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 Post subject: Re: Bitter- Sweet Forum Member Reviews
PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 11:52 am 
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Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2010 2:21 pm
Posts: 390
Belated greetings and best wishes to you all for 2019.

It has taken me a while to listen to Bitter-Sweet as I lost a close friend in early December and I couldn't bear listening to anything that triggered memories of him - my friend Tony was also a huge Roxy fan and had an incredible musical knowledge and wealth of stories about many bands he had seen (and met) through his second job organising security and looking after bands at theatre venues in Staffordshire in the '70s.

I much prefer Bitter-Sweet to The Jazz Age; the vocal tracks are excellent and far superior to the instrumentals, some of the latter I find mildly disappointing. Alphaville is probably my favourite, but, as has been mentioned by others, the BF melancholy extends with engaging reworkings of New Town and Zamba.

Bitter-Sweet retains the lovely "live" feel of both As Time Goes By and TJA and I would love it if Bryan toured again with a band in the same vein as the ATGB tour. He could even add a few girls doing "Cabaret" choregraphy on the darker numbers and Charleston routines on the lighter ones.

I will finish with the first story Tony ever told me (he came over to my table on overhearing me chatting in a pub to someone else about Roxy);

"First saw them in Hanley and they came on stage in the weirdest clothes and kicked off the set with "The BoB." I mean....The BoB, weird!!!
After 2 minutes I told the lads we better get ready to protect them as people were looking around wondering what the hell this was, we expected the bottles to start flying. Anyway, the response was muted but they then kicked into Remake-Remodel and from then on the place was jumping. Bryan finished off the show by introducing their new single, Virginia Plain saying "to be released this week or next" and it got an amazing reaction....."

Man I miss him.

p.s. dear W2 - what do you mean by "VOs?"


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 Post subject: Re: Bitter- Sweet Forum Member Reviews
PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 12:07 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:40 am
Posts: 623
Location: Merseyside
Sorry for your loss rendezvous - I hope 2019 will get happier for you.
Regards,
Richard


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 Post subject: Re: Bitter- Sweet Forum Member Reviews
PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:37 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:40 am
Posts: 623
Location: Merseyside
A belated two pennies worth from me.
Overall I like the album, although the instrumentals seem to make it fly by, meaning the close of Boys and Girls prompts a feeling of 'is that it?!' On the subject of those instrumentals, I think they are something of a faux pas. I take the point the pace of some aren't suited to the current Ferry vocal but I'd argue this only really applies to the otherwise magnificent 'Sign Of The Times' and, at a push, 'Dance Away'. I'd say the others lend themselves to a Ferry vocal and it's a missed opportunity not to make the whole thing vocal. It would hang together as a more coherent whole were that the case.
Turning to the majority of tracks where BF does make an appearance, I think the opening Olympia pairing are really rather wonderful and both Bitter Sweet and Chance Meeting are welcome and worthy additions a la ATGB. The biggest surprises to me were 'While My Heart Is Still Beating' and 'Boys and Girls' - tracks that exemplify the high (over?) production values of the early 80s that, to my simple brain, made these highly unlikely contenders for such an album but which work magnificently. The latter has pretty much always bored me, performed' live, but I think this arrangement would be far more captivating before an audience.
If there's a song I'm not enamoured with it's Zamba. The original is fine in the context of the wider album but live it's a yawnfest and the same applies here.
So only a couple of criticisms, overall it's a rather enchanting album I think and it's good to have the voice, however whispery, not smothered by backing vocals for what seems like the first time in years.
Out of the top 100 but still burning away gently in the UK Jazz and Blues top 20 which must be a cause for some contentment to team BF.


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 Post subject: Re: Bitter- Sweet Forum Member Reviews
PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 7:32 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:13 pm
Posts: 553
Good words from Ukrichard - nailing both what’s great about this album and a number of minor concerns about the instrumental tracks. All the arrangements however are incredible , especially for those tracks taken from the Roxy Music album. I think Colin Good is really making his influence felt .
Can anyone knowledgely comment as to why they chose that picture of Ferry on the cover?


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 Post subject: Re: Bitter- Sweet Forum Member Reviews
PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:44 pm 
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Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 7:23 pm
Posts: 1568
rendezvous wrote:
Belated greetings and best wishes to you all for 2019......

It has taken me a while to listen to Bitter-Sweet as I lost a close friend in early December and I couldn't bear listening to anything that triggered memories of him ........

Bitter-Sweet retains the lovely "live" feel of both As Time Goes By and TJA and I would love it if Bryan toured again with a band in the same vein as the ATGB tour. He could even add a few girls doing "Cabaret" choregraphy on the darker numbers and Charleston routines on the lighter ones.

I will finish with the first story Tony ever told me ........

Man I miss him.

p.s. dear W2 - what do you mean by "VOs?"


Cher Rendezvous,
Sorry to hear about your friend - I fear that we are at that age when the passing of time ceases to be an abstract concept. That said, when the hurt dissipates, the good memories warm our hearts forever and it can be good music which triggers those very memories.
With that in mind, I’m pleased you like the new album. I love it and share your desire to have a stage show themed around it. I have tickets for TRAH in June and pray to the Ferry Gods that it will happen.
Sorry for using the acronym, it was lazy of me. VOs = Version Original.
Have a fabulous 2019.
Warmest of regards,
Windswept.


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 Post subject: Re: Bitter- Sweet Forum Member Reviews
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 12:30 am 
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Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:40 am
Posts: 623
Location: Merseyside
OK, it doesn't translate into huge sales, but Bitter Sweet continues its unbroken run in the Official UK Jazz & Blues Top 30 this week at 21. :)


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 Post subject: Re: Bitter- Sweet Forum Member Reviews
PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2019 7:43 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:13 pm
Posts: 553
I’m not sure how he pulled it off during all the touring but to my mind Bitter-Sweet is Ferry’s most original album since Mamouna.


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 Post subject: Re: Bitter- Sweet Forum Member Reviews
PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2019 6:55 am 
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Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 7:23 pm
Posts: 1568
avalon_eyes wrote:
I’m not sure how he pulled it off during all the touring but to my mind Bitter-Sweet is Ferry’s most original album since Mamouna.


Hipsters,
avalon_eyes makes an interesting point.
Windswept has long thought that Ferry and Good are completely simpatico when it comes to this type of music.
When two such huge talents are working in tandem all is possible and when it comes to playing the arrangements, the musicianship of TBFO is just off the Richter scale.
Is it the most original album since ‘Mamouna’ ?
W2 ponders. ATGB was very original, as was TJA and, of course, one could always argue that both ‘Olympia’ and ‘Avonmore’ boasted great original material. That said ‘B-S’ (an unfortunate acronym) has the most beautiful arrangements and feel as an album. Peut- etre avolon_eyes has a point !
As to how did he do it with his touring schedule ?
Who truly knows the wonderous workings of ‘Studio One’ ?
Suffice to say Geordie’s Favourite Son’s work ethic has never been in question but W2 suspects that much ‘Good’ work was done in the background and that arrangements were well rehearsed for our hero to fine tune.
The six million dollar question now is how much of this amazing album will find its way on stage ? W2’s RAH tickets have arrived but his breath remains bated !
Salutations,
Windswept.


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 Post subject: Re: Bitter- Sweet Forum Member Reviews
PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2019 11:33 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:40 am
Posts: 623
Location: Merseyside
I can see how the approach to the songs is 'original' but not how re-imagining his own work in this way makes it BF's most original album in 25 years. For me that honour definitely brings to ATGB. Exquisite arrangements of songs outside the BF canon at the time that was the basis for probably his most original and critically successful solo tour ever and eventually spawned the jazz outings of both 2012/13 and the present day.


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 Post subject: Re: Bitter- Sweet Forum Member Reviews
PostPosted: Fri Apr 05, 2019 3:50 am 
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Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 7:23 pm
Posts: 1568
Manifesto wrote:
Beautiful.Majestic and dark. So far stand out tracks for me are 'New Town', 'While My Heart Is Still Beating'(I prefer it to the 'Avalon' version) 'Limbo'( I always felt this was a stand out track on 'Bete Noire' but that the single version was let down by removing all the quirkiness and adding too strong a drum track) and 'Chance Meeting'.As with all things Ferry, my choices will change as I listen to the album more and more.

Some of the tracks are almost sinister in their atmosphere and would fit with imagery from Bela Lugosi's 'Dracula'. I can see why 'Sign Of The Times' has no vocal track but it is extremely interesting and engaging.
Bryan seems very comfortable with the vocals and very much works within his new range. There is no sense of strain. The musicianship is truly excellent- I'm a big Enrico Tamasso fan.
A beautiful,beautiful album.


Hipsters,

The fact that W2 is playing this every day - five months after the launch - made him look back at the fans reviews, particularly that from Manifesto, who summed it up so well.

What a magnificent LP this is. It makes W2 so sad that there may may never be a live rendition.

This, for Windswept, typifies the genius of Ferry. Looking back and forward at the same time. The haunting majesty of the work - the depth and precision of the playing and the sheer quality of the arrangements and musicianship.

These songs are a living ‘Hall Of Fame’ and reflect time well spent.
One can only wonder if a group of such stand out players will ever be assembled again.

True artistry and innovation - halcyon days !

Salutations,

Windswept.


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