Country Life (Roxy Music album): Difference between revisions
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"Casanova" was singled out for praise by a number of critics as a more cynical and hard-rocking number than the usual Roxy Music fare. Like the earlier "[[In Every Dream Home a Heartache]]" (1973), it was seen as a critique of the hollowness of the contemporary [[jet set]], and contained further instances of [[Bryan Ferry]]'s idiosyncratic word association ("Now you're nothing but / Second hand in glove / With second rate"). A re-recorded version, more mellow than the original, appeared on Ferry's 1976 solo album ''[[Let's Stick Together]]''. |
"Casanova" was singled out for praise by a number of critics as a more cynical and hard-rocking number than the usual Roxy Music fare. Like the earlier "[[In Every Dream Home a Heartache]]" (1973), it was seen as a critique of the hollowness of the contemporary [[jet set]], and contained further instances of [[Bryan Ferry]]'s idiosyncratic word association ("Now you're nothing but / Second hand in glove / With second rate"). A re-recorded version, more mellow than the original, appeared on Ferry's 1976 solo album ''[[Let's Stick Together]]''. |
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The final track, "Prairie Rose", was an ode to [[Texas]] and |
The final track, "Prairie Rose", was an ode to [[Texas]] and is sometimes mistakenly thought as a reference to [[Jerry Hall]]. However, Ferry would not meet Hall until the next year, 1975.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.style.com/culture/people/2015/jerry-hall-birthday-tall-tales-memoir |title=Fashion Shows: Fashion Week, Runway, Designer Collections - Vogue |website=Style.com |date= |accessdate=2016-03-08}}</ref> who was soon to appear on the cover of Roxy Music's fifth album, ''[[Siren (Roxy Music album)|Siren]]'' (1975), and later in the video to Ferry's hit single "Let's Stick Together". |
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''Country Life'' included Roxy Music's fourth single, "All I Want Is You" [[A-side and B-side|b/w]] "Your Application's Failed", which reached No. 12 in the UK charts. An edited version of "The Thrill of It All", with the same B-side, was released in the United States. The album was released on Atco Records, a division of Atlantic Records. |
''Country Life'' included Roxy Music's fourth single, "All I Want Is You" [[A-side and B-side|b/w]] "Your Application's Failed", which reached No. 12 in the UK charts. An edited version of "The Thrill of It All", with the same B-side, was released in the United States. The album was released on Atco Records, a division of Atlantic Records. |
Revision as of 18:25, 27 May 2018
Country Life | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 15 November 1974 | |||
Recorded | July 1974 | – August 1974|||
Studio | AIR Studios, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 41:42 | |||
Label | Island, Polydor (UK) Atco, Reprise (US)[1] | |||
Producer | Chris Thomas, John Punter, Roxy Music | |||
Roxy Music chronology | ||||
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Singles from Country Life | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 9.4/10[3] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 9/10[6] |
The Village Voice | B+[7] |
Country Life is the fourth album by the English rock band Roxy Music, released in 1974 and reaching No. 3 in the UK charts. It also made No. 37 in the United States, their first record to crack the Top 40 there. The album is considered by many critics to be among the band's most sophisticated and consistent. Jim Miller in his review for Rolling Stone wrote "Stranded and Country Life together mark the zenith of contemporary British art rock."[8] Band leader Bryan Ferry took the album's title from the British rural lifestyle magazine Country Life.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 387 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It was one of four Roxy Music albums that made the list (For Your Pleasure, Siren and Avalon being the others).[9]
Style and themes
The opening track, "The Thrill of It All", was an up-tempo rocker that further developed the style of songs like "Virginia Plain" (1972) and "Do the Strand" (1973); it included a quote from Dorothy Parker's poem "Resume": "You might as well live". Eddie Jobson's violin dominated the heavily-flanged production of "Out of the Blue", which became a live favourite. Esoteric musical influences were betrayed by the German oom-pah band passages in "Bitter-Sweet", the Elizabethan flavour of "Triptych" and the lighthearted, boogie-blues, Southern rock edge to "If It Takes All Night".
"Casanova" was singled out for praise by a number of critics as a more cynical and hard-rocking number than the usual Roxy Music fare. Like the earlier "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" (1973), it was seen as a critique of the hollowness of the contemporary jet set, and contained further instances of Bryan Ferry's idiosyncratic word association ("Now you're nothing but / Second hand in glove / With second rate"). A re-recorded version, more mellow than the original, appeared on Ferry's 1976 solo album Let's Stick Together.
The final track, "Prairie Rose", was an ode to Texas and is sometimes mistakenly thought as a reference to Jerry Hall. However, Ferry would not meet Hall until the next year, 1975.[10] who was soon to appear on the cover of Roxy Music's fifth album, Siren (1975), and later in the video to Ferry's hit single "Let's Stick Together".
Country Life included Roxy Music's fourth single, "All I Want Is You" b/w "Your Application's Failed", which reached No. 12 in the UK charts. An edited version of "The Thrill of It All", with the same B-side, was released in the United States. The album was released on Atco Records, a division of Atlantic Records.
Cover art
Shot by Eric Boman,[11] the cover features two scantily-clad models, Constanze Karoli (cousin of Can's Michael Karoli[12]) and Eveline Grunwald (who was also Michael Karoli's girlfriend). Bryan Ferry met them in Portugal and persuaded them to do the photo shoot as well as to help him with the words to the song "Bitter-Sweet". Although not credited for appearing on the cover, they are credited on the lyric sheet for their German translation work.
The cover image was controversial in some countries such as the United States, Spain, and the Netherlands, where it was censored for release. As a result, a later American LP release of Country Life (available during the years 1975–80) featured a different cover shot. Instead of Karoli and Grunwald posed in front of some trees, the reissue used a photo from the album's back cover that featured only the trees.[13] Author Michael Ochs has described the result as the "most complete cover-up in rock history".[14]
The cover art has been mimicked by:
- Electro girl band Robots in Disguise with the cover for their 2002 singles "Boys" featuring comedian Noel Fielding and musician Chris Corner.
- Indie pop band Dum Dum Girls for the cover of their 2010 cassette-only release Blissed Out.
- Indie rock band Sweet Apple for the cover of their 2010 album Love & Desperation,
- UK electronic band Ladytron (who were named after a Roxy Music song) with the cover for their compilation album Softcore Jukebox.
Track listing
All songs written by Bryan Ferry except where noted.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Thrill of It All" | 6:24 |
2. | "Three and Nine" (Ferry, Andy Mackay) | 4:04 |
3. | "All I Want Is You" | 2:53 |
4. | "Out of the Blue" (Ferry, Phil Manzanera) | 4:46 |
5. | "If It Takes All Night" | 3:12 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Bitter-Sweet" (Ferry, Mackay) | 4:50 |
2. | "Triptych" | 3:09 |
3. | "Casanova" | 3:27 |
4. | "A Really Good Time" | 3:45 |
5. | "Prairie Rose" (Ferry, Manzanera) | 5:12 |
Personnel
- Roxy Music
- Bryan Ferry – vocals, keyboards, harmonica
- John Gustafson – bass
- Eddie Jobson – strings, synthesizer, keyboards (credited as 'Edwin Jobson')
- Andy Mackay – oboe, saxophone (credited as 'Andrew Mackay')
- Phil Manzanera – guitar
- Paul Thompson – drums
Note: On the 1999 CD reissue of Country Life, Paul Thompson is credited for playing guitar and Phil Manzanera is credited for playing drums, when in fact it's the opposite.
Charts
Album
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1974 | UK Albums Chart | 3 |
Billboard Pop Albums | 37 |
Single
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1974 | "All I Want Is You" | UK Singles Chart | 12 |
Certifications
Organization | Level | Date |
---|---|---|
BPI – UK | Gold | 1 March 1975 |
References
- ^ a b c d Strong, Martin C. (2006). The Essential Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 930. ISBN 1-84195-860-3.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Country Life – Roxy Music". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
- ^ Ewing, Tom (13 August 2012). "Roxy Music: The Complete Studio Records 1972–1982". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ "Roxy Music: Country Life". Q (156): 122–23. September 1999.
- ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Roxy Music". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 705–06. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Roxy Music". Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 337. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (17 March 1975). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- ^ Jim Miller (27 February 1975). "Roxy Music Country Life Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ Moss, Marissa. "Music News | Latest in Rock, Indie, Hip Hop and More". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ "Fashion Shows: Fashion Week, Runway, Designer Collections - Vogue". Style.com. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ "Blog de Tintin TÔrncrantz | colette". Blogs.colette.fr. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ "Constanze Karoli and Eveline Grunwald - Suspend Your Disbelief". Suspendyodisbelief.blogspot.co.uk. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ Michael Ochs. 1000 Record Covers. ISBN 9783822819784. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
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ignored (help) - ^ Michael Ochs. 1000 Record Covers. p. 545. ISBN 9783822819784. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
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Bibliography
- Rex Balfour (1976). The Bryan Ferry Story
- David Buckley (2004). The Thrill of it All: The Story of Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music
- Todd Burns (2004). Stylus Magazine: "Under the Covers"