Late 1974 was a pivotal time for Roxy Music, the art rock band spearheaded by singer/songwriter Bryan Ferry. The group had scored several top five hits in its native U.K., and was breaking big in the U.S., with its fourth album, Country Life. At the same time, band members Ferry, guitarist Phil Manzanera, and saxophonist Andy MacKay had all embarked on solo projects. Ferry, in particular, had seen considerable chart success on his own, to the point…entire summary
Bryan Ferry - vocals, keyboards, harmonica
Eddie Jobson - strings, keyboards, vocals
Andy MacKay - saxophone, oboe
Phil Manzanera - guitar, vocals
Paul Thompson - drums
John Wetton - bass, vocals
Late 1974 was a pivotal time for Roxy Music, the art rock band spearheaded by singer/songwriter Bryan Ferry. The group had scored several top five hits in its native U.K., and was breaking big in the U.S., with its fourth album, Country Life. At the same time, band members Ferry, guitarist Phil Manzanera, and saxophonist Andy MacKay had all embarked on solo projects. Ferry, in particular, had seen considerable chart success on his own, to the point where it was getting hard to tell the difference between his Roxy recordings and solo tracks.
The members, however, were not willing to throw away all they had worked for as Roxy Music to simply have what was feared to be a short-lived solo career. Therefore, they embarked on a lengthy world tour in 1974, from which this show was recorded for the King Biscuit Flower Hour. The show featured most of the group's best known songs, and featured former Curved Air multi-instrumentalist, Eddie Jobson. Jobson came on board after the sudden departure of founding member and synth player, Brian Eno. Also in the 1975 line-up was bassist/vocalist John Wetton, who had just bounced back from King Crimson, and in the future would form UK with Eddie Jobson, before eventually striking platinum with the '80s prog rockers Asia.
Although Jobson and Wetton gave the band more of a prog feel, as opposed to the glam rock vibe of the earlier line-up, Roxy Music was and remains a vehicle for the creative triumphant of Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, and Andy MacKay. Highlights of this show, recorded at City Hall in Newcastle, England, include the opener, "Prairie Rose," "Mother Of Pearl," "Out Of The Blue," "In Every Dream Home A Heartache," "All I Want Is You," and a blistering close that rocks out with the band's greatest songs: "Virginia Plane," "Editions Of You," "Remake Remodel," and the infectious anti-dance song, "Do The Strand."
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