Avalon by Roxy Music - A Beautiful Soundscape

Introduction - Me And Roxy Music

I was into Roxy Music from when their first single was released, “Virginia Plain” which apparently referred to a painting that Bryan Ferry had done or seen with a woman smoking in an open land panorama, so “Virginia Plain” could have referred to the location, the cigarette or the woman. That was followed by their eponymous stylish first album blending rock and roll, electronics, and styles that made them unique. I saw Ferry as the songwriter and Eno as the soundscaper with help from Manzanera and McKay.

The band developed and made some stunning albums eventually stalling on “Siren”, but the first come back of “Manifesto” showed some sparks of the original band, but they also started doing covers, including a truly awful “Jealous Guy” when John Lennon was shot and while “Flesh and Blood” gives some indication of what was to come on “Avalon” in songs like “Over You” I think it is the only Roxy Music album that includes cover versions, but I may be wrong on that.

“Avalon” has an almost unique overall sound, every song feels like it is covered in some metaphysical sound sheet, I know that sounds incredibly pretentious and like I know what I am talking about but we will follow it through song by song and hopefully I can tempt you to dip in and share it with me.

The front cover is almost mystical, a warrior (actually Bryan Ferry’s wife to be Lucy Helmore) holding a bird of prey overlooking clouds reflected in the water and looking towards the islands and a far shore. I have a CD and the back looks like an ancient, faded (and therefore unreadable) book of songs with a mystical disc.

This album only featured Ferry, Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay with session musicians.

This is the description from the Roxy Music site here and says it far more eloquently than I can.

“Named after King Arthur’s final resting place of legend – described by Bryan Ferry as “the ultimate romantic fantasy” – there’s a kind of poetic justice to the fact that the last Roxy Music studio album became their most successful to date.

Summing up its myriad charms in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, critic Mark Coleman wrote of ‘Avalon’; “this austere, beautiful set of songs represents a mature peak” and, swathed in Ferry’s shimmering keyboards and punctuated by Phil Manzanera’s sparing, chiming guitar work and Andy Mackay’s poetic bursts of sax, ‘Avalon’ conjures an enigmatic ambience all of its own.

Conceptualised to work as a whole piece as opposed to a collection of songs, ‘Avalon’s individual pieces nevertheless stand up, no more so than on its elegiac title track, the dreamlike ‘While My Heart Is Still Beating’ and ‘More Than This, which has arguably come to be the band’s most popular song of all.

Ultimately ‘Avalon’ is equal parts album and fantastic reverie”.

All songs written by Ferry except where indicated.

More Than This

The album opener which sets the tone and sound for the whole album.

The Space Between

The opener flows into this, and the overall feeling is maintained

Avalon

The title track is in an unusual place but a beautiful piece and by now you have been captured by the wonderful album.

India

The first instrumental (there are two, this and the closer “Tara”). They are both sub-two-minute pieces but let the album continue its wonderful flow.

While My Heart Is Still Beating

Co-written with Andy Mackay this closes the first side of the vinyl album in melancholic fashion recalling “Song For Europe” on the “Stranded” album.

The Main Thing

Continues the album maintaining the feel and sound although the percussive opening is a wonderful continuation of the soundscape.

Take A Chance With Me

Co-written with Phil Manzanera and lots of reverb/echo on the introduction and a somewhat threatening mood takes us towards the actual song after about ninety seconds.

To Turn You On

Poetic lyrics shine in this wonderful tone piece.

True To Life

As you go through “Avalon” you feel as though you are on some kind of beautiful sound ride as you near the final piece.

Tara

Co-written with Andy Mackay this short instrumental closes “Avalon”