It takes a lot of imagination to recognize Bryan Ferry in this song.
Very brave.

It is a departure from the tried and tested that I know and have admired with awe everywhere over the decades.
I don't like it.

Not even after listening to it 10 times.

Now I know what Phil meant in a recent interview when he said that Bryan is doing strange things at the moment.

I am curious to see how the great Mr. Windswept2 classifies this song.

For the last ten years or so I’ve been hoping for something new and more exciting - this is close to what I had in my mind - something more dangerous and less considered… There comes a time when things have to be remade and remodelled - It’s a new danceable solution … in many ways not so far removed from the hypnotic energy of The Bogus Man .

Mais oui, Gardner, I'm with you!
That our here does something like this at his stage of life is daring and impressive. It's not my genre of music, but it grows on me. !Viva!

https://www.nme.com/news/music/listen-t ... de-3788280

This is a bit of a puzzle to me. There is no classic melody here, the lyrics are fairly buried in the mix and treatment - and yet despite that I quite like it. Is it preferable to releasing cover versions which in some cases expose the frailty of the ageing Ferry voice? I think so, yet when it's finished it doesn't leave much impression with me. It's certainly the sound of an artist not playing it safe, and I am all for that. I too will be interested to hear the views of Mr Windswept 2.

It's interesting that, on the whole, comments here are generally quite positive for something that's such a departure. That said, I'm wondering if it really is as radical a change of style as I initially thought.

I'm not a fan of streaming, but out of convenience I often stream music I already own. Over the last couple of days, I've been playing the recently released digital singles and in particular reacquainting myself with, for example, 'Valentine' instrumental. To my ears, it has never chimed with the album version but it's an intriguing piece in its own right. No melody at all and dripping with what I can only describe as mystery. That got me thinking about just how many other Roxy and BF solo originals lack a melody and discernable chorus. Then to the numerous mixes - especially that 'Olympia' and 'Avonmore' spawned and that BF wholeheartedly endorsed by virtue of their official releases on, amongst other things SDE versions. You'd be hard-pressed to get a page of the Chronicle between some of those and 'Star'.

I can only deduce it's a style that has long interested BF but those remix styles have now become the source material. It is a song I'm enjoying more with each listen. It's just a bit ironic that it's so short given the length of some of those earlier mixes. And maybe BF is content to return to the more 'abstract' sound that has so often been a feature of his work, punctuated by some of his more commercial output and interpretations?

It's also incredibly interesting to ponder the new music we've had of late. I've enjoyed returning to the 'Love Letters' EP - chiefly because it has a real charm about it. And whilst 'She Belongs To Me' clearly has, as yet to be determined, earlier origins, it's something team BF chose now to release. And now, along comes 'Star' crashing into centre stage like the proverbial bull in a china shop. Could there be any more diversity in this output? It certainly whets the appetite for the "lots more to come".

Cher UKRichard,
I'm busy travelling these days, but I want to congratulate you for a great post, so much insight there. Keep also in mind what Rhett Davies said about BF;s songwriting. That abstract, improvised way has been there more or less for a long time. Anyway, I am so happy that our hero seems to be healthy and creative. Salutations à tous!

I'm afraid that the song Nine-Inch-Nail Song Star didn't get the right amount of applause from the great Mr.Windswept2... otherwise he would have thanked the Penshaw Gods long ago...

Do I interpreting the long silence wrong ?

Who cares?

I do.
All opinions are welcome here. Windswept is absent, I sense for personal reasons.

Yes indeed, I hope all is well with him. He is an enthusiastic champion of all things Roxy and Ferry, with the well-publicised exception of Is Your Love Strong Enough! I am sure he will have an entertaining point of view on the new track as and when he returns