release date: May 23, 1980
format: vinyl / cd (2015 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: Roxy Music & Rhett Davies
label: Polydor / EG / Universal Music - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "In the Midnight Hour" - 2. "Oh Yeah" (5 / 5) - 3. "Same Old Scene" - 5. "My Only Love" - 6. "Over You" (5 / 5) - 9. "No Strange Delight"
7th studio album by Roxy Music following one year after Manifesto (Mar. 1979) is the band's second out of three albums in total following the reunion in '78. Shortly before recording the album drummer Paul Thompson broke his thumb and was unable to play until the band was ready to go on a live tour promoting the album, which means the album was made with session musicians (especially Allan Schwartzberg handling drums and percussion on all tracks, but also with Andy Newmark and Simon Phillips). The band is therefore reduced to a trio (on the album) of Bryan Ferry, Andy Mackay, and Phil Manzenera.
The album was met by some of the same lukewarm reviews that followed the '79 album; however, the album became the band's second to top the albums chart list in the UK, which it replicated in New Zealand, and commercially it became the band's so far best-selling album world-wide. Also, the album produced no less than five single releases with both "Oh Yeah" and "Over You" reaching number #5 on the singles chart. Some critics found that the band had come to a stand-still, unable to make any real progress, and I think I understand the point, only I don't agree on the perspective. Flesh + Blood isn't far from the style on Manifesto but the real point is that the band has destilled its sound. No, it's no longer art rock or real glam rock - it has become a fusion of styles, which focuses on melody, sophisticated pop / rock building on r&b, pop soul, and bits of disco, although, this is lesser found on this, but the main point is: no one else plays this melodic blend. But I guess the 'real' problem is that the album came out when punk rock and new wave was on every's lips, and this simply ignores all of that.
"Oh Yeah" and "Over You" are two of the band's most iconic songs and to have both on the same album is simply a pure delight.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 2 / 5, Rolling stone 2,5 / 5, Smash Hits 6,5 / 10, Pitchfork 6,6 / 10 stars ]
