Avalon [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Rating: 7.5/10

Best tracks: "More Than This", "Avalon", "True to Life", "Take a Chance with Me".

Roxy Music began life as a raucous, impossible-to-pin-down, rough, ready, post-modern and decidedly futuristic proposition; by the time of their last album, they'd become an entirely different band. Super-smooth, mature, elegant, streamlined and without a single note in the wrong place. I can imagine there may be some people who loved "Ladytron", "Editions of You" or "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" who refuse to have the time of day for Avalon, and vice versa. Roxy Music were certainly building their way towards this album's peerless perfection the moment they made their comeback in 1979 with their sleek, more chart-friendly Manifesto and the following year's Flesh and Blood; neither were classic Roxy Music albums, though they both had their moments, the former in particular. Before Avalon, it looked as though the band seemed like they were merely getting by, in danger of being hopelessly overshadowed by the many bands they'd helped to inspire and influence, their glory days long behind them. Yet Avalon saw them give it one last shot, to spectacular effect. A valid criticism of the album is that it's too-perfect sounding, to the point of being over-mannered. You can tell these songs have been airbrushed and honed to absolute exquisiteness, and for those who like the sound of spontaneity, recklessness or anything approaching surprise, Avalon will not be a favourite. At its best, such as on the mighty "More Than This", the seductive title track and the wonderful "Take a Chance With Me" (unsurprisingly, all were singles), we're talking about Roxy Music at its finest.

The title track, if you're feeling mean, does sound in places like a prototype for what would be Chris de Burgh's hideous forte (sorry, it IS there....) of chocolate box romance (sorry, that should be "rom-aaans"), but it's a beautiful thing, and with its "now the party's over" opening, pretty much a perfect summation of the band's farewell status. It's the kind of late-evening, impeccably tailored, sensual mature pop that loads and loads would try and copy, and yet barely anyone would be able to match. Despite what it helped to influence, this remains one of the band's best ever songs. You can't blame a band for the poorer imitations it inspired, can you? Just try and block out those "Lady in Red" resemblances.....it can be done! The stylish late-night mood-funk of "The Space Between" and "The Main Thing" are terrifically performed and produced, even if they aren't exactly memorable at all! "India" is a beguiling, atmospheric instrumental interlude that's like a sunset-travelogue and, in its own innocuous way, one of the best little things the band ever created. The fine if unspectacular "While My Heart is Still Beating" makes for a very strong point that this is as much a Bryan Ferry solo album as much as it is a Roxy LP, since it's indistinguishable from his own material, yet Ferry himself never was able to recapture the magic present here, though lord knows he'd try again and again and again. "More Than This" is just absolutely, maddeningly perfect, with one of the best Ferry vocals ever, while the band refrain from histrionics, play it perfectly cool and evoke perfect skies, sleek suits, glamorous dresses, exquisite melancholy and bittersweet joy. "Take a Chance With Me" was a single, though many best-ofs and retrospectives ignore it; I have no idea why, as it's absolutely fantastic from start to finish; those guitars just sigh and strut, the rhythms are perfect, and above it all, Ferry gives it that unique feel with that great voice of his. "To Turn You On" might make some go green with its MOR-esque atmosphere, but it's a beauty, especially during that lovely solo. The hidden gem on this album however is "True to Life", a magical, mesmerising thing of wonder with a great chorus. Unfortunately "Tara" is merely an okay, forgettable epilogue.

Compared to the likes of Stranded and Country Life, Avalon lacks excitement, surprise or edge, but it doesn't try to deliver on that level; on its own terms it's a smashing adult-pop album, beautifully played, divinely sad, smooth and oh-so very stylish. In theory it should be hopelessly bland, but it works, it really does. Only a few average (tracks 2, 5, 6 and 10 in particular) songs and a general lack of sonic variety make it less than perfect. Overall though, Avalon is a very fine way for one of the best bands of the 1970's to bow out. Fall for it.

PS: The B-side to the "Avalon" single, "Always Unknowing" is an absolute must for anyone who loves this album, as it's more the same; delicate, dreamy soundscapes....try and find it!

Every nuance is cared for in this superbly produced (but not over-produced) album. Frankly, words could not spell out the score, but I'll give it a go. It is wonderfully lush, romantic, incisive. It is also a remarkably cohesive album. Although there is variation between tracks, particularly rhythmically, the overall musical feel and the lyrical feel are both quite lucid and they are perfectly matched.

The album begins with 'More Than This' which lays down the very high standard of the album, with no instrument dominating but marvellous little sequences coming in at just the right time, most notably from the guitar and the keyboards. The vocals are also used cleverly, as more than a voice - as an instrument in itself with peaks in the middle of lines creating a sweeping effect in the verses, like the tide washing in and out, to which the lyrics refer. The second verse is a gentle gaining of understanding from the first and the track moves onward to its serene departure. You could say I kinda like it.

Next is 'The Space Between', lyrically a suggestion of moving beyond friendship and characterised by some marvellous percussion. The highlight of the title track is the stunning background vocal with pitch perfect high notes. Next (on the original sequence at least) follows a short instrumental which maintains the flow with refined touches in both foreground and background, then comes the heartfelt 'While My Heart Is Still Beating' (the lyric including "My heart has flown away now, will it never stop bleeding?").

Strong rhythm pulses through 'The Main Thing' then comes the moody opening to the Bryan Ferry/Phil Manzanera composition, 'Take A Chance With Me' which goes on to plead "All the world, even you, should learn to love the way I do", clearly depicting love as the maker and breaker of lives. 'To Turn You On' is a superb love song, the singer again committed to his emotions for better or worse. 'True To Life' maintains both mood and theme and features some evocative vocal effects, then the album finishes with another instrumental and the tide washing in again.

It is no wonder Roxy split after this as the only way would have been down, as Ferry's over-produced solo attempts to recapture this have proven. This album may not be the best of all-time (there - I've admitted it!) but it is my personal favourite.

I think this is Brian Ferry's finest album. The tunes are magical fantasies of mystic Britishness, set in a netherworld of Arthurian legend and the beaches of old Zanzibar for exotic effect. More than this, the melodies and harmonies are instantly memorable, in a soft focus sort of way. Ferry was at the height of his popularity , when people had the patience to follow an artist's career and philosophy. This is a lounge lizard world of afternoon cocktails and leisurely overseas sojourns, yet the songs live up to the billing. Half are up tempo numbers, the rest dreamy ballads. The Main Thing and Take a Chance With Me were released as singles, the first two tracks; More than This and The Space Between are faster percussive pieces followed by slower more reflective ramblings such as India and Avalon itself. The album is beautifully written, performed and produced with wonderful technical values for the time; A timeless classic of mysticism these tunes will stay forever in the memory of nice songs. Hear Brian Ferry's voice at it's very best in a non threatening environment, preferably by a coal fire on a winter's evening, with a bottle of red, the kids safely tucked up in bed, phone turned off, debts forgotten, with someone you love.......that's the way Brian would have wanted it.