From: owner-avalon-digest@smoe.org (avalon-digest) To: avalon-digest@smoe.org Subject: avalon-digest V3 #176 Reply-To: avalon@smoe.org Sender: owner-avalon-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-avalon-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk avalon-digest Saturday, July 18 1998 Volume 03 : Number 176 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [none] [Stephen Scott ] Re: [AVALON] Okay so it's YOUR opinion [ASchulberg@aol.com] [AVALON] Christgau's Reviews- Siren [ASchulberg@aol.com] [AVALON] Re: Peaks [Brian Folks ] [AVALON] "If There Is Something" on VIVA! [ASchulberg@aol.com] [AVALON] Re: avalon-digest V3 #175 ["Vicente Dobroruka" ] RE: [AVALON] "If There Is Something" on VIVA! [John Kent Subject: [none] I'm with Eno. Stranded was the peak of the mountain. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 08:03:42 EDT From: ASchulberg@aol.com Subject: Re: [AVALON] Okay so it's YOUR opinion In a message dated 98-07-17 01:28:20 EDT, Heather Marie wrote: << only because of "If There is Something," which was the only song they ever needed to record, in my opinion. No, let me restate that - the transition between the hokey beginning and that "Shake your head girl with your ponytail" line was all they ever needed to record to be perfect, in my opinion. >> Confirmation of the excellence of this song and the transition is heard to best effect, IMHO, on VIVA! Arnie ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 08:03:20 EDT From: ASchulberg@aol.com Subject: [AVALON] Christgau's Reviews- Siren Good album-- a lot of fast ones and a great hook. Of course, Roxy Music albums always have great hooks but "Street Life" and "Virginia Plain" never told us as much about Roxy's less accessible music as "Love Is the Drug," an equation which represents not liberation from artificial stimulants but the breakdown of both sexual and emotional abandon into "just another high". Very appropriate to situate the song in a singles bar, for that 70's reality is the exemplary environment for Bryan Ferry's romantic pessimism. Much of what his music has to say about such environments is fascinating, even peversely attractive-- but ultimately a little off-putting, which I guess is the point. A- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 06:19:28 -0700 From: Brian Folks Subject: [AVALON] Re: Peaks Stephen Scott wrote: > I'm with Eno. Stranded was the peak of the mountain. IMHO, there were two peaks, one each of the Roxy incarnations. The peak for the Roxy I was Stranded and for Roxy II was Avalon. I haven't figured out the peak for post-Roxy Ferry. And the Ferry work during the Roxy years never had any standouts. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 13:57:51 EDT From: ASchulberg@aol.com Subject: [AVALON] "If There Is Something" on VIVA! My recommendation of the performance of ITIS on VIVA! caused me to dig out the cd and I'm listening to it right now. It starts out light, a little "country"-ish, with Eddie sounding very much like a fiddle player and Phil playing twangy even in his first solo. After Phil's first solo the tune starts to bear a stronger resemblance to its original performance. Now Bryan and the boys are in earnest, they're done fooling around with the song, starting to sound more "Roxy," in my opinion. Then the song quiets down for Phil's second solo which is a masterpiece. Wish I had it on video to watch his work. Very stirring and soulful. Followed by the tension of Eddie's violin interlude with the crowd and the music hushed. The band crashes back in, everyone blazing. Now quiet again as Andy slowly, mournfully, solos as Eddie tastefully accompanies. Now the dramatic highpoint. Just Paul Thompson (the song's MVP?) nailing the drums solidly and Bryan (or is it Eddie?) on piano with the starkest chords as Bryan, so emotionally, sings backed by Andy and Phil (maybe John Wetton??). Now goosebump time as the band re-enters backed by mellotron (it sounds like to me) so that it sounds like an orchestra or chorus supporting Bryan's wrenching vocals. For all those who think of Roxy as a decadent or effete art-rock band, this performance surely belies those perceptions. Arnie ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 14:56:13 -0700 From: "Vicente Dobroruka" Subject: [AVALON] Re: avalon-digest V3 #175 Fellow Avalonians, Yes it is very nice that on this list one may express itself as freely as he wishes - specially when it is quite common to get impolite private messages on other sites or lists. Anyway, I think Heather expressed better than I could what I meant when I said RM was "nicer" without Eno - it became less experimental, maybe even less brillant, but more romantic. Anyway, Jas, just for us to see how diverging tastes can be: Andy Mackay said recently that the album he disliked most was "Siren" - one of my favourites and seems to be also of yours. Again I may seem weird, but my favourites are still "Siren", "Flesh and Blood" and "Avalon". As to waht they could have done if BF had not fired Eno, it's only speculation... Best wishes for everyone, Vicente ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 15:04:26 -0400 (EDT) From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Dav=ECd?= Subject: [AVALON] Parallel Roxys At 02:56 PM 7/17/98 -0700, Vicente wrote: (snip) > ...As to waht they could have done if BF had not fired Eno, it's only speculation... But the 'Brian Eno Mix' of 'The 39 Steps' certainly gives us some idea! Cheers, David DavdMock@America.Net CPL593H! -Bryan Ferry, 1972 _______________________________ |Have a look at my web site... | |Shakatak | |Swing Out Sister | |80's UK pop | | (Peter Godwin, Fashion, | | Modern Romance, Belouis Some,| | Strange Advance,Mari Wilson) | |Atlanta Bands | | (Rose Whipperr & Marc Stowe, | | The Brains, Face Of Concern, | | Design, Liking The Idea) | |Lounge Music | |Hamlet & | |Raymond Chandler pages | |An Atlanta Argosy | |Lotsa cool stuff! | - ------------------------------- http://www.america.net/~davdmock/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 21:29:17 +0100 From: John Kent Subject: RE: [AVALON] "If There Is Something" on VIVA! Having seen this performed live with Eddie Jobson on Violin in 1974 I have to agree. I seem to recall smoke coming from the strings of a transparent electric violin. Eno was good on the first 2 albums but I think Eddies work on the keyboards and violin was superb. Eddie must be one of the most underrated musicians around. John K > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-avalon@smoe.org [mailto:owner-avalon@smoe.org]On Behalf Of > ASchulberg@aol.com > Sent: 17 July 1998 18:58 > To: avalon@smoe.org > Subject: [AVALON] "If There Is Something" on VIVA! > > > My recommendation of the performance of ITIS on VIVA! caused me > to dig out the > cd and I'm listening to it right now. > > It starts out light, a little "country"-ish, with Eddie sounding very much > like a fiddle player and Phil playing twangy even in his first solo. > > After Phil's first solo the tune starts to bear a stronger > resemblance to its > original performance. Now Bryan and the boys are in earnest, they're done > fooling around with the song, starting to sound more "Roxy," in > my opinion. > > Then the song quiets down for Phil's second solo which is a > masterpiece. Wish > I had it on video to watch his work. Very stirring and soulful. > Followed by > the tension of Eddie's violin interlude with the crowd and the > music hushed. > > The band crashes back in, everyone blazing. Now quiet again as > Andy slowly, > mournfully, solos as Eddie tastefully accompanies. > > Now the dramatic highpoint. Just Paul Thompson (the song's MVP?) > nailing the > drums solidly and Bryan (or is it Eddie?) on piano with the > starkest chords as > Bryan, so emotionally, sings backed by Andy and Phil (maybe John > Wetton??). > Now goosebump time as the band re-enters backed by mellotron (it > sounds like > to me) so that it sounds like an orchestra or chorus supporting Bryan's > wrenching vocals. > > For all those who think of Roxy as a decadent or effete art-rock > band, this > performance surely belies those perceptions. > > Arnie > > > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 18:29:06 PDT From: "David Nickel" Subject: [AVALON] ...As to what they could have done if BF had not fired Eno I also prefer the post-Eno Roxy era and BF's late solo work, although I feel something has been missed throughout this discussion. Eno has been involved with creating some of my all time favorite music from artists like Bowie, U2, Talking Heads, James, Daniel Lanois, Icehouse etc, etc, etc. Had he stuck with Roxy, he would probably never have had the chance to develop into the god-like artist/producer that he is known as today. Surely part of the reason he is so revered today is because he continued to expand his musical arsenal by learning something new from all these incredible experiences. I would love to see Eno and BF fully collaborate on a complete album, and I think Eno could bring much, much more to the table now than if he had never left. Personally I'm quite glad he left RM when he did because it allowed him to contribute to a much wider variety of music, and allowed BF to develop as he did (into my favorite artist). The way I see it, the way things worked out is I've got TWO great bodies of work. If Eno and BF had suck together, I may or may not have liked the results - which would only have been ONE great or not-so-great body of work. Anyways, this is just my opinion off the top of my head...but the great thing about these mailing lists is the opportunity to share different ideas and opinions! David ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ End of avalon-digest V3 #176 **************************** ======================================================================== Please send any questions or comments about the list to avalon-digest-owner@smoe.org