most avant-garde and finest art rock bands. I think only Queen and David Bowie can be compared with them, in their very own way. Roxy Music featured some great and inventive instrumentalists in Andy Mackay and Phil Manzanera, and two genuine musical visionaries in Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno, whose tumultuous and brief collaboration between Ferry and Eno had an enormous influence in Roxy Music's music, mainly in the beginning of their career. In the course of the band's history, many other musicians like Paul Thompson, Eddie Jobson, John Wetton and Paul Carrack also joined the band at times. Roxy Music was able to achieve a great commercial success all over the world during their entire career, especially between the years of 1972 to 1982.

During their career, Roxy Music released eight studio albums plus several live albums, DVD's, compilations, EP's and singles. In relation to their studio albums, we can divide their career into three phases. The first phase comprises the two first studio albums of the band, their eponymous debut in 1972 and "For Your Pleasure" in 1973. This was clearly the best, most progressive, avant-garde and creative phase of Roxy Music, the phase with the presence of Eno. Both are two great works, the best things made by the band, at least in terms of prog. After Eno have left the band, Roxy Music released three more studio albums, "Stranded" also in 1973, "Country Life" in 1974 and "Siren" in 1975. These albums belong to their second phase. These are also three great works, the works that are more linked with the art rock style. Then, Roxy Music had a hiatus between 1976 and 1978. Their third and last phase comprises three more albums, "Manifesto" in 1976, "Flesh + Blood" in 1980 and "Avalon" in 1982. The first two are more linked with the pop and disco, so in fashion at the time. "Avalon" can be considered something like a cross between this third and their second phase.

So, it's now time to talk about this EP, an EP that belongs to the third musical phase of Roxy Music. "The High Road" is a live EP that was released in 1983. This live EP is composed by four live recorded tracks that were taken from a recorded live show, filmed on their "Avalon" live tour at the Apollo in Glasgow, Scotland on 30th August 1982. It must not be confounded with the live DVD with the same name taken from a recorded live show, filmed on their "Avalon" live tour in Frejus, France on 27th August in the same year. The DVD has fourteen tracks, "The Main Thing", "Out Of The Blue", "Both Ends Burning", "A Song For Europe", "Can't Let Go", "While My Heart Is Still Beating", "Avalon", "My Only Love", "Dance Away", "Love Is The Drug", "Like A Hurricane", "Editions Of You", "Do The Strand" and "Jealous Guy". As I said, this EP has only four tracks, "Can't Let Go", "My Only Love", "Like A Hurricane" and "Jealous Guy".

So, about the four tracks, "Can't Let Go" isn't a Roxy Music's track but a Bryan Ferry's track that was originally released on his solo studio album "The Bride Stripped Bare" in 1978. This is a fine love song boasting sympathetic and contrasting string arrangements and pointing the way to the more conventional music. This is an effective composition that is wonderfully arranged. "My Only Love" is a Roxy Music's track that was released on their studio album "Flesh + Blood" in 1980. This is, in my humble opinion, a type of song that pushed Roxy Music into some lush soundscapes. It's a song with a very simple and catchy melody and wistful lyrics and also with nice guitar and saxophone sounds. It has nothing to do with progressive rock music, but it's a great pop song, one of the great pop songs on "Flesh + Blood". Despite it, I really like this song. "Like A Hurricane" isn't a Roxy Music's track but a Neil Young's track that was originally released on his solo studio album "American Stars 'n Bars" in 1974. It has all the attributes of a classic Neil Young's epic track. This is one of the Young's most gripping songs of the time. The tale is so vivid and is carried brilliantly by the emotion in the music. "Jealous Guy" isn't a Roxy Music's track too, but a John Lennon's track that was originally released on his solo studio album "Imagine" in 1971. This is simply a straight up gorgeous song. The melody is spectacular, the piano is sublime, with a pretty riff, and the strings are compelling, stirring and sweet without being syrupy. It also boasts a brilliantly tortured, pathetic vocal and an eloquent string arrangement. I always loved this song.

Conclusion: Besides all I wrote before and as a complement, I must say that "The High Road" EP is a very nice EP. It's true that it has nothing to do with the progressive rock music, even for the progressive rock standards of the band. We all know that Roxy Music never was one of the most progressive rock bands. But here, this is even more evident. The only track from the band belongs to their most pop phase without anything prog. The track from Ferry's solo career has nothing to do with prog too. As we know, as a solo artist, Ferry isn't a prog musician. In relation to the other two tracks that don't belong to the band too, are from non-prog musicians despite the quality of them. Both are great songs, my favourites here. As a conclusion and despite this isn't progressive music I like this EP very much. So, I give to it 3 stars.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)