FLESH + BLOOD

I was quite disappointed by "Manifesto" and I wondered : what's next ? Well... Softer, croony songs like the opener "Midnight Hour" and the next one "Oh Yeah" display good melodies, a bit sloppy though. Mackay almost absent. It will peak at the fifth spot in the charts. Where are the great Roxy's openers ?

Then comes the fabulous (IMO) "Same Old Scene" : strong bass, nice vocals and great keys. It is my preferred song of the album (and one of their whole tracklist). One might consider as too much disco but here comes Mackay : just superb ! A great Roxy song. It will be released as a single and rech the 12th spot in the charts.

The title track starts like "Manifesto" and it is a pity that they didn't develop it a bit more the intro. The guitar riff is not very good, and the melody is average. A rather average track. We go back into Roxy's tradition with "My Only Love" : an inspired Ferry, good guitar from Phil and a great bass support (maybe a bit overwhelming here, as well as on the whole album I must say). The choir at the end is a bit "heavy".

The intro for "Over You" sounds a bit like "Kimberly" from Patti Smith. Poppy and commercial (this one, not "Kimberly" which is a track with more dimension). It will peak at the fifth spot as well in the charts.

The next two tracks are the weakiest of the album : "Eight Miles High" a cover from The Byrds is dicotheque oriented and repetitive for the former, slow and dull for the latter.

"Strange Delight" is another story. The strange Roxy atmosphere of the early days is back again : a bit decadent, a bit pop, a bit "sexy". The other highlight of the album (but we were used to more than a few highlights on Roxy's albums, right) ? The album closes with "Running Wild" which is a good mellow ballad in which Ferry exells. This track will never be played live.

When I am listening to this album for this review, I understand how difficult it is to review an effort more than twenty-five years after its release, even if I got hold of it at by then. Since, the time machine is not efficient, but I guess one will need to live with this feeling for ever. At least, I was lucky (but that means I am old now!) to be there and live those wonderful moment of rock music (even if "Flesh + Blood is definitely not a masterpiece). I am sure that I appreciated more the album when I purchased it than now.

This album will peak at the first spot of the UK charts (it will remain in the charts for sixty weeks). So, same rating than for "Manifesto" : two stars.