Roxy Music Country Life CD

Roxy Music: Bryan Ferry (vocals, keyboards); Paul Thompson (guitar); Edwin Jobson (strings, keyboards, synthesizer); Andy Mackay (oboe, saxophone); John Gustafson (bass instrument); Phil Manzanera (drums).
Continuing with the stylistic developments of Stranded, Country Life finds Roxy Music at the peak of their powers, alternating between majestic, unsettling art rock and glamorous, elegant pop/rock. At their best, Roxy combine these two extremes, like on the exhilarating opener "The Thrill of It All," but Country Life benefits considerably from the ebb and flow of the group's two extremes, since it showcases their deft instrumental execution and their textured, enthralling songwriting. And, in many ways, Country Life offers the greatest and most consistent set of Roxy Music songs, illustrating their startling depth. From the sleek rock of "All I Want Is You" and "Prairie Rose" to the elegant, string-laced pop of "A Really Good Time," Country Life is filled with thrilling songs, and Roxy Music rarely sounded as invigorating as they do here. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
From the idiosyncratic art rock of their self-titled debut to the seductive pop of albums like AVALON, Roxy Music covered a lot of ground, but COUNTRY LIFE, which falls somewhere in between, synthesizes all of their strengths. Singer Bryan Ferry's vision of sophisticated, "gentleman" rock emerges on this release, yet the strident, driving quality crucial to the band's early sound still looms large. The combination of textures is exhilarating, and the songwriting--which draws on elements of R&B, cabaret music, and glam rock--is among the band's best.
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. The album's last track, "Prairie Rose," leads off with a heavily echoed guitar solo, and features some of Andrew Mackay's most expressive saxophone playing. Everything from the famously controversial cover art (which depicts two very scantily clad models) to the varied, often spectacular music within, marks COUNTRY LIFE as unique. It is one of the finest moments in the band's impressive catalogue.Q (9/99, pp.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..."