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 drummers (especially Allan Schwartzberg also playing percussion on nearly all tracks, and then also assisted by drummer Andy Newmark and percussionist 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 had followed Manifesto; however, the album became the band's second to top the albums chart list in the UK, which it replicated in New Zealand, and despite some reluctance expressed by the music press, Manifesto became the band's commercially so far best-selling album world-wide. Also, the album produced no less than five single releases starting with "Over You" (May 9, 1980) and followed by "Oh Yeah" (Jul. 25, 1980) - both reaching number #5 on the singles chart. The release of the title track as a single only manifested in Italy. Then followed "Same Old Scene" (Oct. 1980) and ended with "In the Midnight Hour" (?), which was only released for the North American market and in Portugal. Some critics found that the band had come to a stand-still, unable to make any real progress, and I think I understand what caused some of the criticism, only I don't agree on the full perspective. Flesh + Blood isn't far from the style of Manifesto but the real point is that the band has destilled its sound. No, they no longer play art rock or real glam rock and upholds a position at the forefront of modern rock music - instead the band has taken a deliberate turn and now play with a fusion of styles focusing on melody, sophisticated pop / rock that builds on r&b, pop soul, and bits of disco, although, this is lesser accentuated on this, but the main point is: no one else showcases this melodic blend. But I guess the 'real' problem is that the album came out when punk rock and new wave was on everyone'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 ]
