Bryan Ferry

Bryan Ferry is one of those artists that is well-known among European music fans, but in the United States - Ferry's career has almost gone unnoticed. Ferry achieved success as the lead singer for Roxy Music - who also had established themselves in Europe, but not in the United States. During his Roxy Music years, Ferry also had a parallel solo career going In 1983, for all practical purposes - Roxy Music would split up and Bryan Ferry would focus on his solo career. Ferry's solo career would also continue a level of success in Europe and not garner much attention in the United States. Ferry would build a reputation as "suave" and "smooth" from both his vocal style and his looks. In fact to some extent, it is safe to say that Ferry can be considered a modern-day crooner. After eleven solo albums, Ferry would take a radical change and record an album of cover songs. These cover songs would be songs made famous by the legendary Bob Dylan. As many know, Dylan is nearly on the opposite end of the spectrum when one compares this to the "suave and smooth" style of Ferry. While Ferry does put his own spin on these songs, Ferry does a good job at preserving the essence of the music made famous by Dylan.

One thing I will go on the record and say is that I am not a Bob Dylan fan. I'm not going to knock Dylan or his talent. I simply do not care for Dylan's Folksy Rock sound, nor do I care for Dylan's nasal-sounding vocals. That being said, I still was very much intrigued by the curiosity of listening to Ferry's spin on these songs. The net result is that I enjoyed how Ferry covered these songs - and it gave me a better appreciation for some of Dylan's music as a result of this.

Here is a synopsis of the tracks:

"Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues": On this opening track, I heard some "cracks" in Ferry's usual "smooth and suave" vocals, yet I think this worked perfectly. However the melody on this song still has a smooth feel to it. Ferry tops it off with a beautiful harmonica interlude to pay perfect homage to Dylan.

"Simple Twist of Fate": This was definitely the strongest track of the collection. Ferry goes back to his trademark crooning "smooth and suave" style. There is a good balance of guitar and piano throughout the song. The harmonica once again plays a key role, but there also some good use of the fiddle-style violin that gives the song an edge.

"Make You Feel Your Love": This tracks starts off with a classical style piano and is highlighted by a subtle use of a string section. Ferry's crooning is in full-swing here as he employs a haunting-style to his vocals - something commonly heard on his previous collections.

"The Times They Are-A-Changing": Another great performance by Ferry. This is a classic Bob Dylan song. Ferry employs his "suave and smooth" vocals to this song. The bluesy sounding guitar work highlights the melody of this track. I like Ferry's cover on this much better than the original.

"All I Really Wanna Do": On the Dylan original, this song had a very simple sound to it. Ferry doesn't try to make this any more complex than the original. Combine this with his crooning vocals and it gives it a perfect feel.

"Knockin' on Heaven's Door": Same comments as on "The Times They-Are-Changing" - Ferry's crooning style of vocals produce a cover that might even be stronger than the original. Terrific use of the background vocalists on this track - they complement Ferry's crooning perfectly. More great use of the harmonica as well.

"Positively 4th Street": I like the use of the piano on this track. Like on "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", Ferry "cracks" a bit from his "smooth and suave" style. The harmonica and string section interlude about 2 1/2 minutes into the track is great.

"If Not For You": This track has one a more folksy feels to it from a melody standpoint, but what I found most interesting is how Ferry would "croon" over this folksy melody. Nice use of electronic instruments supplement this sound.

"Baby Let Me Follow You down": This track also has a folksy feel to it, but Ferry employs some of the "cracks" in his voice heard on some of the other tracks. Once again, use of the harmonica is spot on.

"Gates of Eden": Ferry employs some of his trademark haunting vocals on this track. It is the haunting vocals that really give this song an identity. In fact the use of the harmonica is switched here and it also has a more haunting sound.

"All Along the Watchtower": Many artists have covered this track, but Ferry's cover ranks right up there with the best of them. I truly liked the "Rock Edge" that Ferry put on this song. It's a complete change of pace from the other tracks on this collection, and to some extent a change from Ferry's style. Great stuff.

The liner notes contain a nice write-up on the background for Ferry doing the covers of the Bob Dylan tracks. It s also worth noting that Ferry teams up with longtime collaborators - Rhett Davies (producer) and Bob Clearmountain (master mix engineer). Davies and Clearmountain have always found a way to get the most out of Ferry's sound - and even on this change of pace work by Ferry they find a way to do this. Overall, I found this album much more enjoyable than Dylan's original works - but then again, I did state that I wasn't a Dylan fan. However this gave me an appreciation for Dylan's music. I'd definitely recommend this.

This CD is a pleasure to listen to. Original Dylan fans may be uncomfortable at first but, like all great albums, Brian Ferry's take on the master's classics just gets better, richer and more nuanced with every listen. It will be a long time before I get tired of this one.

I love Dylan. I received this CD as a gift from a friend who thought I would like another take on some of Dylan's work. It was hard to imagine someone being having the nerve to be "Dylanesque" but thought I'd give the CD a chance. There are a few pieces that are nice listening--but since when was Dylan nice listening? There are other pieces that are absolutely horrible--like nails on a blackboard. I can't turn them off fast enough. If you love Dylan don't get this CD. As for my "Dylanesque" I'm giving it to the person who gave it to me. He doesn't like Dylan and should just love this CD.

Most of us would not associate Bryan Ferry the art-rock lounge lizard with Bob Dylan, the ragged poet-troubadour.
But Ferry's swaggering 1973 version of Dylan's "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" left old smoothie chops with a desire to do a whole album of Dylan covers, but it has taken him over 30 years to get round to it.
One of the supremely gifted interpreters of other people's songs, Ferry's take on Dylan's work was always bound to be at the very least interesting.
Twenty songs were rattled off in a week, of which 11 made the final cut, and the spontaneity of the session is obvious.
Ferry's band deftly evoke the sturdy, simplistic country-tinged rock which is Dylan's thing, and the album kicks off convincingly with "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" and "Simple Twist Of Fate".
But some of the mid-tempo material, like "All I Really Wanna Do", is merely so-so, and it's a surprise to hear the protest song "The Times They Are A-Changin'" dashed off at yet another plodder in this vein. Neither is there much that Ferry can do to improve on Hendrix's blistering re-interpretation of "All Along The Watchtowe"r or even Eric Clapton's reggaefication of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door".
Where Ferry scores is in a wistful, airy reading of "Make You Feel My Love", the velvety-yet-venomous "Positively 4th Street" and the Roxy-like "If Not For You", complete with simmering sonic enhancements by old buddy Brian Eno.

I am a huge Roxy Music fan (their best, obviously, being their first five albums, but the later ones hold gems, too). So, of course, I love a lot of Bryan Ferry solo, my favorites being the 70s output, of course. His version of Hard Rain's Gonna Fall is simply amazing. I even liked a good part of Frantic -- his version of It's All Over Now, Baby Blue, I thought, was quite good.

I like Dylan a lot, too. Not fanatical, but I know my Freewheelin' from my Highway 61.

So I thought this album was going to be amazing.

It isn't.

It's easily the biggest disappointment I've heard in a while. The versions are barely different from their Dylan counterparts -- Ferry even uses harmonica judiciously -- I mean, at least make that somewhat interesting by turning it into a French Horn or a sax solo or something. Worse yet, these versions even make you question if you even want to hear the Dylan versions again. You'll think you do, but these versions are so banal, you'll wonder if it's the songs or the singer (to paraphrase the Stones) -- don't worry, in this case, it's the singer.

If you're looking for interesting takes on Dylan songs, just pull out Hard Rain's Gonna Fall again. Ferry will never reach that height again.

Skip this if you even remotely like Ferry. Or Dylan for that matter.

Close to the worst album ever! So many good voices, so much terrible music!

My brother bought this years ago on vinyl. I always wanted it, so one day I ordered it ,and now I have it !

I have gone through 3 albums and tried to fine someone to put it on CD.
I was shopping on amazon.com and found it and I was shocked, now I have it on album, cassette and now CD.
This CD has some old greats singing Beatles songs and also some newcomers like Peter Gabriel singing Strawberry fields forever this album is just awesome I paid $3.00 for the cutout in 1979 this cd was will worth the $62.00 I paid.

JUST ONE WORD... FANTASTIC!!!! I got the box set LP way back in 1977, and up to date have not heard anything like this, (well not counting original beatles productions) in my humble opinion it is the best production of Beatles music ever done!!!!!

I origionally bought this album when I heard Ambrosia on the radio doing Magical Mystery Tour thirty years ago. Needless to say it's a bit warn out now. I like every song on this album except Maxwell's Silver Hammer sung by Franky Laine of all people. My favorite is Long and Winding road sung by Leo Sayer (yes the "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" guy) I still find it a good listen after thirty years.

I'm glad a lot of Bryan Ferry fans think that this is his best solo album. I couldn't agree more: it is fantastic.

"Sensation," "Slave To Love," "Don't Stop The Dance," "Stone Woman" and "Windswept" are my favorites. The latter (Windspect) just blows me away (no pun intended) every time! It is Bryan Ferry at his most haunting.

I also agree with fellow reviewer than Ferry is vastly under-appreciated and known here in the United States. Fellow Americans: you don't know what you're missing! I am Ferry's age and have listened to music since the mid `50s and I believe Ferry is one-of-a-kind.

"Haunting" is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Ferry's songs and presentations. They remind me of a Salvador Dali painting - just bizarre yet mesmerizing stuff. I've never heard music quite like it.

Actually, many times it is the steady beat, the great background vocals, fantastic instrumentation and original material that always make this album fresh - no matter how many times I play it. If you've watched any his concerts (watch him and the band in the Roxy Music Reunion DVD) you can appreciate how great the musicians are that surround him. Ferry knows how to get the most out of his unique songs.

Some of his best are on this CD. Don't pass it up!

I came late to most of Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music, save for Avalon. I am glad that I missed out at a younger age because now I am being enriched through the delerium of discovery. In this album, as in most all Roxy/Ferry albums, lies genius and penultimate beauty. I realized one night while Boys and Girls was spinning on my turntable, reading the liner, the date, comparing it to sound of Avalon, Bette Noire, Flesh and Blood, Frantic, The Bride Laid Bare, early Roxy -- seeing that it was dedicated to his father who had just passed away (which explains so much of the album's deep solemnity) -- looking at the unbelievable lineup of famous musicians on this album (and later searching them all online) -- I realized that Boys and Girls is the second best album of all time. Second to Sargent Pepper. In that this: every song is a gem. I have been on a 40-year search for the "perfect" music, having been engrossed in all the works of Eno/Genesis/Fripp/Camel/Gabriel/Bowie/BJH/Young/Bryne/and hundreds of artists beyond. But here it is in Boys and Girls, the long evolution of Ferry reaching his zenith, blessed by God with talent, and bereaved by the passing of his dad: the perfect sound is achieved.
But Ferry did not make it big, and I know why: his videos are lame. He is self conscious in them; they're all about beauty babes who have no presence in front of a camera. His videos don't tell a story, nor do they provide insight into Ferry and his virtuoso band entranced in the act of making his magical music. Had he made good videos, he would have been a smash sensation in the United States. Alas, it was not to be; and maybe that's why Bryan Ferry is a smash sensation.

Bryan Ferry is great and this album proves it. It has the unique sound to it that really can calm you after a stressful day or just something to really enjoy.

"Don't Stop The Dance" is one of the most beautiful, hypnotic songs ever written. Like in the top 25 at least. I have to admit that, in spite of the fact that this isn't normally my style of music.

Remember--that one isn't just Bryan Ferry. It's also Rhett Davies. To the eternal glory of them both.

Worth buying for that track, and for the classic cover picture.

Bryan Ferry is one of those artists that is well-known among European music fans, but in the United States - Ferry's career has almost gone unnoticed. Ferry achieved success as the lead singer for Roxy Music - who also had established themselves in Europe, but not in the United States. During his Roxy Music years, Ferry also had a parallel solo career going In 1983, for all practical purposes - Roxy Music would split up and Bryan Ferry would focus on his solo career. In 1985, Ferry would release "Boys and Girls". 1985 would be one of the most competitive years in the music industry. Artists such as Sting ("The Dream of the Blue Turtles"), Phil Collins ("No Jacket Required"), Bryan Adams ("Reckless"), Tears For Fears ("Songs From the Big Chair"), Wham ("Make It Big"), and Dire Straits ("Brothers in Arms") would all release (or have released) landmark albums during that time would garner both commercial and critical acclaim. I think it's also safe to add Bryan Ferry and his "Boys and Girls" album to that list. "Boys and Girls" went unnoticed in the United States, but it became a Number One album in the UK.

Ferry employs the use of classical instruments with dance beats for several of his songs. "Boys and Girls" is definitely not a Disco album, but in 1985 many of the tracks could have easily been played in Dance Clubs. Ferry also has some of the most unique vocals in the music industry. I would put Ferry's voice as a cross between a haunting voice and a crooning voice. For "Boys and Girls", Ferry employs a musical style that was seen on his previous Roxy Music album entitled "Avalon". While this is a "solo project", Ferry brings in some major names - including Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler (guitar) and Guy Fletcher (keyboards); Pink Floyd's David Gilmour (guitar), Nile Rodgers (guitar); and jazz musicians Marcus Miller (bass) and David Sanborn (saxophone).

Here is a synopsis of the tracks:

"Sensation": The song opens with a classic sound before segueing into a dance-beat which will dominate this track. The instrumentation on this track is outstanding. As for the vocals, Ferry's unique voice really balances well with some of the outstanding background vocals. This track helps set the tone for the remainder of this album.

"Slave to Love": This track opens with more of a haunting feel. This is one of the songs where you really see that intersection between Ferry's haunting and crooning vocals. Once again, the background vocals are right on the money. A little over 2 minutes into the song, the bridge will also have a deeper haunting feel than the opening. The guitar work is underrated on this track.

"Don't Stop the Dance": This song also has a dance club feel - but I'd categorize it as a slower dance tempo. It could easily qualify as a song that could be played in the dance clubs. There is some great guitar and horn work on this track.

"A Waste Land": This track is a prelude to the next track - "Windswept". This might only be a minute long, but Ferry draws a nice analogy between a waste-land and when love is gone.

"Windswept": This song is outstanding. Once again, there is a haunting feel to this song, but this time Ferry constructs a haunting beach-like song. The instrumentation is going to be shine on this track - especially the way the horns are integrated with some of the percussion. There is a nice buildup to wrap up this track before the track fades into the ending.

"The Chosen One": This song also uses the slower dance tempo. Ferry employs more of a crooning style for his vocals. Like "Sensation", Ferry balances his voice with the background vocals. This song almost seemed like a creative sandbox as I could easily see Ferry speeding up the tempo as well.

"Valentine": For this track, Ferry employs somewhat of a reggae-like tempo into the melody - also giving this song a "beach-like" feel. This song features Mark Knopfler on guitar, but it will be the integration of the horns that will really make this song shine. Ferry's vocals shine on the chorus part when he sings "how many men in a world of their own".

"Stone Woman": This might be the strongest track on the album and I'm very surprised this was not released as a single. Despite the name "Stone Woman", this song is one of the collection's most up-tempo tracks. At times the melody almost has a Far Eastern feel to it. I love Ferry's vocals from start to finish on this track - they really shine on the prelude to the chorus when he sings "let's be cool about it". I also love all of the instrumentation on this track - especially some terrific guitar work and more horns.

"Boys and Girls": This is a segue from "Stone Woman". This has the most haunting feel of all of the tracks. The horns once again demonstrate a feeling on the beach. While this wasn't my favorite track, I do feel it are the horns that are the strong point.

Ferry has always had a reputation for strong instrumentation in his work. Co-producers Ferry and Rhett Davies with master mix engineer Bob Clearmountain clearly keep the bar high in the instrumentation arena. This is where the remastering really helps - as it makes the instrumentation shine on this album. A couple of minor gripes about the liner notes: - while the lyrics are somewhat incomplete, what really hurts are the credits of the all-star lineup of musicians are not matched up to the tracks. On an album that has such strong instrumentation, it would be really nice to see what musicians are credited to what track on the collection. This is a very good collection. Ferry fans will not only appreciate this collection, but also the fan of music in general. Highly recommended.

This is a positive review. However there doesn't seem to be any reviews for a product released in Australia for the accompanying tour for this album. That release had four extended versions to close the album: Kiss and Tell, Limbo, The Right Stuff and Bete Noir (instrumental). Now that was an album!!
I am interested as to why it doesn't appear anywhere on Amazon.

Having tasted more American Success with "Avalon" and "Boys and Girls" than in his entire career, Bryan Ferry went for broke with 1987's "Bete Noir." He opted for Patrick Leonard as producer, and while that might have shocked many at the time, as Leonard's best known client was Madonna, it added a dance floor edge to parts of "Bete Noir" that actually enhanced Ferry's romantic detachment as opposed to nullifying it. (Leonard's eventual Toy/3rd Matinee band projects show he was deeper than many folks originally may have thought. Check out their albums on Amazon.)

Those extra measures of bass and rhythm gave Ferry his sole American solo hit with "Kiss and Tell," which was featured in the Michael J. Fox and Keifer Sutherland (pre "24" years) movie adaptation of "Bright Lights, Big City." "The Right Stuff" and "Limbo" also were possessed of a higher energy than prior Ferry solo albums, but that didn't mean Ferry had completely lost his flair for the melancholic. "Day For Night" and "The Name Of The Game" depict the artist as tortured soul, a familiar character in Ferry's repertoire.

The collaborators were also a who's who of the time. Johnny Marr of The Smiths co-wrote "The Right Stuff" and spiked it with a great lead line; David Gilmour, Andy Newmark and Guy Pratt also put in appearances. This mix of musicians (with emphasis on MUSICAL) and Ferry's willingness to make an album concurrent with the times via the linkup with Leonard make "Bete Noir" the best of his solo albums. This album, "Boys and Girls" and "Avalon" make a great trilogy -- get them all.

I am still listening to this album more than 15 years after I first heard it. This album, and Avalon, are the best albums in the Ferry/Roxy Music canon. Unlike other Ferry/Roxy Music albums which have consisted of maybe one or two mind-blowingly great songs along with 8-9 mediocre ones, this album is consistent. It has great uptempo songs such as "Kiss and Tell" and "Seven Deadly Sins" "Day for Night" and "Limbo", and very good slow melodies such as "The Name of the Game" and the hauting "Zamba".

There is obviously some sort of cinema/film theme at work in this album - cinematic references are peppered throughout. "Seven Deadly Sins", "The Right Stuff", and "Day For Night" are all film titles. The refrain in "The Right Stuff" references "The Chimes at Midnight", a 1965 Orson Welles film. "Kiss and Tell" was the theme to the 1988 film "Bright Lights, Big City". Finally, the album title suggests film noir. I confess I have no idea what the point of the cinematic references may be, but they serve as an interesting footnote to what should be considered a classic album.

When I was going through reviews of this album, the word "perfect" kept popping up amongst the more erudite music minds of the press. A dubious distinction indeed, but after several listenings you realize that Ferry's Noire has crossed that line into "perfect." While his subsequent work has been inconsistent, you can take heart that Bryan has a peak in his career to fall back upon. Go buy this CD and enjoy the perfection.

Anyone reading this is most likely familiar with "The Master".Perhaps your collection is incomplete.Well,without this masterpiece of listening heaven it is just that.
Patrick Leonard deserves much credit here as co-writer/producer of this gorgeous work, as does Yanick Etienne,David Gilmore and an All-Star group of magnificent players.
My congratulations to all the virtuoso members of this ultra-fine creation.

This is just a great rendition of a collection of classic songs. Just wonderful listening. I highly recommend it.

Bryan Ferry has definitely been eclectic in his cover songs, covering everyone from Nat King Cole to The Rolling Stones. But I have to say that he has definitely outdone himself with these tracks. Friends of mine who would never have given Ferry a second listen otherwise have frequently borrowed this album because it is so different and appealing. For me, songs like "Falling In Love Again", the title track, and "Where or When" just make Ferry the reigning king of the hopeless romantic.

It was only a matter of time before the Great One produced an album of all old standards and torch songs. Bryan was born to sing these songs, and it ain't no stillbirth. Nice light touch, beautiful interpretations, excellent selections. They used to say it was Sinatra's world and we only lived in it, but Ferry's world is where we go to play.

I bought this album for three reasons:
1. These old classic songs are great. After hearing them many times for many years I never tire of them
and I always find them romantic and moving; and as with a previous reviewer, they transport me to
another time and place.
2. The band on this CD is absolutely first-rate and the musical arrangements are perfectly matched to the
time period and lyrics of each song.
3. I love Bryan Ferry's unique, not-to-be-mistaken-for-anyone-else's voice. It really goes great with this
music.
As a bonus, Amazon.com's low price for this album was way below what I expected to pay.

Bryan Ferry to me always symbolized the lone romantic, the crooner who wished he was living in the 20's and 30's in the days of early Jazz.. and I say this as a die hard Roxy fan since their 1st LP came out.Ferry's obsession as a time traveller was always something that drew me to Roxy which were truly in an unclassifiable class all of their own as giants of their day whose music will always hold up even in a hundred years from now.
Fusing the right sonic contemporary details to his solo studio recordings adding a continental feel and ambiance to his amazing output of covers and styles Ferry deals with throughout his solo career all smack of "great" taste and added elegance, no doubt I would say that all future rock historians would add this in describing his music which was always Royal and lush.
Roxy's then use of sax and oboe were pretty amazing stuff adding tremendously to their sonic impact and Ferry is able to add interesting twists even when redoing his homage to his choice of covers.
On this CD covering the likes of Cole Porter,Rodgers@Hart,using jazz and violin,cello arrangements, all convey a limited appeal to the usual rock fan but for those who also listen to Satchmo and Holiday, will all understand the nod to bygone eras and it's greatness.

From 1971 through 1976 Roxy Music changed rock 'n' roll, recording an exciting , original body of work that countless younger - and more commercially successful - bands (Duran Duran, Simple Minds, etc) remains audacious and not the least bit dated. Roxy Music in their prime were remarkably prolific, issuing six classic albums (1972's "Roxy Music" through "Viva!") in four years, plus worthy single sides ('Pyjamarama', 'Hula Kula' etc), and more than a dozen essential outside projects. I'd include Eno's great records from the same period, which like Phil Manzanera's excellent "Diamond Head" and "801 Live", Bryan Ferry's solo discs ("These Foolish Things", Another Time Another Place", "In Your Mind" and "The Bride Stripped Bare"), Andy Mackay's uneven but entertaining "In Search Of Eddie Riff", as well as classic albums by John Cale ("Fear") and Nico ("The End..."). All these side projects feature several band members - perfoming, composing or producing - together, but outside the confines of Roxy Music, which despite Manzanera, Mackay, Paul Thompson, Eno, and Eddie Jobson's obvious originality as musicians and contributions to shaping the music, from the start it had been Ferry's vision,
and (mostly) songs, those classic album covers, down to the font in which "Roxy Music" appeared on the album covers. Ferry was a visionary, but his leadership became increasingly rigid, and the delicate balance that was this great band (greater than the sum of its parts) led to the defection of Eno first, and later Paul Thompson; Mackay and Manzanera were by 1980 at least somewhat marginalized.
It goes without saying given the band members' histories that Roxy Music could fairly be called 'art rock'; they embraced and successfully integrated an impressive range of musical, literary, cinematic, and iconic influences, and their great records were often dense, challenging, sometimes 'inaccessable', at the same time crafting glorious hit singles. RM made infectious, great 'pop' songs for teenagers. Their best work is as radical as the Velvet Underground, hitting the studio and stage with a fully formed sensibility and sound of unusual wit and sophistication. With Bryan Ferry leading the band the group was very much in control of every aspect of their presentation (image and music) from the 1972 debut. Ferry's deliberately mannered voice and phrasing subtly made his 1973 solo debut "These Foolish Things" a more subversive statment than similar 'cover' albums issued that season (Lennon's "Rock and Roll", Bowie's "Pinups"). Recall how Ferry recast Lesley Gore into surprisingly high camp and great pop, not least by not changing the gender of Johnny, the boy the narrator addresses. Ferry may have been sincere on those eight minute ruminations about God ("Psalm"), emptiness, and longing in the modern world, but that voice allowed him to function as dazzling modernist cutting everything Roxy Music made with layers of ambiguity, distance or irony. The band, each member essential to the originality of the music, were superlative, original musicians, and Roxy presented with its first records their own carefully thought-out and wildly eclectic 'sound'. Roxy Music's accomplishments between 1972 and 1976 (band and 'solo', or rather side-project) - at first (perhaps deliberately) off putting, with dissonent passages and fruity vocals - remain startling. But imagine how they seemed in the early 1970s, against the grain of post-'60s rock and roll, as we witnessted the ascent of 'Southern Rock' (lesser children of the Allman Brothers Band), plus Eagles, Jim Croce, and Loggins & Messina. By '76 however the bloom had begun to wear off....Ferry had announced his desire to break up the perfect setting for his songs and vision, and along with his bandmates focused on solo projects. After promising records like "Diamond Head" abd "801 Live" Phil Manzanera's work became confused, unfocused, thanks to unsympathetic collaborators. Mackay issued the excellent "Resolving Contradictions" after travelling through China. Jobson joined Zappa briefly, then formed the prog-rock supergroup UK. Roxy returned with "Manifesto" in 1979.
"Let's Stick Together" isn't bad, in fact I enjoy much of it. It is a patched together collection that never coheres - half decent (if never revelatory) covers, half remakes of early Roxy classics. The remakes are less challenging than the originals, listenable if pointless. Even the cover art is less striking than usual. This 1976 collection should be the set to complete a Roxy Music/Ferry collection, certainly not the one with which to start. The lack of cohesion, purpose is partly due to the fact that most tracks were recorded as singles during a three year period.If you already have the 1972 - 79 RM albums, and Ferry's other solo works, the first four Eno albums, and "801 Live" you'll enjoy this. But I doubt you'll play it very much.

Bryan Ferry launched his solo career during the first flush of Roxy Music's fame. As some members played on his solo recordings, one must assume his dual role did not cause undue friction within the band. After the space-age art rock avant-gardity of Roxy Music, the musical direction of Bryan Ferry's first solo albums was something of a surprise, ranging from Billie Holiday's My Foolish Things (the title track of her first album) to Bob Dylan's A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall, Dobie Gray's The In Crowd and the Platters' Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, all of which were extracted as singles. It was a long way from Virginia Plain and Pyjamarama.

The album Let's Stick Together came out in 1976 in time to capitalize on the success of the single it was named after. It was an extremely useful mopping-up of all the non-album tracks released to date, including Extended Play (a freshly released EP of cover versions comprising The Price Of Love, Shame Shame Shame, the extraordinarily lightweight Heart On My Sleeve and Beatles cover It's Only Love) and You Go To My Head, another Billie Holiday standard from the thirties given the Ferry makeover treatment. It also had one previously unreleased track, Casanova, an original Ferry composition that had previously appeared on Roxy Music's Country Life album in 1974.

The other four tracks are all alternative recordings of songs that appeared on the first Roxy Music albums, and were re-made as B-sides of his solo singles between 1973 and 1976. I recall Bryan Ferry remarking at the time that he didn't like a song to be represented by just one recorded version of it, that would always play identically to the time before and be set it in aspic, and therefore liked to tackle songs he had previously recorded. Chris Spedding is the guitarist, and Roxy Music alumni Eddie Jobson, John Wetton and Paul Thompson provide colour and backbone. Bryan Ferry had not quite found his own voice on the first album and these versions are more confident, if less idiosyncratic than the group versions, and of course lack Eno's unique input. 2HB, Chance Meeting and Sea Breezes are otherwise relatively faithful re-makes of the originals, Sea Breezes being particularly effective, but Re-Make Re-Model from 1975 has been re-made and re-modeled into a blue-eyed soul funk groove for the B-side of You Go To My Head, and has perhaps dated less well. Incidentally, Roxy Music's own non-album B-sides have yet to be compiled onto CD.

All in all, this makes an ideal companion piece to the albums These Foolish Things and Another Time, Another Place.

On his third solo outing, Bryan ups the ante by mixing originals in with covers. Or more precisely, covers of his own (previously released Roxy Music) songs mixed with covers of other peoples' songs. One of his very best albums, and the first of three-in-a-row solo records that towered above the competition. Simply put, if you don't have "Let's Stick Together" "In Your Mind" & "Bride Stripped Bare" then you don't have a complete collection. If you cannot appreciate Ferry at his best, well, then, I guess your mind has been stripped bare and stuck together.

Bryan Ferry's third solo album seemingly finds him trying to gain commercial acceptance. How else to explain not one but five re-modeled Roxy songs? These remakes are okay but I prefer the cover versions of other artists' songs. His upbeat delivery on "Let's Stick Together" and "Price of Love", the lovely versions of "You Go To My Head" and "Heart on My Sleeve" and the blue-eyed funk of "Shame,Shame,Shame" alone make this CD worth owning. The rest of the album is certainly not bad, just a bit superfluous if you have the Roxy Music versions.

This is a hidden treasure. Great music, great musicians and great recording. The whole CD is special and deserves greater credit. The giutar playing and drumming are simply first rate, the singing aint too bad either. The only thing missing is some of the other covers he did around the same time that were released as singles B sides and never got released on LP. Music I give this 93% and recording it gets 90%.

I will always be indebted to a lady who brought this CD into work around 1990 and told me to "give it a spin. I think you'll like this guy's sound."

I have been a big "Bete Noir" and Bryan Ferry fan ever since.

No matter how many times I hear the songs on this disc, I never get tired of them. This guy's music was different, and fascinating to me, then and now almost 20 years later.

As the years have passed and Ferry has deleved into very old standards, Bob Dylan tunes, etc., I still wish he'd stick with the kind of songs he made here and with albums just prior to this, like "Boys and Girls."

These are original, haunting ballads with a beat, if that makes any sense. They are still unique to me, and great stuff. You cannot go wrong with this CD, or the above-mentioned "Boys and Girls." It is Bryan Ferry at his best.

This was Bryan Ferry's seventh solo effort and just his third album of all original material. Bete Noir comes right after Ferry's masterpiece " Boys and Girls". Released in 1987 and featuring a who's who of great session players and real rock guitar gods ( David Gilmour and Johnny Marr). This album is far more rhythmic than " Boys and Girls" and not as romantic as the previous effort. What it lacks in lyrical content it more than makes up for it in the production area. First of all I like how Ferry and producer Patrick Leonard use rhythmn instruments and guitars to extend Ferry's romantic soundscapes into lush dance tracks. The stand-outs on this album are " Limbo " , " Kiss and Tell ", " Seven Deadly Sins" and " New Town ". Upon listening to this album one can't help but notice how light and flowerey Ferry's voice is. In some cases almost inaudible due to the mix of instruments and production tricks. What I think Ferry tried to do was to improve on " Boys and Girls " and came up a little short on the perfection side. He is known as a perfectionist and a bit of a tyrant in the studio but his use of over 40 musicians overwhelms the production. I understand what he was trying to do. He wanted to make an album that was more lush than " Boys and Girls". In my opinion he should have stripped down some of the production and made it more acoustic and maybe he would have found perfection. Who's to say. Anyways if you love lush soundscapes that you can sway to then this is a must have. Not as good as Roxy Music's " Avalon " or " Boys and Girls " but worth having in your collection.

I suppose everyone is entitled to at least one weak album, but did he have to do a third-rate reiteration of "Boys and Girls"? The one thing I always expect from Mr. Ferry is the unexpected, but I never expected him to go over so much of the same (tired) ground as his prior record. The content of this album gives the impression of being stuck in a rut. Flabby and uninspired.

I had first heard of Bryan Ferry as the front man of Roxy Music and I simply adored the song "Avalon." I had really liked Ferry's voice and I loved the songs "Slave to Love" and "Don't Stop the Dance" from the Boys and Girls album but at that point had not purchased his music. When the "Limbo" video first aired on MTV back 1987, I simply fell in love with his voice and style and the song itself. Shortly after, the video for "Kiss and Tell" was released and I loved that song even more than "Limbo." Even then I still had not purchased any of his music or Roxy Music for that matter.

Those songs lingered with me for years until I finally bought the Bete Noire CD in 2000.

This album is a masterpiece. All the songs are rich yet beautifully dark and haunting. This album's production utilizes some of the best producers, musicians and session singers of the era. The guitar riffs and bass lines on this album are fantastic. I don't think there is any song on this album that I don't like.

The sound is timeless and Ferry's voice, along with the backing vocalists is very soulful. When I'm in a mood to lay back in relax, I put on this CD. It's perfect for listening to when you are inside on a rainy day having, your favorite glass of wine.

If you have never heard this album or any of Bryan Ferry's songs, you will not be disappointed. Bete Noire is top-notch and worth buying.

Bryan Ferry might be an aquired taste, but there's no doubt he's made some classic tunes, especially with Roxy Music. Of his solo work I've come to like this the best. "Boys And Girls" is also excellent, and has a few hits of it's own. I find this album as a whole to be very good, but I'll admit it's "Limbo" and "Kiss And Tell" that make it so damn great. Few songs are as catchy and emotionally pleasing, to me anyway. Come to think of it, I'm shocked he hasn't had a proper solo collection out yet. Still, this is one of the first albums to get of his, if not the first. There's a reason I have it on CD, cassette, and vinyl.

They say nobody's perfect, but that didn't stop BF from trying, and on this record he came close to succeeding. From the pop whimsy of 'All Night Operator' and 'Tokyo Joe' to the lounge/mysticism of the opening and closing tracks, a staggeringly original album (and not just because it was his first all-originals solo endeavor). But the real deal here is 'Love Me Madly Again' which is simply one of the greatest songs in human history. Literally awe-inspiring.

In Your Mind- Bryan Ferry's fourth solo (somewhat) escapade from Roxy Music could be described as muscular-meat and potatoes effort . Ferry doesn't "doll-up" the songs with his usual multi-layered stylings . I'm sure the great (yes I do agree) Chris "Ace" Spedding's contributions moved the music towards the album's road-house rock feel.(I was lucky enough to see a "In Your Mind" tour show at the Santa Monica Civic, LA Calif, way ,way back when- Let me tell ya -that band KICKED_ASS.Spedding AND Manzanera -They shredded, especially on "Love me Madly, Again" with Ferry rocking out between them. John Wetton,Horn section(MEL COLLINS?)Ferry did solo and some Roxy stuff-I distinctly remember"Could it Happen to Me" "Present laughter and the memories of troubles you have seen. They are written-IN YOUR MIND".Great Cd.

Following Roxy Music's first split (after the excellent SIREN album) in 1976, Bryan Ferry decided to try his hand at his first solo album entirely consisting of his own compositions. While far from perfect, the result is an album that is quite good.
What is most interesting with IN YOUR MIND is that it is the most straightfoward rock n roll work Ferry has done to date. It is completely stripped of all the glam-rock and art-rock trimmings of most of his early Roxy Music and solo work. So Ferry's trademark croon and vibrato may sound a tad bizarre at first in such an ordinary rock setting, but after a few listens, it all seems to work.
Though the album is far from being the best example of Ferry's songwriting skills, it does contain some fine moments. "Tokyo Joe" is fun, infectious, and downright weird. It sounds like a stripped-down demo that found itself left off of SIREN or COUNTRY LIFE.
"Party Doll" and "One Kiss" are almost equally catchy, but not nearly as fun and entertaining.
Aside from these the rest of the songs are very hit or miss. The one exception, however, is the title track, wich closes out the album. What initially sounds like a Ferry-penned Christmas Carol turns into a thrilling anthem, complete with an excellent guitar solo by the great Chris Spedding. And while the lyrics may border on the absurd and pretentious side ("see the veiled prophet's withered gaze reflect the nouvelle-vague."), musically, this is one of Ferry's finest.
There are, of course, better Ferry solo albums out there, but IN YOUR MIND is definitely enjoyable, and it's sounds as though Ferry had some fun making this one! Don't let the silly album cover scare you away- give it a try

Having encountered this album from the perspective of an early Roxy Music fan, I was initially disappointed it did not contain the kind of experimentation characteristic of the Roxy 'early years'. But since then this recording has grown much on me and has become one of my favorite albums of all time. This is Brian Ferry's first solo album of all original material and it is truly an artistic gem. In this work he weaves blues, R&B, 70's funk, and even oriental themes (on Tokyo Joe) into a seamless pop album with intelligence, superb musicianship and sophisticated production. My favorite tracks are "Love me Madly Again", "Party Doll", and the title track "In Your Mind".

Several familiar members of Roxy Music contribute to this album including TGPT, John Wetton, and Phil Manzanera. But it is British guitar ace Chris Spedding who blows me away on this album. His economical approach stands in contrast to the familiar 'wall of sound' cascades of Manzanera's early Roxy style. So few guitarists I know can craft such deceptively simple yet powerful flourishes and solos which never overshadow but strengthen the songs. Spedding's slide work on this record is especially strong. As a musician, I know how rare this kind of tasteful playing is and it is all over this album. I absolutely love it. If you are a fan of middle period Roxy (Siren, Manifesto), you will too.

In some ways, In Your Mind is actually a Roxy Music album, in that most of Ferry's 1970's albums have been covers albums with diverse renditions of old R&B and rock songs of the past(Dylan, Four Tops, etc.). His solo albums were covers, while Roxy Music fulfilled a place for his songwriting. So In Your Mind is somewhat of a Roxy album in that it's all originals. What's it sound like? Imagine an album between Country Life and Siren, though some of it is different(the strings on Tokyo Joe and Love Me Madly Again). The most Roxy-ish stuff here can be found in All Night Operator(very Siren-esque) and One Kiss. Not the most remarkable from Mr.Ferry's 70's output, but could have been a decent Roxy album had he let Andy Mackay and the rest play with the material a bit. A few Roxy members do make guest appearances(as they often did on Ferry's solo albums). This and Bride Stripped Bare will satisfy anyone up for more 70's Roxy Music who already has all of the Roxy albums.

Just a really fine tri disk compilation of his good fast/slow work. I got turned on to Ferry from the Ridley Scott film Legend featuring Is your love strong Enough? at the end of the film. Just love his pop sensibilities and instrument timing on his work. Highly recommended for lite fans and more. 5 stars.

I gave this Set three stars since out of three CDs included in this set, really, only one Cd is fantastic.

Basically, of the three Cds included in this Set , I still prefer the ROXY MUSIC Cd the best. Why?? Because some of Brian Ferry's songs are just plain too weird for me.

This is just my opinion: .... but if you love Roxy Music, as I do, then it's probably better to buy "The BEST of ROXY MUSIC"...period! I found that some of Brian's songs to be just plain boring, so why buy a 3 Cd set?

In my opinion, I think that Brian Ferry was at his best when he was with ROXY MUSIC (rather than as a single singer).

Very good introduction to Bryan Ferry. However, it is missing "Everytime You Go Away".

I was a fan of Roxy Music since I first heard Avalon and More Than This. They have always been a band that people can relate to. Roxy Music is a Progressive Rock band that wore drag, with Brian Eno beginning in this Band as its Keyboardist, and the fact that with Sax and great Rock and Roll guitar as well as drum and bass, that makes Roxy Music into a true anthem band of British Rock fron the 1970s.
Bryan Ferry is a great Crooner, and he even in drag is a Glam Rock Sinatra, when David Bowie has no one ever who can stand at his level from before or after, as a performer, as they BROKE THE MOLD when he was created as a performer. Bryan and Roxy Music are definatly Bowie types in performing, with the use of Keyboards and Moorg Synth sounds as well as Sax and Rock Guitar, giving them such a classic style of the time that could rival Bowie, but of course no one could top Bowie.
My favorate songs from the time from 1972 to 1975 are Street Life and Pajamarama as well as Love is The Drug plus Virginia Plain and Both Ends Burning from Roxy itself as a Band, when Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and The In Crowd by Bryan solo are amazing, but his version of Dylan's Hard Rains Gonna Fall is the top favorate for me from that period for Bryan, when my least favorate from that era in anything is Do The Strand. Lets Stick Together was released in 1975, and I totally recomend the whole album and not just the selections on this Collection. In dealing with 1975 to 1985 I recomend Dance Away and Angel Eyes as well as Sign of the Times from Bryan's Bride Stripped Bare album. Avalon is a true classic but Flesh + Blood has songs that are not too clamorous for me, so the songs from that album on the Collection exept Same old Sceene I do not recomend. Avalon and Boys and Girls are classics in full status, while Is Your Love Strong Enough is a song that should have been on Boys and Girls reissued or Bete Noire which was as amazing.
In closing this is a true classic in a Collection.

Imagine just coming from a really fabulous party, then diving into a pool of the smoothest, velvety chocolate... enough said.

Kat NY,NY

Of Bryan's Ferry solo albums, this is my third favorite behind "Boys and Girls" and "Bete Noir." This CD has the same type of haunting songs which, to me, is Ferry's trademark.

I like Ferry best on his smooth and upbeat songs, such as the title cut. It's hard to describe his atmospheric style but it's pretty unique. It's like "film noir" is to movies: cool and edgy but smooth, too, with a tinge of this and that. Ferry sounds best in a dark room with your headphones on.

Most of this material in here "fair," (a little slower than I normally like) so if you're new to Ferry, I'd recommend either of the CDs mentioned above. If you liked those, this one then is a "must."

Mamouna............very little to say, except...this is a GREAT Recording for Bryan Ferry and...Robin Trower. Yes. Robin Trower is producing this album with Ferry, and you can feel Trower's presence in every single song.
To sum what I can say about this album:
If you like Roxy Music; specifically "Avalon" and "Flesh and Blood",
If you are a fan of Bryan Ferry,
If you are into Robin Trower's "Bridge of Sighs" or his guitar riffs and melodic touches,
This is like putting those 2 artists in a Blender and coming out with Mamouna
This fantastic album is highly recommended.
This album has been in my CD player for 2 days in a row, to me it is like a brand new album for Trower as well as Ferry. Two in one. Can't get any better.

Bryan Ferry scores yet again, this time with all originals. How does the man do it? Very well, thank you.

This is probably my third favorite Bryan Ferry CD, following "Boys and Girls" and "Bête Noire." It maintains the atmospheric production of those two CD's (this time courtesy of Robin Trower) and also ponies up with some great writing from Ferry.

The players all pitch in with great work. Old Roxy friends Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay and Brian Eno contribute to most of the songs, along with notable musicians like Maceo Parker, Nile Rodgers and Pino Paladino. They all pile on rich, lush layers of sound, buoying Ferry's timeless tenor. While "Mamouna" is probably one of Ferry's lesser known albums, I probably return to this one more that, for instance, "Taxi" or "Frantic." If you prefer Ferry's work in the "Avalon" era, then "Mamouna" will probably be to your tastes.

I have long been a fan of Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music. This album is a real experience, beyond the jaunty, glam rock of the 70s and early 80s. There is a surreal feeling to this music. It's best listened to in an environment where it can truly be absorbed. Bryan Ferry's voice, of course, has a quality that is hard to explain, and with this great background music, it truly resonates to the ethereal.

It's the kind of album that you listen to a few times, then put it away for a few months, then do it again. Each time you will be amazed at the power of this incredible music experience. It is a beautifully constructed album, in that the music builds on itself to a great climax, then the amazing, haunting denouement of Chain Reaction just carries you away.

I cannot recommend Mamouna highly enough for Bryan Ferry/Roxy fans, or anyone else who likes stylish, inventive pop music creations.