FOR YOUR PLEASURE

This was Roxy Music making a bold statement with FYP. It is a mixed bag of an album that received wide acclaim from various sectors of the music industry. Most notably Brian Ferry's eccentric bursts together with Brian Eno's contributions. Overall a pretty average album in my opinion. I can understand why RM have been included on this site because Art Rock does fit the bill. In that case so should Brian Ferry's and Brian Eno's solo albums. Where do you end? Even Phil Manzanera should have a section for his solo's. Does he? I have not checked yet. Standout tracks are ' Do The strand' the title track closer and ' Beauty Queen'. If you are a Roxy Music fan you will have this in your collection already.

Roxy Music took a darker turn on their second album; if their debut painted the image of a lounge singer lost in Limbo, For You Pleasure. crosses the river into Hell. That's the afterlife in the classical interpretation: unfulfilled desires, isolated souls crushed by the weight of emptiness between them, and sinners relegated to an eternity of cruel irony. At least that's the impression that songs like "In Every Dream Home A Heartache," "The Bogus Man" and "For Your Pleasure" give. It's true that a good half of the album is simply an improvement on the revolutionary romance of their first album, but it's not enough to shake the nightmarish pull created by the weightier epics. When compilation time comes round, labels are apt to cut the sweetest slices from this black mass ("Do The Strand," "Editions of You") and let listeners discover the dark secret of For Your Pleasure. at their leisure. Not that there weren't some uncomfortable moments on Stranded as well, but the band obviously had second thoughts about making music this chilling and artistic after Brian Eno left; you just won't find another nine-minute song in their later catalog. What you will find are frenetic, delightfully demented pop songs like "Editions of You" and sophisticated country/rock love songs such as "Grey Lagoons." Serving two masters (love and art) makes for an uneasy musical alliance on For Your Pleasure., but it's a riveting tug of war to watch. The carefully measured contributions of Andy Mackay and Phil Manzanera in particular are stunning to behold. From the moment that Ferry intones "There's a new sensation." to the space odyssey that ends the album, this is some of the greatest music that Roxy has committed to vinyl.

3,5 stars really!!!

After a quirky and strange (but very commercial) debut, the Newcastle-based Roxy was expected to follow-up on the success of their first album. The least we can say is that they achieved that goal with flying colours as For Your Pleasure shot up to number 4 in the charts WITHOUT any singles (there would be in 78 a Do The Strand/Editions Of You single and the non-album single Pyjarama up on the charts) and this shows how talented and inventive these guys were. Having given the boot to bassist Simpson, he was replaced by Kenton, who did not last long, and then by Porter a session man who is just content on being apt for the job.

From familiar Do The Strand (hardly their best on this album, but the most-known anyway) to the bizarre Dream Home, to the lenghty (9 min+), repetitive masterpieces such as The Bogus Man (with its offbeat rhythm and weird sax lines but also a superb Mellotron) and the almost 7 min title track (with Eno really showing us what he can do with loops, we have an incredible KB dominated (even if guitarist Manzarena is also shining - check out the superb Strictly Confidential and its screaming guitar solo or the fuzzy tones from Editions Of You - but against Ferry on piano and Brian Eno on synths) pop-rock that the progheads instantly loves or hate, so typical of Roxy Music. Believe me or not, I am from the second category, but on the first three album, I must recognize that there are some superb tracks on those.

The unfortunate fact is that the remastered version of the album does not contain the non-album single of Pyjarama/Pride And Pain, which came out at the time and would've made this much more invaluable.

Of course after this album, RM will suffer an incredible loss in the leaving of Eno (actually Ferry booted him out as there could not be a second focal point live according to him), although the man was never really involved in the songwriting, he was THE sound of Roxy, even if they would be able to sustain/keep that sound, something was lost. Clearly IMHO, Roxy would never be the same (actually, they will go gradually but steadily downhill under the drive of Ferry to become a sort of crooner with his good looks) and this album is easily their tops.

"THERE'S A NEW SENSATION, A FABULOUS CREATION, A DANCEABLE SOLUTION, TO TEENAGE REVOLUTION"

With those lyrics as opening the album, one will ask : Can Roxy produce another fabulous album a year after their first one ? Could it be as creative and original ? Let's see ...

"Do the Strand" opens the fire quite brilliantly. Their hit single (in the US, continental Europe and Japan, since it was not released as such in the UK) a la "Virginia Plain" is a great rock song : very good piano and sax, vigourous drumming. The Strand is whatever turns you on : tango, fandango, the Sphinx, Mona Lisa. Even Lolita and Guernica did the Strand. Extraordinary song.

"Beauty Queen" allows Ferry to use his crooner type of vocals to make this track a memorable one. Although it starts like a nice and gentle melody, it gets harder and quite rocky further on.

"Strictly Confidential" is rather weird track. Strange atmosphere (but we'll get more of this type on the album). The intro and the background music could have been a Crimson song. In turns into a magnificent cacophony hard to describe and one feels like a kind of bewitchment growing on. Exceptionally bizarre but I like it. It's probably Roxy's darkest track.

With "Editions Of You", we get another great Roxy moment : quite rhytmy song with again a great work from Mackay on sax and Manzarena on guitar. It's the second highlight of this album. A Roxy anthem. It is so wild a song that it has been considered as the first punk song ever written (believe or not). The duo Eno / Mackay is absolutely fabulous.

"In Every Dream Home A Heartache" has again a rather horrific and sinister atmosphere (Peter Hammill could have written this one). It starts with Ferry reciting his text as a psalm, the second part of the song being more "human" (Are We Not Men?).

Then we get "The Bogus Man" : a quite elaborate track with some true prog and complex moments. The ambiance of the track is very special : repetitive, bizarre, decadent and hypnotic. It sounds surrealistic (maybe due to the synth work from Eno). It is way toooooooo long (over 9 minutes) and a bit boring at the end.

"Grey Lagoons" is another wonderful song in which Ferry can express his lyricism once again. The tempo gets crazier after a while and, again, Mackay has a dominent role here. It is rocking like crazy (Roxy?). Bass play is very good during the "solo" of weird sounds in the middle section (just before Phil's one. The solo I mean, not the weird sounds).

The title track closes the album and it is of the same vein than "The Bogus Man" : repetitive, a bit too long and dull.

This is probably the less accessible Roxy album. Not recommended to start with. It will reach number four in the UK charts.

So, to give an answer to the initial questions, I have to say yes and no. Yes because there are fabulous songs in here but some others are rather complex / experimental. The combination is rather hard to digest at first. But the more you listen to it, the more you like it. So, be patient, it is not a matter of love at first sight here. You need to reach the maturity of an old couple to love it. I am mature enough to do so now. Four stars.

Ferry 'cross the misery

Roxy Music returned less than a year after their debut album with "For your pleasure". The cover picture of a seductive lady told us that the band continued to hold their artistic side to be as important as the music. From a musical perspective, things turned slightly more mainstream after the eclectic diversity of "Roxy Music", with Ferry's vocals increasingly becoming the dominant focal point.

We open with "Do the strand", a song with hit single written all over it. Bizarrely though, it was not released as such in the UK, preference being given to the non-album song "Pyjamarama". It has though become one of the band's best known and best love songs. "Editions of you" is similar in sound and potential, the strong beat and blistering sax solo pointing again towards the pop market.

"Beauty queen" and "Strictly confidential" are more in keeping with the style of the first album, but even here there is little room for instrumental development, Ferry keeping the ship tight.

"In every home a heartache" is the least penetrable of the tracks on side one, Ferry simply delivering each lyric in the same monotone with only sparse backing. The lyrics are depressive, describing urban loneliness with such lines as

" Inflatable doll, Lover ungrateful, I blew up your body, But you blew my mind"

The song benefits from some dynamic guitar work by Phil Manzanera towards the end and the track has a double ending, popular at the time, the second phase being just that, phased!

Side two is made up of just three songs, the longest of which at over 9 minutes, opens the side. "The bogus man" has an incessant rock-ability type beat. It is though the most adventurous of the tracks on the album, with some excellent mellotron backing improvised sax and decidedly non Ferry like vocals. The lyrics are disturbing both in content and delivery, conveying a you can run but you can't get away menace. The track drifts dangerously close to Krautrock as the insatiable rhythm pumps on and on. Great stuff though.

"Grey lagoons" reverts to a more orthodox rock style with straightforward lead guitar and aggressive sax. It is a decent piece of pop rock, but little more. The title track, which closes the set, is another sparse, rather dark song, which sees Brian Eno applying his colours to a Roxy music song, prior to impending departure.

"For your pleasure" is an album of great contrasts. On the one hand, we have three of the most upbeat and rock orientated songs the band have recorded. On the other we have some overtly depressive and disturbing dirges. From a prog perspective, the album sits on the periphery of the genre perhaps best defined as a sort of pop prog.

The missing link between two apparently incompatible styles such as prog and glam rock, "For Your Pleasure" is an album of light and shade, just like its supremely decadent cover. RM have always been famous for their stylish, glamorous cover art, depicting beautiful women in various states of undress, but never once descending into bad taste. However, FYP is distinctly different, and a stark contrast from the naive Fifties sweetheart gracing the cover of their debut: on a dark city background, a sleek, black panther is held on a leash by an equally sleek, leather-clad, panther-like woman with exotic features. The model in question, called Amanda Lear, became a celebrity in Italy in the late Seventies, when she was rumoured to have had had a sex change, due to her deep, very sexy voice. How much more decadent can you get?

Back to music-related matters, Roxy Music's second album offers a nice balance of lighter-hearted, poppier songs in the vein of their debut, and more complex, less immediately digestible tracks, stamped all over by Brian Eno's commanding presence. The keyboard wizard left the band immediately afterwards, and the band's music took a definite turn towards a sophisticated brand of pop-rock that made good use of Bryan Ferry's crooner-on-acid vocal style. Love it or hate it, Ferry's voice - though quite different from what you would expect from a prog singer - was very influential in the Eighties, as it should be quite clear to anyone who has ever listened to Japan's David Sylvian. However, on FYP Newcastle-born Bryan sounds definitely less seductive and more disturbing than on the band's later records . He sounds cocky on quirky, upbeat album opener, "Do the Strand"; vaguely hysterical on the frantic Editions of You (featuring a stunning sax solo at the end); and his typical smooth-operator self on the slow-burning "Beauty Queen" and "Grey Lagoons". His finest hour, though, is his performance on one of the album's highlights, the ultimately weird "In Every Dream Home a Heartache". The song, a stark, sinister depiction of urban loneliness and frustration, builds up slowly and relentlessly, and shows a different side to Ferry's suave, charming persona, as well as his full potential as a singer.

While the hypnotic, sax-drenched "The Bogus Man" does go on a tad too long to these ears, the hauntingly minimalistic, Eno-dominated title-track is definitely another of the album's gems. With its dark, brooding atmosphere, it is undoubtedly one of the most progressive compositions in RM's whole output. All the band's members shine throughout the record, reminding the listener that, behind their slightly silly, glammed-up image (which, incidentally, doesn't look that different from what Peter Gabriel was doing in the same period), they are all first-rate musicians. Though Phil Manzanera is one of the great, unsung guitar heroes of the rock world, and Andy Mackay is far too often neglected when sax players are mentioned, their contribution to to the band's overall sound is as important as Eno's left-field keyboard landscapes.

No less progressive than anything the 'real' prog bands were doing at the time, "For Your Pleasure" is a superb album from a band whose real musical worth is far too often forgotten. An excellent addition indeed.

"For Your Pleasure" is the 2nd full-length studio album by UK rock act Roxy Music. The album was released through Island Records in March 1973 (Warner Bros. Records in the United States). It´s the successor to the eponymously titled debut album from June 1972. The "Pyjamarama/The Pride and the Pain" single (featuring two non-album tracks) was released in February 1973 in advance of "For Your Pleasure", but the album initially didn´t spawn any singles. Opening track "Do the Strand" was subsequently released as a single in the US and in Europe in July 1973. "For Your Pleasure" still ended up a commercially successful release, reaching No. 4 on the UK charts.

Stylistically the material is sophisticated pop/rock drawing influences from many musical genres and incorporating many musical elements. Roxy Music were not afraid to experiment and although some of the materal is relatively maintream oriented and accessible, you´ll also find experimental/avant-garde ideas like the closing minutes to "The Bogus Man" and the title track. The former also features a rather obvious krautrock influence with its insisting beat and sonic experiments throughout (Can was probably a great influence here). Compared to the atmospere of the debut album, many tracks on "For Your Pleasure" feature a darker more gloomy mood. Tracks like "Strictly Confidential", "In Every Dream Home a Heartache", "The Bogus Man" and the title track are for example quite sombre (and some like "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" and "The Bogus Man" feature some quite twisted lyrics too). Roxy Music haven´t completely forgotten the uptempo energetic atmosphere of the debut album though, and tracks like "Do the Strand" and "Editions of You" are both uplifting uptempo rock´n´roll/glam rock songs.

"For Your Pleasure" an an exceptionally well sounding album, featuring a sound production which is powerful, organic, and detailed, suiting the material perfectly. Upon conclusion "For Your Pleasure" is a high quality release by Roxy Music and a great sophomore studio album showing progress and an (at this point) unwavering will to experiment. "For Your Pleasure" is arguably Roxy Music´s most adventurous and challenging release. The highly eclectic nature of the material makes it an engaging and varied listen throughout. The album takes you through flows and ebbs and light and darkness and as a listener you´ll have to be open minded and be willing to embrace whatever the band throws at you. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

After the euphoria of the debut I dove right into ROXY MUSIC's second album "For Your Pleasure". This record seems to have more focus and is a little more streamlined when compared to the debut, maybe a little more polished, not as raw. It seems like the majority of people like this one more though. I still feel the debut has this unbridled energy and excitement about it that I like much more. I liked what tszirmay told me the other day about the debut. "No one dressed, sang or played like that 3 years after Woodstock". Brilliant.

"Do The Strand" is led by vocals, piano, sax and drums. It gets pretty intense before 2 minutes.Then it settles until here we go again ! "Beauty Queen" is more relaxing with the focus on Ferry's vocals. "Strictly Confidential" features piano, aboe, light drums and those passionate vocals. Guitar comes in around 2 1/2 minutes as the suspense builds for a minute then releases. "Editions Of You" is an uptempo track with keyboards, bass, drums and vocals leading the way. Sax after a minute. The second half of this album is where I start to become really impressed.

"In Every Dream House A Heartache" sounds so serious with reserved vocals until you realize he's singing about a blow-up doll. Haha. Although I do like very much this quote from Joe at "Ground & Sky". "It might be enough to simply call "In Every Dream Home A Heartache" one of the greatest black comedy rock songs of all time, but I think that would be a bit of a cop out. The song has more to it than that, with Ferry conveying picket fences image of idyllic living as a cover for profound emotional isolation and empty gratification".That's exactly what the lyrics are about. I must say the lyrics throughout this whole album are top notch. "The Bogus Man" is almost 9 1/2 minutes of pure Prog. It has this steady beat throughout as different sounds come and go. A simplified description of perhaps the best track on here. Great tune ! "Grey Lagoons" is where Manzanera comes to the fore until the sax replaces his guitar. Lots of piano here too.The guitar is back before 3 minutes. "For Your Pleasure" ends the album in style. Vocals, drums and piano lead early but then it settles and becomes a little experimental. I like it !

I'm just not turned onto this one like I was the debut but that may change as I continue to listen.

For Your Pleasure is another really good studio album from Roxy Music. There's little music from the early 70's that combined such an arty/experimental attitude with so much poppy catchyness. No wonder they got such a far reaching respect during the 80's.

The album is a bit uneven unfortunately. While it has some of my Roxy favourites with Bogus Man, In Every Dreamhome and For Your Pleasures, some of the tracks are rather bland. Beauty Queen is too much of a croon song for me, and also the rockabilly of Grey Lagoons is rather tiresome. Everything else is just excellent.

Roxy Music isn't a band I listen to regularly but they're sure one of the best popular groups from the 70's. 3.5 stars for the 33 minutes of magic.

I'm probably not alone when I say that it was Brian Eno's genius that made the early Roxy Music albums great. I personally never liked the later more mainstream releases because, while listening to them, I always get the feeling that Ferry's voice is very underused and far from the promising potential that can be heard on the first two Roxy Music albums.

Having said that I might as well proclaim my love for For Your Pleasure! The album is a definite step forward from the debut release, which wasn't shabby at all, but here Eno takes his experiments to a brand new level while managing to challenge Ferry to go to even greater level of creativity.

The Bogus Man is a great example of just that and that's also why I consider it to be my favorite Roxy Music composition. Overall I always considered this album to be a very dark release in comparison to the rest of the band's discography although while listening to some of the individual tracks that doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe it has to do with the album cover? On second thought In Every Dream Home A Heartache is menacing enough to make this album dark!

After Brian Eno's departure the band still managed to do some creative work on their own but it never came to the intensity that is experienced here. Just like the debut album For Your Pleasure is a must have for fans of art rock and an excellent addition to any rock music collection.

***** star songs: Do The Strand (4:04) The Bogus Man (9:20)

**** star songs: Beauty Queen (4:41) Strictly Confidential (3:48) Editions Of You (3:51) In Every Dream Home A Heartache (5:29) Grey Lagoons (4:13) For Your Pleasure (6:51)

After the revolutionary debut album Roxy Music faced the hardship of putting out a follow up that could prove they were no fluke. Believe it or not, it came less than an year after that LP. And For Your Pleasure showed they were truly special, even if the sound here is less accessible than their first. From the striking cover to the last notes of the title track, this is a quite dark and experimental work. But it is also their most interesting and progressive to date.

Bryan Ferry´s style of singing has matured a lot and he already using his famous crooning delivery that was so imitated on the following decade. The overall production is better and the songwriting more focused. Some of Roxy´s best known classics are here like very arty and ironic Do The Strand and the disturbing tale of urban loneliness In Every Dream Home A Heartache. Eno´s influence is all over the album and it is certainly his finest hour within his brief stay in the band (he left soon after this album was out).

Sometimes the experiments went a bit too far, or too long, like on the otherwise very interesting. 9 minute minimalistic tune The Bogus Man (interesting dissonant sax lines) and the title track. On songs like Editions Of You the balance is much better achieved and pre-dates punk rock (just hear Eno´s absolute crazed synth solo!). The remaining stuff (Beauty Queen, Strickly Confidential and Grey Lagoons) are leaning more towards the traditional side, but only the latter is what you can call a ´straight´ rock song (and even then with a sort of twisted country feel and synthesized harmonica solo).

As a whole I found For Your Pleasure to be a powerful and bold album, almost as good as their first, but in different ways. It is only a shame that Eno wasn´t around longer, it certainly would have been quite interesting to see what the band would do next with him on board. But I guess two genius in one group was just too much to last. Still they delivered two masterpieces. Not bad for a totally unknown act less than two years before and which had only played a handful of gigs before they recorded their debut!

Rating: 4,5 stars.

From a very great distance, a minuscule dot of light appears within the sepia-black universe, slowly, very deliberately expanding in size and scope, until the brightness becomes overpowering. Having succumbed to the Roxy style and musical genius as espoused on their debut album, at a time when in 1972 "no one dressed, sang or played like that 3 years after Woodstock", I was eagerly awaiting for the sophomore release with fearful disappointment (a very common 70s-80s failure rate in quality as greedy record companies pushed the hunger for cash). In tremblingly moist hands, I ripped, then raped the slimy transparent dust-cover plastic off the deliciously sultry cover art, opening up to the image of a glamorous, blue-laden decadence, complete with innuendoes of dislocated values, hints of fad-driven bisexuality (Hey Amanda Lear!) and a rebellious disdain for artistic conformity. My review must take into account that I have listened to this album to death, knowing the material inside out and having autopsied its body parts too! The material inside has been well documented as a descent into darker terrains , yet many do not realize that on tracks like the "Bogus Man", the band pursued the new electronic-prog of Tangerine Dream and infused it with Weather Report-like groove hypnosis ("Boogie Woogie Waltz") and created a new genre that would arise much later (dance electronica) . Ferry and company even foresaw the punk phenomenon, as "Editions of You" is the first punk song, five years before that genre landed soggily on the fad-fed scene! This is where one realizes that they are pioneers that would be oft adulated and even copied by many latter day bands. "Do the Strand" kicks off this masterpiece of music in an immaculate frenzy, blasting copious amounts of musical genius and stellar playing by all concerned, giving the Ferry crooner the platform to wail away with unabashed passion. Taking the various dances ("do the fandango!") and molding them into a pop-prog jewel requires incredible creative insight, playing with words that fit perfectly and rapturously. No band has ever mastered the intro and finale like Roxy Music (even in latter albums), this one halts on a majestic nod! Boom! The velvet curtain closes ! "Beauty Queen" is my all-time favorite Roxy tune, where Ferry's exalted lyrics (a magnificently underrated wordsmith, he is) burrow very deep into my romantic soul. Here is a sample of what I mean:

"Valerie please believe It never could work out The time to make plans Has passed, faded away Oooh the way you look Makes my starry eyes shiver Then I look away Too much for one day One thing we share Is an ideal of beauty Treasure so rare That even devils might care Your swimming-pool eyes In sea breezes they flutter The coconut tears Heavy-lidded they shed Swaying palms at your feet You're the pride of your street While you worship the sun Summer lover of fun Gold number with neighbours Who said that you'll go far Maybe someday be a star A fast mover like you And your dreams will all come true All of my hope, and my inspiration I drew from you Our life's pattern's drawn in sand But the winds could not erase The memory of your face Deep in the night Plying very strange cargo Our soul-ships pass by Solo trips to the stars - in the sky Gliding so far That the eye cannot follow Where do they go We'll never know"

I don't know about you but this is exceptional imagery when combined with Ferry's masterful delivery, proving what many knew already, a star was born! To think Bryan auditioned for King Crimson as Greg Lake's replacement just before Lizard! So did allegedly Elton John, by the way! Strange because Epitath remains my selected funeral hymn. I digress! "Strictly Confidential" is an oft overlooked gem that has a highly personal slant that eschews the usual pop-rock pap. A despairing Ferry falsetto glistens within a dirge-like osmosis of odd sounds and moods , "over the hills and down the valley", diving deep into the melancholic abyss, Mackay's oboe sobbing and Manzanera's axe dripping angrily, suave backing vocals salting the imagination. Magical moment indeed, halting on a dime! The blitzy-ritzy classic "Editions of You" remains a punky rock song for the record books, where "boys will be boys, will be boyoyoyz" cannot sound corny , a sexy sax blast gets the pot boiling , an Eno zipper on synth and another Manzanera guitar sortie that is pure shimmer and glaze! Needless to say the incredible Paul Thompson drums like a maniac one step away from percussive heaven. Another unexpected ending for the ages. What more can be said about "In Every Dream Home a Heartache", a synthesized innuendo- laden poem about modern decadence and the pursuit of material bliss ("Penthouse perfection",) where the genial lyrics hypnotize and beguile , some of the finest oddball words ever penned within a rock context (you can see Ferry smile as he sings "I dress you up daily") , the "Enossified" Manzanera leads are another innovation that RM engendered, years before the guitar-synth concretely unified the two instruments and the MIDI technology that came even later, proving the pioneering spirit growling behind the insanity! As I stated earlier, "The Bogus Man" represents an experimental milestone monument in rock history, another bewildering hypnosis of electronic scramblings from Brian, where bizarre noodlings and dissonant slashes of sound are well ensconced within another startling vocal performance from Bryan. A true testament to the visionary abilities of the band, creating music that stands the test of time (check out the growing "tchik-ahs" in the background) and spearheading future styles and trends. This is as proggy as RM will ever get, so lap it up, pretty poster girls and feathery boys! "Grey Lagoons" is not often mentioned (or played live) but is one of my favourite hidden gems, a reminder that the crooner Ferry learnt something from listening to his Elvis records. "Silver starfish" collide with Manzanera's at first rollicking guitar and that magical Mackay rasp, a sax solo that will stretch the boundaries until Ferry joins in with a whopping harmonica solo that would make Bob Dylan blush, finalized by another sizzling axe thunderbolt that proves Manzanera's 6 string prowess, once and for all. The title track is a return to the dreamy, Eno mist-infused, Thompson drum-infested, Ferry electric piano-led lament that again highlights the imperial lyrics and a dizzying vocal performance (the broken-voiced "You watch me walk away"). The band still uses this track to exit the players from the live stage, leaving only Mr. Thompson rifling away on his kit, within synthesized swirls of seagulled screams and squawks. I know full well that I am totally partial in my review of this personal icon but, not owning this jewel and the debut shames your collection into eternal nothingness. If you don't believe me, ask Raff!

I dedicate this review to Nicole Perret, my very first love with whom I reconnected with via the Internet after 38 years of silence , yesterday. Miracles do happen!

5 chauffeured limousines.

Darker, goofier, richer and better than the debut, that's what this is. Well, better must be qualified; few things on here reach the level of the first half of Roxy Music, but except for some of the excess of "The Bogus Man" (an atmospheric, fairly hypnotic jam that would probably be best at six minutes but is stretching things a bit at nine) and a few other bits here and there, this doesn't have any of the lows of that album either. Plus, it actually kinda works as a moodpiece, which can hardly be said about the first album.

Besides, this is the album that has my absolute favorite Roxy Music song in the world, "Editions of You," the one that first really grabbed me. Granted, this is partially because of my fond memories of hearing this the first time, listening to it in a car with Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio and Mike Pap Rocki during a dark driving rainstorm and watching Mike D put on the greatest "air-knob-twiddling" performance ever during Eno's synth noisefest in the middle. But even beyond that, this thing rocks like nobody's business; along with Eno's own "King's Lead Hat," this is the greatest example I can imagine of futuristic sci-fi 50's piano boogie, with wailing knob-twiddling and guitar and sax madness over a relentlessly pounding beat prefaced with an awesome electric piano line. And Ferry? "And as I was drifting past the Lorelei, I heard the slinky sirens wail, *WHOOO*" "Learn from your mistakes is my only advice, and stay cool is still the main rule. Don't play yourself for a fool; too much cheesecake too soon; old money's better than new; no mention in the latest Tribune; and don't let this happen to you." MAN.

I'm also thoroughly in love with the opening "Do the Strand," which features an awesome creepy nagging piano line and Ferry growling out some lyrics about the new dance, the "strrrrrrrraaaand." This song is also notable for, except for "EofU," being the only start-to- finish uptempo song in a sea of dark atmospheric numbers. "Beauty Queen" is a nice eerie number that would actually bore me were it not for Ferry's terrific delivery and the echoey processed-guitar sound that pop up in the background from time to time, "Strictly Confidential" is more dark atmosphere saved by Ferry, "Grey Lagoons" is dancey but not that enjoyable, and the closing title track is just strange. It's this fascinatingly bizarre mix of Ferry vocals coming and going and weird chanting voices far in the back and weird synth noises and piano notes bouncing around and holy cow is it interesting.

That leaves us with "In Every Dream Home a Heartache." It's amazing to me, really, that Ferry and Eno are able to make this thing sound so dreary and stately and dark, and make it seem at first that I'm about to take in something very deep, what with the serious "atmosphere," and then *keep* this atmosphere going even as Ferry keeps rambling and you start to realize with horror just where he's going with this. Man, any band that can make a song about *this* (and if you don't know what it is, I'm going to make you look it up) so majestic right up to the moment where the music stops and Ferry goes "...but you blew my mind" is alright by me. And dig the "majestic" guitar soloing in the coda!

Man, this album is great. It might seem like I brushed over a good chunk of the album a little too casually, and thus perhaps don't care for it, but that's not really true; it's just that I kinda see those songs as "tablesetters" for the main reasons to buy this. And believe me, you should buy this if you have any interest in Roxy and/or Eno (who would leave right after this album).

The second and final Roxy Music album to feature Brian Eno is just as groundbreaking as the first. What prog lover could fail to be interested in an album which combines Krautrock with glam rock, as this one does on The Bogus Man? Who could fail to tap their feet to electrifying songs like Do the Strand or Editions of You? Who doesn't get shivers crawling up and down their spine when listening to In Every Dream Home a Heartache? The album is an exceptionally creative and innovative product from a band which was, quite simply, too good to be true - as witnessed by the fact that Brian Eno left after the record was released.

Who'd have thunk that you could cross-pollenate prog, pop, and overall pompousness into one cohesive unit? Roxy Music is this type of band and the one that could pull off this effort quite effectively. Leader Brian Ferry must have had visions of art-pop success dancing in his head, and you could argue that it's the prevailing style here; it's Manzanera, Thompson and MacKay that balance the art out with loud rocking when needed.

When the group puts you in a swaying, soft mood like that on ''Strictly Confidential'' and ''Grey Lagoons'', it works quite effectively. But the band also proves they can rebound into dancier territories which explain long-lasting catchiness of ''Do the Strand'' and ''Editions of You''. This concoction of pompous artsy-fartsy, pop sensibilities, hard-rocking backbone rhythms and the occasional outside indulgences (Krautrock on ''The Bogus Man''; Eno really makes his stamp here) sounds fresh and enjoyable even today. The mystique at the end of each side is haunting and mesmerizing with the title track evoking the feel if ''Crime of the Century'' just faded out into obscurity.

If ''Beauty Queen'' was left on the cutting room floor, I think FOR YOUR PLEASURE is a bona fide masterpiece.

Roxy Music's second album tones down the abrasiveness that permeated their debut, and tightened up their sound a bit, making this a bridge between that first album, and the smoother glam band that they became.

Songs like Do The Strand and Editions Of You have that proto-punk feel that Eno ran with on his first album, Here Come The Warm Jets. There are some other good moments, such as the inelegant humor of In Every Dream Home A Heartache and the eerieness of The Bogus Man.

But what limits the album is that at this point in his career, Bryan Ferry was an awful singer. He alternates between singing off key and over emoting in a style like a failed cabaret singer. But despite his voice, the rest of the band makes this an intriguing piece of art rock.

"Experimental Art/Rock", is the perfect "tagging"; for first time guests. A 1972-1973, Experimental Art Rock project... Roxy Music was "designed" as an experimental "Art-Rock" band (yes; that was the tag back then); conformed by musicians who dressed as visitors from Venus and made "strange" up-beat/off-tempo Rock music; with all kinds of instruments around the threaded stories of the singer/composer (Bryan Ferry, mastermind and vocalist), who seems like in pain and anguish most of the time. (in fact, that is how I will have described ROXY 1) with great penned/impro-like songs that move around the musical atmospheres these stories suggest. This environments are personal and intimate ( not "universal"; let's not fool ourselves, some songs are even RIO), so one has to have the disposition to accept such an invitation. On "FOR YOUR PLEASURE" I found a singer who had lowered down his scream-like voice approach, and now without stopping to sing; changed his whole style for better and for long. (still does; still great!). Bryan Ferry; out in the open "Planet Roxy" dictator, master-planner, master-songwriter and best of all "Visionary" Master. So as any Avant-Garde, Experimental "art" band, they wanted to set their own standards of language and therefore composition and concept, musical of course. (the fashion-statement came alongside), as any self proclaimed artist in any field. This is Roxy at its best, as it gets, with former; soon to be "exiled" member, *Brian Eno. (the other album is "Roxy Music "1"- *an unavoidable reference). You could build a different music-band with each song of this record (the same as in Roxy "4"). As it sounds. So different one song of the other; so rich and unique each one and yes!, irreverent, if needed and deep, without "out of the line", pretentions. So, there is game, wits, musical-language (the original kind, my favorite), but also there is "Elvis" of the bizarro planet, feathers, superflous glam and glitter, all tipped by a great sense of humour.... I mean, a "love" song for an inflatable doll and pull it off, to become one of my favorite (and followers) Roxy songs: "In Every Dreamhome a Heartache", which turns immediately into an "african chant, lullaby-like" song "Bogus Man"; which is also a favorite, as the next and on and on. ...If not for its "symbolism", I would have skipped "Do the Strand" (the first song) and rate it 4.5 stars in the R.M. personal discography. But, for this PA's "crossover" category, an easy and deserving *****5 star rating. Excellent masterpiece from a way ahead of its time, progressive/art/ rock-band ...... "For your own pleasure"......Don't miss!

After the sensational debut, Roxy Music return with a more thoughtful and better produced album.

"Do The Strand" (vote 8.5) is the opener: another rave-up after the spectacular "Re-Make Re-Model" of the first album. This time, however, the rhythm is more pounding (thanks to the drums and the piano), the track is more dragged by the rhythm. It doesn't reach the class level of the previous one but it's very close to it. Mackay's left makes sublime numbers.

Repeating the formula of the first album, after the rave-up comes the high-class ballad ("Beauty Queen, vote 7,5) with refined instrumental pieces. Ferry imposes a new (high) standard on singers who want to try their hand at this art-rock. With respect to the first album, we begin to notice a greater conventionality in the rhythm of the songs and in the sound.

Again the sequence of the debut: after the relaxed ballad, comes the song full of melancholy and existential anguish sung divinely by Ferry. But this third song ("Strictly Confidential, vote 8) much shorter than its correspondent ("If There Is Something") doesn't reach the apexes of that of the debut, despite touching a considerable pathos thanks to Ferry and Mackay.

Fourth song of side A, with a very sustained rhythm, "Editions of You" (vote 7,5), in some ways recalls "Virginia Plain" but with more length and less variations. The piece proceeds alternating the solos of Manzanera (strident), Mackay (almost blues) and Eno at the synth (almost psychedelic). It could close the first side in crescendo, but it's followed by a languid and experimental piece: "In Every Dream Home A Heartache" (vote 7,5/8). Here end the similarities with the debut. The track represent a rhythmic pause and Ferry's voice, which is neurasthenic, sings over a carpet of keyboards for about three minutes, when the drums enters and finally the arrangement becomes experimental and paroxysmal, with Manzanera to weave oblique atmospheric sounds . The song fades in my opinion too early, then return with an instrumental tail. It would have been better, in my opinion, to avoid this detachment and to continue the paroxysmal progression.

With side B comes the longest and most discussed piece of the LP: "The Bogus Man" (nine and a half minutes, vote 8,5). It's a song with an exceptional rhythmic propulsion (great work by Paul Thompson and John Porter), almost tribal, which continues undeterred for almost 10 minutes. On the side of this rhythm there are dissonances with the saxophone, the guitar, and the devilries of Eno that, in truth, remained in the shadows in this second Lp of Roxy Music. The song is grotesque, almost Kafkaesque, it traces a threatening but demented atmosphere. In the middle the singing ceases, and only the rhythm and the dissonances remain, which continue without ever changing, without a solo, so in a very repetitive and alienating way until the end. Someone could bore such a great lack of variation, and in fact the song is ultimately repetitive and tends to reach a hypnotic and surreal atmosphere with a minimalist arrangement: it recall the theater of the absurd. I like it very much, it doesn't tire me, and it seems very courageous to me. The Bogus Man is also the great novelty of this LP, which so far had gone on repeating piece by piece the sequence of the debut album.

"Grey Lagoons" (vote 7+) is a piano ballad with a wonderful sax solo followed by Ferry's harmonica and Manzanera's guitar. A simple piece, from the compositional point of view, which is based on the performances of the musicians.

"For Your Pleasure" (almost seven minutes, vote 8) begins as an atmospheric ballad (along the lines of "Sea Breezes"), but soon the rhythm and the singing stop in front of an electronic carpet, marked by a nervous rhythm, where a great work by Eno and Manzanera creates a mysterious, repetitive atmosphere , which continues to the bitter end, as in "The Bogus Man", without a solo, without a variation, exasperating more and more the obsessiveness of the sounds. Only at the end the obsessive rhythm subsides to give way to a fading ending. Not a great masterpiece, but a brave experimental song.

However, it's not easy to repeat an innovative masterpiece like the debut album, but with this record Roxy Music consolidates the qualities of the debut, and don't limit themselves to reproduce the same music: on the second side they find a new, subtle, hypnotic identity, maintaining overall an excellent sound quality, inspiration and creativity. This second record is therefore only very little inferior to the previous one, and so it's a small masterpiece.

Medium quality of the songs: 7,875. Vote album: 9. Rating: Five Stars.

After getting backing from King Crimson at the time, Brian Ferry was lucky to get his band 'Roxy' (later changed to 'Roxy Music' since there was already an American band with the name 'Roxy'). He hardly even had a band together when he got signed with EG records, but King Crimson was so impressed with his vocals after a try out when they were trying to find a replacement for Greg Lake (but they felt his voice wasn't right for the KC material, and they were probably right), that they helped him get signed by the record company. Also, luckily, Ferry was friends with Brian Eno as they both shared a love of experimental music, and even though Eno could only mostly manipulate synthesizers, he still became a regular member along with some other members, but, right off the bat, there were problems with retaining a guitarist and bass player. The orginal guitarist Roger Bunn was replaced by David O'List and then soon after that, Phil Manzanera before the debut album was even released. Fortunately, Manzanera, of course, would remain with the band afterwards along with both Ferry and Andy Mackay, saxophonist. Ferry would also have even a harder time retaining a bassist, but at least Graham Simpson, the original bassist appeared on the 1st album. But, by 1973, when the 2nd album 'For Your Pleasure' came out, many bassists came and went. Still, it is quite amazing that the sophomore album would end up sounding as tight and amazing as it does, like the band had been together for many years. The album reflects none of this unsurety, but sounds very confident and has become a favorite among both critics and fans alike.

The interesting experimental yet danceable music sounds so smooth and original, even after all of these years. Ferry had already established his strangely, suave persona, almost sounding like a cocky, Bowie-esque sound even this early on. 'For Your Pleasure' only cements the unique and recognizable sound that was established in the debut, self-titled album, still progressive and still quite easy to enjoy. The music is interesting and oddly accessible in its own right, but that experimental edge makes it even more attractive. 'Do the Strand' touts a new style of free-style dance comparing it's style to other dance styles through history in a melody that is at-once quite catchy. 'Beauty Queen' emphasizes Ferry's tremolo in his voice that somehow should be annoying, yet it nevertheless leaves you wanting more of it. 'Editions of You' is another favorite that stays with the listener with its memorable melody, the strange 'In Every Dream Home a Heartache' which is a song about a blow-up doll, the long dance beat track 'The Bogus Man' is about a stalker, but the lyrics are forgotten with the long instrumental section that emphasizes the talents of Manzanera and Mackay. 'Grey Lagoons' features a fast, almost boogie style style and the blazing sax of Mackay and Ferry trying out his style on a harmonica before Manzanera takes over with a rocking solo of his own. The title track is probably the oddest track of all and features the stylistic influence of Eno more than any of the other tracks on the album.

This album is a perfect example of what art-pop, glam-rock and progressive rock should be. Even though most of the rhythms are fairly straight-forward for the most part, there is still so much ingenuity going on around it all that no one can deny this is glam-rock progressiveness at its best. While it is true that the earlier Ferry vocals might take some getting used to, I think it is safe to say that they tend to grow on most listeners of Roxy Music quite well. Personally, I could never think of the band having any other vocalist without having to change their name. Ferry has ended up being one of my favorite vocalists, and he definitely has a vocal style unlike anyone else I can think of. This album is also one of my favorite Roxy Music albums, and I can easily give it 5 stars for its ingenuity and long-lasting appeal.

Review Nº 650

Founded by art students in the early of 70's, the band around Bryan Ferry initially made prog rock music before making radio hits in the 80's. Other important founding members were Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay. The music performed by Roxy Music is characterized by the use of nostalgic, contemporary and futuristic themes, which was one of the hallmarks of the band. Roxy Music is also known by the combination of the experimentation, innovation and refinement, by the lyricism in their lyrics, by instrumental virtuosos themes and a great and lush visual production.

"For Your Pleasure" is the second studio album of Roxy Music that was released in 1973. The beautiful art cover of the album features Amanda Lear, a singer and model who first came to the public attention as the model of the cover of this album and who would later dated David Bowie. All songs were written by Bryan Ferry. The line up of this album is Bryan Ferry (vocals, piano, Hohner Pianet, Mellotron and harmonica), Brian Eno (backing vocals and VCS3 synthesizer), Andy MacKay (oboe, saxophone and Farfisa electronic organ), Phil Manzanera (electric guitar), John Porter (bass guitar) and Paul Thompson (drums). There's a slight difference between the line up of this album and the line up of their previous debut album, because Graham Simpson left the group and was replaced by John Porter. "For Your Pleasure" is also their last musical work to feature the specialist synthesizer sound of Brian Eno. Brian Eno left the group after this album due to discussions with Bryan Ferry about divergences over the band's musical direction and also because Bryan Ferry's dominance of the band. Eno, who would later on gain high acclaim as a solo artist and musical producer.

"For Your Pleasure" has eighth tracks. The first track "Do The Strand" is a perfect way to open the album brilliantly. It's a song with a fantastic vocal work by Bryan Ferry that sings curious lyrics and it has also great guitar, keyboards and saxophone performances, very well accompanied by some strong and vigorous drums. It's an excellent song plenty of energy. The second track "Beauty Queen" is a song more experimental than the previous. It's a nice and cool melodic song but it has also a harder rock part. This is a song where the highlight goes to Bryan Ferry's vocals and Brian Eno's synthesizers. This is a great glam rock song. The third track "Strictly Confidential" is a dark and melancholic song very calm and slow. It's a song with Bryan Ferry emotional vocals, and musically, it has a nice oboe played by Andy MacKay, a stunning guitar solo by Phil Manzanera, and the drumming work by Paul Thompson is amazing too. The fourth track "Editions Of You" is, without any doubt, one of highest moments on this album. This is the best rock moment of the album. This is a song with a very high rhythm full of energy and very wild. The absolutely fantastic musical moments by the saxophone of Andy Mackay, the guitar of Phil Manzanera and the synthesizer of Brian Eno, are completely amazing. This is one of the fantastic songs of the group. The fifth track "In Every Dream Home A Heartache" is, once again, another dark and melancholic song. We may say that this song is divided into two different parts. In the first part the Bryan Ferry's voice dominates and the musical instruments glide in a kind of a limbo and in the second part the music explodes with good individual performances by all musicians, especially by Phil Manzanera. The sixth track "The Bogus Man" is one of the most original, experimental, adventurous and artistic songs on the album. The lyrics are dark and disturbing and the music seems to be very insane, but I like particularly of the excellent sound of the Mellotron played by Bryan Ferry. This is a great song. The seventh track "Grey Lagoons" is a much more traditional Roxy Music's song. This is a rock song very well balanced with great individual performances where we can hear a great guitar sound, an aggressive saxophone and also the beautiful sound of the harmonica of Bryan Ferry. The eighth and last track, the title track "For Your Pleasure", is the magnum opus of this album. This is a very weird and dark song with strange sound effects which leaves you surprised and confused with the end of this album. We can clearly see the Brian Eno's hand in this song and we may say that this is his farewell to the group. This is a fantastic track, one of my favourites from them.

Conclusion: "Roxy Music" and "For Your Pleasure" are the two Roxy Music's less accessible albums but they are also at the same time the best and the most experimental and avant-garde of their career. Both albums represent the most interesting phase of the band for progheads. Although I have rated both albums with 5 stars, "For Your Pleasure" is, in my humble opinion, better because is more balanced, mature and adult than their debut. Ferry took the reins a little more here than on the debut. So, Eno's influence diminished. There's no doubt this was the album which put the art into rock. With this album we can say that on the air, there's a new sensation and a fabulous creation in the music. So, sit on your couch, relax and listen this album because its music was made only for you pleasure. We can question what would have been Roxy Music if Eno stayed in the band. But, I really think there was no place for Ferry and Eno here.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)