Ten Alternative Roxy Music Songs For Your Pleasure

Introduction

A recent Top Story on the most popular Roxy Music songs caused a discussion about the songs that were missed. I and the fans agreed that “Mother of Pearl” is the greatest Roxy Music song.

However this is a list of ten more songs that didn’t appear on the favourites list for whatever reason, maybe they have been forgotten or never even heard.

So here favorites are in no particular order but I have numbered them just to keep count.

1: “Casanova” from “Country Life”

This is brooding and threatening an absolutely superb song and Ferry recreated it and improved it on his “Let’s Stick Together” album. Listening to this song I realise that in a top twenty so much is missing from thelist, but this is what the fans have chosen,

2: “The Bogus Man” from “For Your Pleasure”

Brian Eno said this was the direction he wanted for Roxy Music, but Roxy Music was Bryan Ferry’s band. Still, this sees Roxy going into the rhythmic universe pioneered by Can and is relentless but is one of Roxy Music’s greatest musical statements. The brass is almost Brechtian. This opens side two of the “For Your Pleasure album”

3: ”Grey Lagoons (The Bogus Man Part Two)” from “For Your Pleasure”

As “The Bogus Man” fades to a breathless oblivion we are on the beach of the “Grey Lagoons”, a beautiful grand slice of sound that takes off into one of Andy Mackay’s finest saxophone solos. I know I am including the whole of side two of “For Your Pleasure”, song after song, but it is my favorite Roxy Music album ,and side two, in my opinion, is flawless.

4: ”For Your Pleasure” from “For Your Pleasure”

The closing song on the album, again a brooding six-minute slab of sound eventually disappearing in a flood of Brian Eno’s electronics.

5: “Sultanesque” B-Side of “Love Is The Drug”

This five minutes of pure drone I thought must have been Brian Eno returning to the fold, but no it is a Bryan Ferry composition. Middle Eastern in feel and used to annoy so many people when I put it on a pub jukebox, In my opinion, an eye-opening musical piece and a precursor to the soundscapes we get to hear on “Avalon”. Although I have not included anything from the “Avalon” album below is my full evaluation of it.

6: “Prairie Rose” from “Country Life”

Just a sweeping great rock song eulogizing a Texas dream. More than adequately covered by Then Jericho this is a great and fitting closer to the album.

7: “Over You” from “Flesh and Blood

I was not too happy when Roxy Music included covers on their albums, especially when they were producing absolute beauties like this an absolutely gorgeous love song.

8: “Manifesto” from “Manifesto”

The title track of their first comeback album, it was also re-recorded and released as the B-Side of the single version of “Over You”. A statement from Ferry but most critics didn't take it seriously but still a great song.

9: “Trash” from “Manifesto”

The first single from the album was almost post-punk in style and was backed with “Trash 2” a toned-down but still enjoyable version of the song.

10: “Amazona” from “Stranded”

Co-written by Phil Manzanera and Bryan Ferry featuring a Bo Diddleyish beat and apparently a 14/4 middle section but again a song definitely worth five minutes of your time.

Conclusion

This has turned out to be an alternate Roxy Music compilation and one that you will never see unless you make it yourself. There are many more I could have included, but this is just to let you know there is a lot more to Roxy Music than just what you hear on mainstream radio.