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 Post subject: Manifesto Era-An Appreciation
PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2023 7:12 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:29 pm
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Location: Masschusetts
When Manifesto was released, I was a love-sick college student and my Prog Rock tastes were being upended by the Punk and New Wave scenes. Manifesto was on my turntable every day for months. I had a clear bias toward the East Side, and despite the fact this I lean toward the first five albums over the latter two, the East Side of Manifesto remains one of my favorite album sides. I don't care so much for the West Side. Ain't That So is passable, and Spin Me Round is a favorite, but the other three songs I could never hear again and not miss them.
The first time I saw Roxy in concert was the Manifesto tour at the Palladium in New York. A college friend had scored third row seats and I was transfixed; The long intro to Manifesto, Bryan strutting out in his red leather suit and white bucks, (those shoes prompted a purchase soon after that I wore for nearly thirty years!), TGPT's stellar drumming throughout, especially through Stronger Through the Years, Phil's massive guitar rig, Andy in a Mao suit and Bryan pointedly looking his way while singing the line in Do the Strand, "Eskimos and Chinese" The Spring of 1979 was my Roxy Music awakening and they have been my favorite band since.

I recently hauled out one of the several CDs of that Spring 1979 tour available with tracks from Oakland and Denver. I hadn't listened in years and was struck by a few things:

The new tracks from Manifesto, especially the title track, Stronger Through The Years and Angels Eyes, were as sonicly weird as anything attributed to the Eno era, and an absolute delight to these aging ears of mine. Gary Tibbs was a credible bassist, handling Manifesto and Out of the Blue brilliantly despite the comments I have read through the years that he wasn't a great talent. Allegedly Adam Ant had commented that what they had thought to be Tibbs on the album was actually Spenner.

I know that Manifesto often gets lumped in with Flesh and Blood and Avalon, but in my mind, it stands alone, and based upon the live performances supporting the record, pointed to a direction I wish had been pursued further.

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 Post subject: Re: Manifesto Era-An Appreciation
PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2023 8:41 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2009 7:03 pm
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Wonderful post, couldn't agree more.


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 Post subject: Re: Manifesto Era-An Appreciation
PostPosted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 9:56 pm 
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The East Side of Manifesto is the best side, especially with the original version of Angel Eyes. And STTY should have been in the setlist for the 50th Anniversary Tour...

The West Side a bit spotty and serves as the jumping off point for the less adventurous Roxy that will soon arise after the departure of TGPT.


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 Post subject: Re: Manifesto Era-An Appreciation
PostPosted: Sat Feb 25, 2023 10:59 am 
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Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:13 pm
Posts: 553
Agreed, an excellent post. I recall being thrilled when the band reunited and was able to see them live for the first time in Birmingham. I played this album out in my last few weeks of college that summer.
The shift in gear from early Roxy to later Roxy is palpable and steadfastly manoeuvred by all of the players involved - no Jobson, (alas) but with more session players. The look of the band changed , too, as they swerved the punk/new wave seismic shifts in pop culture, and embraced a new , more mature, sober style. Less costume, more couture.


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 Post subject: Re: Manifesto Era-An Appreciation
PostPosted: Sat Feb 25, 2023 11:56 am 
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Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 7:23 pm
Posts: 1568
Mes Amis,
Bravo a EERO pour cette post - tres bien fait !
Consistent with W2’s mantra that all Ferry is good Ferry (sauf IYLSE) he finds much to like about ‘Manifesto’.
Particularly the title track with its long building intro and subtlety psychedelic undertones. It’s amazingly cinematic. W2 saw the tour at Newcastle City Hall and by the time our hero arrived to tell us “I am for a life around the corner” he thought the Geordie army were going to leave their seats and start to goose-step around the auditorium. It’s the closest Roxy ever got to a marching song. Fabulous stuff !
There are other great cuts. Notably STTY, Dance Away, Ain’t That So etc..
That said, it’s the album that Windswept plays least in its entirety and that’s probably because it is a ‘transition’ album and it is the only LP where the parts are stronger than the whole and it just doesn’t flow as well as their prior or latter work.
That epoc is also notable, as the ever tasteful avalon_eyes eloquently pointed out, for the evolution of their look. Definitely “Less costume - more couture”.
Our hero was entering a new phase and it showed.
Salutations a tous,
W2


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 Post subject: Re: Manifesto Era-An Appreciation
PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2023 12:56 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:40 am
Posts: 623
Location: Merseyside
Quote:
the parts are stronger than the whole

That's an excellent phrase to use for this album.

Like many, my love for the title track has never waned - it remains one of BF's finest songs and always summons up memories of that long opener on the 1979 tour - surely one of Bryan's finest entrances.

Maybe I'm in a minority when it comes to Trash (and Trash 2) - I love the vibrancy of it and, again, it was a huge moment on tour when the comeback single was performed, a response that belied its lack of commercial success. Angel Eyes is enjoyable in all its formats and Dance Away still generates much affection given it's huge success - definitely a good time to be a Roxy fan.

I like the clever lyrics of 'Still Falls The Rain', the groove of 'Ain't That So' and the melancholy of 'Spin Me Round', but I can take or leave the rest and STTY leaves me cold - née comatosed - as a live number.

The artwork was definitely a departure but remains iconic. As for the wardrobe, yes it changed dramatically, but what sharp suits - and not just BF's. It was a very cool look.

'Three Years Later, A New Album', the advertising rather dramatically proclaimed, accompanying photos that certainly reflected the mood of the album's title track. Roxy were back which was cause for celebration in itself. That the comeback album wasn't as 'complete' as its predecessors was, in the bigger scheme of things, something that could be forgiven.


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 Post subject: Re: Manifesto Era-An Appreciation
PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 3:29 pm 
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Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2012 4:25 pm
Posts: 616
Location: Kempten
Inspired by this thread I listened to Manifesto as a whole several times and really rediscovered it.

Roxy Music's first album after their hiatus was a little bit "new wave" (Trash, Bryan's leather suits etc) but I loved it and was really proud to be a fan of this band since the very beginning. Television appearances, radio airplay, interviews - it seemed that the world had realized what a good band Roxy Music are (and could be in the future).

Manifesto: The somber title track that comes on so slowly. Trash with that modern new wave style. Angel Eyes's daring sax solos. Still Falls The Rain: Phil leaves his mark on this album. Stronger Through The Years: Gary Tibbs was (and still is) a fantastic bass player. Ain't That So: I always loved this groovy song with Bryan's blues harp. My Little Girl: The Roxy way of easy listening - why not? Dance Away: One of their biggest hits and it still gives me a good feeling. And yes, Cry Cry Cry. Not a bad song but sounding like an old Motown cover from a BF solo album. Spin Me Round - really enchanting.

My conclusion: An important album between Siren and Flesh + Blood - glad that it is back in my CD player 8-)


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 Post subject: Re: Manifesto Era-An Appreciation
PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 6:20 pm 
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Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 8:15 pm
Posts: 1025
Location: Inverness, Scotland
I was 14 in May 1979 and was given a £2 record token for my birthday and had never bought a record in my life so I asked my sister to get me something.

She brought back Janet Kay Silly Games and Roxy Music Dance Away. I was ambivalent about the Janet Kay single but loved Dance Away and played it over and over as well as the b-side Cry Cry Cry. It’s hard to believe that what seems to be one of the Roxy fan’s least favourite tracks used to be 50% of my entire record collection.
I enjoyed both songs at the time as it was the only record I had. The hunger to get the album started there and then and after a few weeks of working on our local ice cream van I had the money to now be in the big boy’s playground, I owned an album.

The excitement on that 17 minute train journey into Glasgow Queen Street to buy my first album was tenfold on the way home. Sitting on the train with my coffee and Mars Bar I opened the Bruce’s Record Shop LP sized carried bag and read every word on the sleeve before I took the inner bag out and scanned that too. Back in the bag it all went until the thought of “oh the label” so I had to take the record out and look at the actual label too and read every credit….oh the smell of a new record. This particular ritual right down to the Mars Bar & coffee stuck with me for years with many albums that I have bought since.

Di dit, di da dum…… the opening bass note opened up a whole new world to me, not just the next forty two and a half minutes over 2 sides of vinyl. I had lost my LP buying virginity.
The opening to Manifesto as an album and as a live show is a masterstroke. The whole structure of this song is so unconventional but flows naturally. These lyrics by far are up there with Ferry’s best.

I am with Richard on this one when it comes to Trash and it's not so identical twin brother Trash 2. I have always liked both of these. Maybe my judgment on a lot of this album could be clouded by the fact it was my first album but I still love these 2 tracks.

It was about 2 years after I bought Manifesto that I knew of or heard the original rock version of Angel Eyes so the single/disco version was the first one I had heard so I wasn’t weighed down with the “not as good as the original” burden we sometimes put on ourselves. I like both tracks for what they are.

Still Falls The Rain struck me right from the first play and again some of Ferry’s best lyrics and some great playing from Manzanera. I wish it had been played live more than that 1979 tour.

Like most of the albums I have bought by anyone, my favourite track is usually the one I just don’t get at all on first hearing. Stronger Through The Years was too dark and melancholy for someone who was just getting into music. How that has changed for me and by far is the my favourite track on the album. I love the backwards reverb on the drums at the intro and these guys produced this album themselves. I love the sort of lazy way the verses are sung. The end section is just amazing. When other musicians that I know ask me to play a good example of Roxy as musicians I play that section. I point out that unlike Dire Straits, Guns And Roses etc Roxy don’t do riff rock. Roxy are all about lots of individual parts that are nothing on their own but combined together make such an amazing and unique sound. "The Roxy Soup" to quote Manzanera.

Ain’t That So & My Little girl are songs that I am ambivalent about too. I never skip them but don’t rush to hear them either. Dance Away & Cry Cry Cry I mentioned earlier. Roxy’s biggest selling self written single is ubiquitous and over heard on the radio and at live shows so it has lost that magic for me but still a great pop single.

What a way to close an album with Spin Me Round. I love Ferry’s laid back voice on this and how cool is the delivery of the words “I’m wired FOR SOUND” I love the way it is a very straight forward and pretty ballad then at the end everything goes chaotic then fades out leaving the musical box playing Brahm’s Lullaby.

If I had to pick one song for Bryan to do live for the first time it would be this. He has never performed this track to date.

Spin Me Round has great memories for me then but also in later life too. I recorded a version of this after a night out with my friend the late Robert Jackson. We were just mucking around in my studio and we quickly recorded it as a piano vocal in one take. During the following week I added some guitar and strings to it. It became very poignant as unknown to me beforehand, his family had it played during his funeral in the crematorium, not a dry eye in the place.

Like I have said, this was my first album ever and I can’t change that fact or would I want to. This may cloud my view of it or my feelings towards it, great memories.

One final thing about that first record that I bought with that record token. I read that label every time I stuck it on the record player.

Title taken from the LP "Manifesto"

and that made me save up to get the album. Never did I think that 43 years later I would be watching Roxy on their 50th anniversary tour with my name in the tour book and a scan that I did when working in Studio One of my actual copy of Dance Away spinning on the stage backdrop screen.

"...all the way is far enough"

J.O'B.

The late Robert Jackson....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BGbCXySfdU


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 Post subject: Re: Manifesto Era-An Appreciation
PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:12 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:29 pm
Posts: 147
Location: Masschusetts
I've been delighted to read everyone's comments about Manifesto. In various polls about the Roxy oeuvre, it often ranks lowly, and I always sigh, almost apologetically, "I rather like that one."
I find it fascinating that all three of the opening tracks from the East Side had wildly different versions recorded. I tracked down Import copies of all three, which was the only way to be a completist in the 80s in New York. In my opinion, the better version of each song made it onto the original album. I do confess a fondness for Trash2 though.

Perhaps this thread is the start of the rehabilitation of an underappreciated record.

"I'm into friendship, and plain sailing...."

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 Post subject: Re: Manifesto Era-An Appreciation
PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:17 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:29 pm
Posts: 147
Location: Masschusetts
VivaRoxyMusic.com wrote:

Spin Me Round has great memories for me then but also in later life too. I recorded a version of this after a night out with my friend the late Robert Jackson. We were just mucking around in my studio and we quickly recorded it as a piano vocal in one take. During the following week I added some guitar and strings to it. It became very poignant as unknown to me beforehand, his family had it played during his funeral in the crematorium, not a dry eye in the place.

This may cloud my view of it or my feelings towards it, great memories.


"...all the way is far enough"

J.O'B.

The late Robert Jackson....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BGbCXySfdU


John, thanks for sharing that. It's a lovely rendition of a haunting song. I can well imagine all who heard it at your friend Robert's memorial were deeply moved.

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