I am sure most of the regulars here would agree that what we would love is a brand new Roxy album full of original material recently written and recorded for that album.

I am sure the same goes for the back catalogue in that I am sure most of his best work is within the 142 songs that he has written/co-written and released so far either solo or with the band.
He has also released within his body of work 97 cover versions and one song written for him between the Roxy and Ferry output.

It is often frowned upon when a musician does cover versions. I don’t mind covers as long as they are done in an original way. Ferry is the master of this, making a song his own. This doesn’t mean all his covers and cover projects are great but then not all of the songs he has written are up there with his best work either.

If you compare the output of Bryan Ferry during the first half of his career to the second half then of course the second half has not been as fruitful in terms of quantity and not as innovative as the first half. But then if you compare him with his contemporaries: McCartney, Elton John (who writes very little lyrics), Rod Stewart, Clapton etc. you will see that they have all slowed down, done covers and their early work over shadows anything they have done in the last 20 years.

The other criticism Ferry gets is the amount of Best Ofs etc, this is not necessarily what he wants to focus on either but it is a symptom of the 21st century music industry. Again if you compare the ratio of ‘new material’ albums to best ofs/compilation you will see that BF/RM are not the worst at this particular assumed transgression. I stopped buying BF/RM best ofs because I had the choice not to just like any fan, but I understand their place in the record industry.

I am realistic that at this age and stage of Bryan’s career that the expectation of his output will be slower and he has do drop the bucket deeper in the well to find something new and original.
I am like any fan I want Roxy Music album #9 but I know it won’t happen.

Do we think the scene is like this
Bryan, Phil, Andy, Paul sitting round a table.
BF: What shall we do next?
PM: Why don’t we jam together see what we come up with and hopefully find a good album’s worth of new material among this?
PT: yes that sounds good.
AM: OK let’s set the band gear up now
BF: wait wait wait why don’t we just put together a compilation of some or even all of our back catalogue instead, that will be much easier.
PM, PT, AM: Yeah Bryan that’s a great idea let’s do that instead.
I think not, but the complaints made about them sounds like that some times.

I am sure Bryan will release in the future more original material and more covers either as separate or joint projects, BF has done this since the first 2 years of his career. Within 18 months of his first releases he had done another Roxy album, a covers album including Jazz standards, Elvis & The Beatles and had also re-recorded a Roxy track to use as a solo B-side, his career has been similar since then so the Jazz/cover/re-record an original is not something BF waited 40 years to do.

If our expectations are too close to our desires from what we hope from a 67 year old performer with such an impressive original, innovative and diverse back catalogue then we will be eternally disappointed. Realistic expectations bode well to make us more pleasantly surprised with any new release of the future.

Can I also say that The Jazz Age is not the follow up to Olympia but merely a side project hence the name The Bryan Ferry Orchestra. Bryan didn’t play on it that’s for sure, he didn’t write on a score what notes he wanted the musicians to play but he had a huge hand in sculpting the sound and direction of each and every track on this album.

J.O’B.

That was rather droll.
Personally I imagine this scene
Bryan sitting around a table with his cronies
BF - What on earth do I have to do to produce a solo album as good as a Roxy album?
Cronies - Don't be daft, all of your albums are at least as good as Roxy albums - in fact I think Taxi is better than For Your Pleasure.
BF - of course, I was working with excellent session musicians on that album....

I understand your view point John and actually think the Jazz Age album is a real novel idea, and I am a huge early jazz fan - when I was a teenager and getting to grips with the saxophone Andy Mackay and Sidney Bechet were my two heroes .....but just how hard can it be to write lyrics?

Thank you, John, for an interesting article.
Honestly, I thought there was a chance of a #9 after RM;s reunion in the beginning of the millenium, but that hope vanished some years ago. And I don´t mind. Some songs on "Frantic" and "Reason or Rhyme" from "Olympia" shows that Ferry still can find water in that well even though has to dig deep. On stage, by the way, I prefer his shows with Ollie, Chris S., P.T., Jorja to the ones with RM - somehow the mood is more relaxed.
Now I`m thinking whether to buy "Jazz Ages" de luxe on vinyl or not, perhaps as a Christmas gift from my wife.

Don't do it Oberon ! She'll divorce you !!
Personally,I don't want any more Roxy albums. Their legacy's in good shape. However, as you say,every now and then Bryan comes up with a gem. And I don't mind spending a tenner for that one gem. But TJA !!! What next ? Whistling in the bath? Humming in the toilet !!!! He can do better. He still has the magic within.

Thanks John.

If Bf wanted a Roxy 9 album it would happen. But psychologically there is something that prevents him from making the commitment. After a long hiatus (83-01) he was finally able to tour with PM, AM. and TGPT. And in 2005-06 he was really engaged in recording new Roxy material. But then when it came time to fully commit to the new Roxy album he froze. He decided a Dylan cover album was preferable. And then Olympia became the project. And now TJA is hold center stage (for at least a little while) and then there will be some other solo album that he's gonna do for BMG.

The thing I find most strange about BF's "Roxy Reluctance" is that a Roxy album seems to represent the most marketable and economically advantageous thing he could do in the foreseeable future. Yes, the lucre has to be shared with PM and AM (with a little also for TGPT), but still it would be a sizable pot to split. So It seems to be that BF just doesn't want to give up the control he has as a solo artist to participate in an effort where he can't call all the shots.

Regarding the Roxy-sits-around-a-table and talks scenario, my sense is that during the final Roxy tour of early 2011 there wasn't much off-stage interplay among BF and his bandmates. They were all together on stage, but when the curtain came down they dispersed, only meeting up again on stage at the next concert.

Cher Patron,
Sometimes when I visit these hallowed halls I think that expectations vary depending on the musical history of the contributors.
Over the years I've been lucky enough to enjoy some great musical milestones.
The first record I ever bought was "Come On" by the Stones in '63 and they were the first band I saw in concert.
Since then, amongst other things, I was at one of Hendrix's first UK gigs in '67. In the same year I took in the Stax Volt tour at Watford Odeon and saw the amazing Otis Redding along with Booker T & the rest of the gang. I was in Hyde Park when Jagger donned his dress and let the butterflies loose in '69 and I was at the IOW festival in '70. Effectively I've giged relentlessly ever since Mick showed me his maracas!
In short, I've been a music junky all my life and like most fanatics,
my drugs have been different during different eras. I've had my R&B fix, my soul high, my west coast hallucinations etc..
Of course, the best of everything stays with you and although today, I'm quite focused on classical music and jazz, I still love Billie Holiday the same way I did when I first heard her and I continue to play a variety of things — past and present.
That said, there is one constant that has run throughout and that is my complete obsession with Ferry's music. Over the years he has displayed a level of style and creativity that has simply surpassed all others.
I first saw him play with "The Gas Board" back in the N.E and I have seen him in pretty much every incarnation ever since. I love his original work and his interpretations have educated me in a way that no other artist has managed.Wether this is because we come from the same neck of the woods and have a common cultural background or wether it's because we like the same things - I've no idea but what I do know is that he has given me more hours of diverse entertainment than any other modern musician.
So, for me, Roxy were always Bryan's band. Were they his best band? For some people clearly yes. For me his best have been the ATGB band and subsequent line ups. I don't constantly pray for a new Roxy album. I do constantly pray for more Ferry but my only real EXPECTATION is that he continues to thrill and he will.
Roll on November 26th - TJA will be out!
Regards to all,
Windswept

The fact is that all composers, musicians and actors, unless they have a hefty divorce or tax bill to pay, slow down when they reach 60. I find Bryan Ferry's output these days still more interesting and intriguing than his contemporaries.
It is quite natural for artists to reinterpret their earlier work. Ferry did it on Let's Stick Together, David Bowie attempted to the same on the unreleased Toy album. The Jazz Age is another interesting retake, though I can't imagine it will sell well and certainly not as well as Rod Stewart's Christmas album.
Rod is also 67 and about a decade ago as Ferry was recording one of his finest records, Frantic, Rod released his final album of original songs, which when it was played back to him, he considered "terrible, what was I thinking?"
So out came the standards, the Great American Songbook and an autobiography.
Ferry, who is perhaps still the best interpreter of other people's material, remains a work in progress, while Bowie has retired and Rod no longer releases his own material.
Which would you prefer to follow?

Of course we'd all prefer to follow BF, Jesmond; anything else would be cultural madness!

Mind you, in fairness to dear old Rod, I'm sure I heard him say on a recent chat show that he'd written some new material for an album to be released next year.

Maybe a bit of competition will be just what BF needs, although he's promised us (in that Spanish interview in the summer) an album of new stuff himself next year.

Alot of what has been written here is worthy of a book, written by the fans herein.

Bryan! What fans you have! Drop in and say hello!

I have an idea . This is a serious suggestion. And a bit radical. We've all been brainwashed with the idea that each CD should consist of 10 songs or more and each artist should release an album per year. But what if The Great Man worked on releasing just one song per year and that song could be his concept for the year Instead of trying to work on 10 songs,he could devote all his time and attention to just one song ?! Could he recreate the magic then ?