British singer Bryan Ferry was in his own unique way a punk rocker during the 1970s. While not exactly 'punk' in the same breath as the Sex Pistols and the Clash (it's unlikely you'll find footage or photographs of him sporting a mohawk and leather jacket), Ferry challenged the traditional image of the long-haired arena rock star with a guitar. As a solo artist outside of Roxy Music, the innovative rock band he co-founded, Ferry molded himself as a stylish and suave pop crooner of the 1930s dressed in a white tuxedo – more in the vein of Frank Sinatra and Rudy Vallee than Elvis Presley and Little Richard. Most importantly, outside of Roxy, Ferry developed a penchant for interpreting well-known popular hits by others in a unique way that often strayed from the intent and sound of the original versions.

Around the time of Roxy Music was still a relatively new band, Ferry recorded two solo albums—These Foolish Things (1973) and Another Time, Another Place (1974)—consisting of his distinct interpretations of songs by such artists as the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan and the Beatles—as well as material from the pre-rock and roll era. Amid his busy recording and live performance work with Roxy, Ferry embarked on his first solo tour, which is captured on his recently released album Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1974.

Backed predominantly by members of Roxy Music—including guitarist Phil Manzanera, drummer Paul Thompson, bassist John Wetton, and keyboardist Eddie Jobson, along with as well as an orchestra— Ferry's set list mostly consisted of songs from his first two solo albums. In contrast to the romantically jaded and sometimes somber Roxy Music albums like For Your Pleasure and Stranded, the tone of the music from this Royal Albert Hall concert was more upbeat and exuberant, akin to a Las Vegas show revue.

The album begins with an energetic and bouncy take of the Rolling Stones' “Sympathy of the Devil'' that seems so removed from the mood conveyed by the original version. That sets up the approach of the rest of the songs on Live at the Royal Albert Hall, including a very radical re-working of Dylan's “A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall”; a '50s doo-wop-meets-R&B interpretation of the Beach Boys' “Don't Worry Baby”; and an uptempo version of the Beatles' “You Won't See Me.” On the contrary, Ferry transforms Dobie Gray's soul hit “The In-Crowd” into a fiery glam rocker, and his performance of the Miracles' “The Tracks of My Tears” conveys a raw power and urgency.

The pop and rock material on Live at the Royal Albert Hall is balanced by the inclusion of some Tin Pan Alley-era standards, showcasing Ferry's reverence for that period (which he would later pay homage on the 1999 album As Time Goes By ). Here, he offers his elegant yet modern-sounding interpretations of the standards “These Foolish Things” and “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (popularized by the Platters). In addition to the covers, Ferry sneaks in two of his original songs: the raucous “Another Time, Another Place,” from the album of the same name; and the majestic “A Really Good Time,” from Roxy Music's fourth album Country Life.

Clearly outside of his work with Roxy, Ferry lets it all loose here, bringing a debonair and sophisticated sensibility to the cover songs while his backing band rocks with both skillful aplomb and abandon. The presence of the orchestra brings an elegance to the proceedings, as the high-pitched vocals of the female backing singers (in the tradition of the Raelettes and the Ikettes) add some camp. As for his performances, Ferry is a versatile chameleon who can traverse between bombast (“Baby You're So Square” “It's My Party”) and sincerity (“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”). There are moments where Ferry seems to out-Vegas Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond by not taking himself too seriously, as he mostly glams it up throughout the entire set.

In the context of the times when this concert was presented– between the end of glam rock's popularity and the rise of punk—Ferry's distinct interpretations of the classics could either be interpreted as either baffling or brave (the verdict leans towards the the latter). Over his career, he would continue to do cover songs on such albums As Time Goes By and Dylanesque, albeit a bit more toned down compared to his first two solo records. The vibrant-sounding Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1974 strictly caters more towards die-hard fans of Ferry and Roxy Music, but it is a fascinating and quite entertaining survey of Ferry as rock's ultimate lounge lizard.