 |
From the Vault...
07/05/1998
#584 |
|
info
Roxy Music
"Avalon"
© Reprise/EG Records
Rating:
|
track listing
|
More Than This
The Space Between
Avalon
India
While My Heart Is Still Beating
The Main Thing
Take A Chance With Me
To Turn You On
True To Life
Tara
|
WSVNRadio Archives
Roxy Music related sites:
|
|
|
Roxy Music
"Avalon"
Roxy Music is one of those bands that has its
own unique sound. Their poppish, romantic songs are easily
compared to a band that would be an influence on them in the
1980s, Duran Duran. Avalon was released in 1982.
More Than This and the title track Avalon, are
songs that received the most radio airplay, and are considered the
album's main hits. If you listen very closely to Avalon,
doesn't the main verse's melody resemble Prince's If You Were
Mine? The Space Between sounds exactly like a Duran
Duran song, with its pop beat and bassline.
India is a short instrumental, that can easily be used
for a movie soundtrack. It then leads into the next song, While
My Heart Is Still Beating, which is a slow-yet-moody ballad.
As you listen to it, it tends to make your mind wander.
The Main Thing is very funky; with lead singer Bryan
Ferry's unique vocal style, it has the funk-soul of the previous
decade, the 1970s, yet with a 1980s style flavor. The heavy synthesizers
starting out Take A Chance With Me is eerie, and reflects Duran
Duran again, as it blends in as another typical-pop Roxy tune.
To Turn You On, like While My Heart Is Still Beating,
is another slowie ballad.
Another synthesizer-based song is True To Life, as it is a
medium-paced pop number. Lastly, Tara, is very new-age jazz,
with its relaxing saxophone, as it is yet another very short instrumental,
that should of been more than it's one minute and a half length as it was
on this album.
Avalon is pop, somewhat soulful, and somewhat new-age jazz.
It is definitely more pop than any of the styles mentioned. This
album was ranked #27 according to Critics' Choice: The Top 100
Rock 'n' Roll Albums Of All Time by Paul Gamaccini, in 1987.
This album would be Roxy's last studio album in their career, as this
album is quoted from Gamaccini's book:
'Much like Marvin Gaye's I Want You, each cut can be taken
individually, standing on its own merits, or collectively,' approved
J.J. Jackson. (one of the original MTV VJ's) 'The entire album blows
so smoothly that its appeal will enhance any lifestyle.'
© Paul Gamaccini, Harmony Books, New York
Which is a good quote. Lifestyle or style, relating to music,
is an honorable mention. It features different styles of music, that
can be classified under pop (in most cases) and new-age jazz. Roxy
Music's style was unique, as it defined art rock with pop, soul and
new-age jazz, found here on Avalon. Their music became a big
influence on another popular 1980s band that would "borrow" their musical
style from time to time -- Duran Duran. Although Duran Duran would
emphasize on the dance-style pop sound as heard on The Space Between,
heard on Avalon, Roxy Music didn't just concentrate on this kind
of style only, they created songs in other musical ranges and tastes. Which
makes Roxy Music an interesting band to listen to, yet alone their unique
sound in how they performed, and made them one of the best bands to surface
from what we call "The Rock Era."
© WSVNRadio.net. All rights reserved.
Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Reprise/EG Records
and is used for reference purposes only.
|
|
