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Rating: I compensate for the shameful lack of reviews on the great Roxy Music with this one of mine on "Country Life" from '74.
First of all, the cover, considered one of the most obscene in rock and variously censored, which continues the glorious series of pin-ups: after the vintage erotica of "Roxy Music", the animal-fetish of "For your Pleasure", the exotic-Latin of "Stranded", the idea here is a shabby and sexually ambiguous version (but is the model on the right really a woman?) of the glossy covers (depicting scenes of country life of the British upper class) of the exclusive magazine "Country Life" of which Ferry was an avid reader.
But, not by coincidence, the most "explicit" cover also reflects a dirtier and harder sound compared to the romantic excellence of "Stranded" and marks a passage for the Roxy that has always reminded me a bit of the Stones' transition from "Let it Bleed" to "Sticky Fingers", another scandalous cover (and incidentally, here there is also a peculiar blues, complete with harmonica played by Ferry: "If It Takes All Night").
The manifesto here is "The Thrill Of It All", the group's new call to arms: "The time has come. It's getting late, It's now or never, Don't hesitate or stall, When I call, Don't spoil, The thrill of it all". The pounding rhythm of "hitter" Thompson, the dense guitar texture of Manzanera, the violin of Jobson and the bass of Gustafson (along with MacKay's baritone), saturating the high and low registers, make it one of the group's classics.
"All I Want Is You", "Casanova" and "Out Of the Blue" are the other uptempo tracks: the latter is my favorite with a slowly dissolving intro from anthology and a remarkable electric violin solo by Jobson, finally in the spotlight as he was in Curved Air. The contrast between the initial gloomy atmosphere and the optimistic refrain ("Then: out of the blue, Love came rushing in, Out of the sky, Came the sun, Out of left field, Came a lucky day, Out of the blue, No more pain") preceded by an excellent bass run is exciting. Another classic even in live performances.
Elsewhere reemerges the romantic vein of Stranded: the nostalgic "Three And Nine" is, for example, the new "Just Like You", while "Bitter-sweet" is the new "Song For Europe": instead of French Chanson, Ferry and MacKay revive the German cabaret; instead of the romance gramelot, we find here German passages, courtesy of the translation done for Ferry by the two German models on the cover (one of whom, incidentally, is the sister of Michael Karoli from Can). And the love for the Weimar era will find complete realization in the Hitler-Youth outfit Ferry will display during the 75-76 tour, anticipating by a year the controversies sparked by Bowie with Heroes.
Towards the end, the tracks become a bit weaker but the stylistic variety is high: the most striking contrast is felt between the spiritual "Triptich" (with oboe and harpsichord) and the cynical "Casanova" ("Now you're nothing, But second hand, In glove, With second rate now, Now you're flirting, With heroin, Or is it cocaine? Casanova, Is that your name, Or do you live there?") where, as throughout the album, Phil Manzanera's sumptuous guitar reigns supreme. In short, variety of styles and "sick" atmospheres which, in Roxy's catalog, make "Country Life" somewhat the rock counterpart to the paradisiacal Synth-Pop of "Avalon".
The concluding "Praire Rose", although not exceptional, is an important song because it heralds (along with the opening of "The Thrill Of It All") the band's imminent flirtation with Disco music. Moreover, it is an ode to the beautiful Texan Jerry Hall, Ferry's new flame, who would soon appear, like a languid siren, on the cover of the group's next album.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 The Thrill of It All (06:25)
(Ferry)
The sky is dark
The wind is cold
The night is young
Before it's old and grey
We will know
The trill of it all
The time has come
It's getting late
It's now or never
Don't hesitate or stall
When I call
Don't spoil
The thrill of it all
And before you go to sleep at night
Preying shadows - do they ask you why?
And in the morning through the afternoon
Do you wonder where you're going to?
Every word I use
Each crumpled page
Strange ideas
Mature with age
Like leaves
When autumn falls
Turn gold
Then they hit the ground
Every time I hear
The latest sound
It's pure whiskey
Reeling round and around
My brain
Oh and all o' that jive
It's driving me wild -
The dizzy spin I'm in
Everywhere I look
I see your face
I hear your name
It's all over the place
Hey girl
Though you've gone
Still I recall
The trill of it all
You might as well know what is right for you
And make the most of what you like to do
For all the pleasure that's surrounding you
Should compensate for all you're going through
So if you're feeling fraught
With mental strain
Too much thinking's got you down again
Well let your senses skip
Stay hip
Keep cool
To the thrill of it all
When you try too much
You lose control
Pressure rises
And so I'm told
Something's got the give
Oy Veh
High life ecstasy
You might as well live
I can't see
I can't speak
I couldn't take more than another week
Without you - oh no
So I will drink my fill
Till the trill is you
Oh the thrill of it all
Oh the thrill of it all
No I won't forget
The thrill of it all
No no no no no no no....
02 Three and Nine (04:04)
(Ferry/Mackay)
You might remember
How it used to be
3 and 9 could show you
Any fantasy
Parti-coloured pictures
Now and then 3D
No cheap nostalgia
Conjured up by me
Back to the old days
Close to home
Show me some new ways
I´ll carry on
Whether making out or played out
Three and nine make twelve
I´ve a dozen reasons
Lying on the shelf
B feature back rows
Filed away
No point pretending
Change is here to stay
3 and 9 to 45
Decimal romance
If you´ve warmed to centigrade
You stand a sporting chance
I´m not so special
You´re a misfit too
Why must they interfere
In everything we do?
Should we play safe now
Or go all the way?
Six and two threes now
More I cannot say
04 Out of the Blue (04:48)
All your cares
Now they seem
Oh so far away
All your fears
I fear I once shared
Now I know
There's a future
For all of us
Not so long ago
I was so scared
You seemed so sad
I could see
Through your twisted smile
So unsure
Always confused
Pale blue eyes
Gazing down
From your ivory tower
Through the haze
All broken and bruised
Then: out of the blue
Love came rushing in
Out of the sky
Came the sun
Out of left field
Came a lucky day
Out of the blue
No more pain
I don't mind
If it's only
A passing craze
Throwaway lines
Often ring true
If I were you
I would stay
For a little while
If you were me
Would you walk out
In style?
05 If It Takes All Night (03:12)
(Ferry)
Oh here it comes again
That old ennui
I hope it won´t stay long
Well it´s every-man to his own thing
And every singer to his song
If you´re feeling low
And all upset
Nothing's going right
You just make a wish
Like in a fairy tale
And I´ll bewitch you
If it takes all night
There are many things
That I could say
To try and comfort you
But I know the words you´d like to hear
Are simply "I love you"
Sometimes I´m up
Sometimes I´m down
A topsy-turvy life
But only searching
For the truth
And I´ll find it
If it takes all night long
Well I myself
May main concern
Is what I can afford
So if music be my mistress
Then at least she´s Madame Claude...d´accord
Ah - more champagne!
To lose this pain
Would be very nice
So I´ll help myself to one more drink
And I´ll find myself
If it takes all night long
06 Bitter-Sweet (04:50)
(Ferry/Mackay)
Well this is such
A sad affair
I've opened up my heart
So many times
But now it's closed
Oh my dear
Every salted tear
It wrings
Bitter - sweet applause
But when the show's in full swing
Every once in a while
High stepping chorus lines
Mean I'm forgetting
Mein lullaby - liebchen
How rich in contrast
Love can be
Sometimes I'm quite amused
To see it twist and turn
To taste - both sweet and dry
These vintage years!
Lovers you consume, my friend
As others their wine
Nein - das ist nicht
Das ende der welt
Gestrandet an leben und kunst
Und das spiel geht weiter
Wie man weiss
Noch viele schonste...wiedershen
And now, as you turn to leave
You try to force a smile -
As if to compensate -
Then you break down and cry
07 Triptych (03:10)
(Ferry)
Here the soil is barren
Here - nothing grows
But crosses
They - know not what they do
You - your forgiveness
Falls as dew
Nailed upon a wooden frame
Twisted yet unbroken
Open mounted a silent choir
Understood, unspoken
Never was there heard a sound
Until the heavens opened
Now the tide is turning
To other-wordly yearning
Through the sun´s eclipse seems final
Surely he will rise again
08 Casanova (03:25)
(Ferry)
You - the hero
So many times
You´ve loved
And didn´t linger
Now my finger
Points at you
- Another loser
You - an island
On your own
Complete
In every detail
Monumental
A precious jewel
Or just a fool
Innovator
It´s in your mind
And blood
I watch it simmer
I see you´re courting
More despair
No hope?
Not a glimmer
Now you´re nothing
But second hand
In glove
With second rate
Now you´re flirting
With heroin
- Or is it cocaine?
Casanova -
Is that your name
Or do you live there?
I know my place
Is here with you
Tonight
But not together
09 A Really Good Time (03:46)
(Ferry)
You´re heard enough
Of the blues and stuff
You´re pretty swell now
´Cause you´re pretty tough
But I don´t have to tell you
How hard it can be to get by
You never bothered
About anyone else
You´re well educated
With no common sense
But love - that´s one thing
You really need to get by
All your troubles
Come from yourself
Nobody hurts you
- They don´t care
Just as long as you show them
A really good time
All the things
You used to do
A trip to the movies
A drink or two
They don´t satisfy you
They don´t tell you anything new
You know I don´t talk much
Except to myself
´Cause I´ve not much to say
And there´s nobody else
Who´s ready and willing
And able to know me - I guess
Listen to me
I´m not finished yet
There´s something to tell you
That I can´t forget
Just have a really good time
There´s a girl
I used to know
Her face is her fortune
She´s got a heart of gold
She never goes out much
But boy - when she does
Then you know
She´s got no money
Well, maybe a dime
But she knows what she´s worth
And that´s reason why
She´s gonna make it
She´s got what it takes
You´ll appreciate that
She´s probably late
But I know
And you know
We all know
She´ll have a really good time
10 Prairie Rose (05:07)
(Ferry/Manzanera)
Texas That´s where I
Belong
It seems to me
Texas Lonesome star
Shine on
The big country
Texas With open skies
And you
For company
Texas Oh prairie rose
How happy
I should be
Hey hey You can take it from me
Hey hey I´ll be coming, you´ll see
Hey hey Oh what a state to be in
Hey hey You´re tantalising me
Texas I will compose
In fancy rhyme
Or just plain prose
Texas A song of praise
to you
Prairie rose
Texas Though I´m not sure
I can explain
Your strange allure
Texas Prairie rose -
A crown of thorns
A scented flower
Hey hey I´d better leave right away
Hey hey I can hear you calling me
Prairie rose
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