Tu as raison, Tryptich. Bête Noir is a great album. The only so-called filler, in my opinion, is Seven deadly sins. Zamba as well as the title track are true gems. Even though I understand John´s remark concerning The name of the game, i give it a "douze"!

I've always liked NOTG - it has a stately, deliberate tempo that is not typical of other BF tracks.

It's interesting to learn of BF's subsequent regret that Clearmountain didn't mix the Bete Noire album. I've always thought that BN had a qualitatively different sound than other BF albums and perhaps that derives from Clearmountain's absence...

Bete Noire is a very underrated album that drew good reviews and decent sales in the United States but Name of the Game was panned, described by Q Magazine as a "formulaic, MOR, MTV scarf-waver" - and comparisons were made with Madonna's Live to Tell.
It was so obviously constructed as a single that you wonder why it was never released as one or played live. I agree with John it would work very well stripped down. But sadly I can't agree with Oberon on Seven Deadly Sins, which always struck me as a better single than anything else on the album.

Virgin possibly agreed about Seven Deadly Sins' potential, as they released it as a 7" vinyl promo single (catalogue number BRYAN 1) in Spain; B-side was Bete Noire.

Don`t worry, Jesmond. It´s good when someone else likes a song which isn´t my favourite. Je suis content!
Alongside Mamouna, Bête Noir is the most played BF album in my house. Vive la resistance!

Philosophical Philanderers,
W2 loves this song and thinks it's a perfect candidate for a MTT type makeover.
The lyrics ooze melancholy and going forward it would be great to see our hero do a 'Re-made, Re-modelled' LP comprising a selection of material that would benefit from new arrangements.
He is such a great lyricist and some of his songs are so strong, such a project would more than secure his legacy.
AEWBF featured some of the greatest arrangements of his work and it's a real missed opportunity that they haven't been immortalised on an official album.
IWNSHO, Colin Good is the master of the new arrangement and hopefully they can get back together and make it happen with a 'Studio One' project.
Meanwhile maybe this unscheduled break will allow the Bonny Lad to work on a bar room version of TNOTG for Brighton.
a bien tot,
W2

I never really liked Bete Noire, or any of the albums that followed and could count on one hand the numbers of tracks I would listen to since the 'Boys & Girls' album. My favourite probably being 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow'. Thinking of it, I probably couldn't think of 4 tracks to fill a 'best of Bryan Ferry, 1986-2014' EP.

Many on here like Bete Noire, and Mamouna especially, but am I the only one not to be particularly enthralled by any of the last 30 years output?

Cher Alan,

Roxology is a broad church and "All Styles" are definitely "Served Here" but given the nature of this forum, the answer to your question is probably yes!

That said, one thing that W2 has discovered over the years is that any negativity towards our hero's output is usually caused by a temporary malfunction of the musical taste buds and can normally be cured by repeat listenings.

The only exception to this being "Is My Love Strong Enough".

Salutations,

W2

I am with Alan to certain extent on this one. The only album I listen to with any form of regularity from the period is Dylanesque. Frantic was not bad but the rest are all a bit samey to me. Firmly in the 1972 to 1979 camp I'm afraid.

Elegantly Ageing Hipsters,

Another song, along with 'TNOTG', that W2 would love to see get the 'MTT' bar room treatment is 'Mother Of Pearl'.

By omitting the first verse it could be turned into a really louche piano number — even more louche than it is already!

It's another fabulous, strong song with amazing lyrics.

The thought of this 'Re-Styled. Re-Modelled' concept is becoming an obsession. I'm sure it would be a huge critical and commercial success.

Salutations,
W2