...
Ever ones for playing on concepts, the album was named to evoke the moods of "Country Life" magazine. The cover contains a green tropical , Playboy type backdrop containg two models , who could have been plucked from the streets of Amsterdam's red light district, in a state of almost total ... Read review
Advantages: Casanova and Prairie Rose Disadvantages: Three and Nine and If It Takes All Night
...by artists such as Big Country and Then Jericho. "Casanova" features a particularly vicious Ferry vocal, in a song about the fall of a playboy. Ferry covered this as a solo artist , and actually bettered it. That version appears on his "Let's Stick Together" album.
Other worthy tracks , are "Tryptych" featuring Ferry's voice multi tracked into a heavenly Choir, "Bitter Sweet" featurring Bryan ... ...of the Blue" another Manzanera / Ferry collaboration featuring a stunning violin solo from Eddie Jobson and the single "All I Want Is You" which is a perfect Roxy pop / rock run through.
It didnt match it's predecessor , and there are signs of the start of the bands decline, but it's still a good album , and is available on mid price. ... more
This album followed their best , "Stranded", but is still an excellent album containing some outstanding music. The same line-up (bar ever changing bassists, this time John Gustaffson) as "Stranded" is retained for this album, all the songs penned by Bryan Ferry either alone or collaboration with Mackay and Manzanera.
Ever ones for playing on concepts, the album was named to evoke the moods of "Country Life" magazine. The cover contains a green tropical , Playboy type backdrop containg two models , who could have been plucked from the streets of Amsterdam's red light district, in a state of almost total undress, totally at odds with the title unless a very dodgy pun is intended. The models didnt appear on the American version of the album.
There are two stand out tracks on this album. "Prairie Rose" is a Manzanera / Ferry collaboration featuring Manzanera on Byrds style guitar. The song has since been covered by artists such as Big Country and Then Jericho. "Casanova" features a particularly vicious Ferry vocal, in a song about the fall of a playboy. Ferry covered this as a solo artist , and actually bettered it. That version appears on his "Let's Stick Together" album.
Other worthy tracks , are "Tryptych" featuring Ferry's voice multi tracked into a heavenly Choir, "Bitter Sweet" featurring Bryan and as a master of menace singing in German, "Out of the Blue" another Manzanera / Ferry collaboration featuring a stunning violin solo from Eddie Jobson and the single "All I Want Is You" which is a perfect Roxy pop / rock run through.
It didnt match it's predecessor , and there are signs of the start of the bands decline, but it's still a good album , and is available on mid price.
Advantages: Some excellent cover versions, often interpreted very differently from the originals Disadvantages: Tracks 5 and 9 - well, what's the Skip button for?
'Another Time, Another Place' was Bryan Ferry's second solo album, and hit the shops in summer 1974 between the third and fourth RoxyMusic sets, 'Stranded' and 'CountryLife'. I've got style, he said on the cover pic, attired suavely in a white tuxedo and bow tie beside his swimming pool. Much of the music inside reflects that as well – flirtations with cover versions of old rock, country and soul numbers, for the most part sung with just a hint of irony. Was the old lounge lizard sending himself and the songs up, or was it deadly serious? You, the listener, have to decide.
'The In Crowd', the opening track, is a much punchier retread of the old Northern soul hit from Dobie Gray. Chopping electric piano in the style of 'Virginia Plain', a few sneaky seconds lifted straight from RoxyMusic favourite 'Do The Strand ...
Advantages: Better sound Disadvantages: none come to mind
This would be the third solo album from Bryan Ferry released in 1976, Mr Ferry has taken recordings made from 1973-1976 that were in essence singles and a 4 track E.P. and some re-recorded tracks from earlier RoxyMusic albums that were B-sides to make up this album.
The album itself starts with the title track that is a re-worked Canned Heat track called “Lets work together”, for this version the artist has added a horn section comprised of tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone and trumpet for that great brass introduction that along with the powerhouse bass and drum section make for a great beginning for the song.
The song “Casanova” is a track from the 1974 RoxyMusic album called “CountryLife” where the original version is a guitar based rock track, the re-recorded version that is presented ...
Advantages: Some really excellent tracks, good overall atmosphere Disadvantages: A few not so great tracks
Rhys Meyers does a pretty good job at the singing. Anyone familiar with the original may disagree, however. “Very clever with maracas”, indeed!
(16) Bitter-Sweet – The Venus In Furs
Written by Andy Mackay and Brian Ferry, Vocal by Thom Yorke
RoxyMusic’s CountryLife album from 1974 contained the original version of this track. The third and final Venus In Furs RoxyMusic cover, and one I sometimes to skip past. It starts quite well, slow and quiet in a rather dark way. However, it slides into a high-stepping Marlene Dietrich-ish bit, complete with lyrics in German. Sounds too violent for my liking, which is a shame, because the rest of the song is quite good. Oops – suppose I shouldn’t really criticise a RoxyMusic track – someone’ll start arguing with me! Thom Yorke again seems to be ...
Product Information for "Country Life - Roxy Music" »
Product details
Title
Country Life
Performer
Roxy Music
Genre
Rock & Pop
Sub Genre
Art Rock
Release Date
01/1987
Original Release Year
1974
Label / Distributor
EG/Virgin / EMI Operations/CEVA Logistics
Engineer
John Punter
Producer
John Punter; Roxy Music
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Format
Performer
EAN
77778648222
Catalogue Number
EGCD 16
Additional notes
Album Notes
Roxy Music: Bryan Ferry (vocals, keyboards); Phil Manzanera (guitar); Andrew Mackay (oboe, saxophone); Edwin Jobson (strings, keyboards, synthesizer); John Gustafson (bass); Paul Thompson (drums).
Recorded at Air Studios, London, England in Summer 1974. All tracks have been digitally remastered using HDCD technology. By the time of this, the fourth Roxy Music album, singer Bryan Ferry had firm control of the group due to Brian Eno's departure just prior to the previous album. Ferry's vision of the band as sophisticated, "gentlemen" rockers was in full effect. The record ran into some trouble over its cover art, depicting two very scantily clad models, and was originally issued in the US with a censored cover. Standouts include "Bitter-Sweet," a clear homage to the bombast and fading glory of German cabaret music, and the work of Kurt Weill in particular, and "Casanova," a dense, funk track carried along on a complex bass line and a wavering synthesizer. Also of note is the album's last track, "Prairie Rose." Leading off with a heavily echoed guitar solo, it features some of Andrew Mackay's most expressive saxophone playing. Other than its rather obnoxious cover art, COUNTRY LIFE is a solid album and what it may lack in the fireworks of the band's previous records, it more than compensates with consistency.
Album Reviews
Q (9/99, p.122-3) - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...More adult it may seem, but there remains a darkness at its heart, not least the poisonous 'Casanova', which predicts the downfall of the playboy..."
Titles on disc 1
1.
Thrill Of It All
2.
Three And Nine
3.
All I Want Is You
4.
Out Of The Blue
5.
If It Takes All Night
6.
Bittersweet
7.
Triptych
8.
Casanova
9.
Really Good Time
10.
Prairie Rose
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since
23/02/2001
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