As I see it, there is not much left to say. Ferry mature's with age. Each concert is better than the one before, he hand picks his band. He is a precionist. The man seeks perfection. It is an inherent feature, within his make up. Next has to be better than last, no matter who it involves. He will for ever look up to Richard Hamilton, and Dr. Simon Puxley, and rightly so. He would never let them down, ever. Nor his adoring public.

Eh??? And your point is caller? Too much cheap wine on the Cornflakes I think.... ;)

BF is indeed a perfectionist, and his incessant drive to succeed has served him well as he navigated the perilous cultural and socio-economic terrain of post-WWII Britain (the son of a pit pony farmer ascends to the paragon of English Country Life: An Amazing Journey!!!)

But the line separating Perfectionist and Control Freak is a fine one, and the desire to control above all else can be counterproductive, especially in an environment like Music where collaboration and interaction can bring unanticipated beauty and joy.

Roxy Music was a true collaboration, an adventure where the Sum exceeded the Parts. BF struggled (and still struggles) with the fact he couldn't control Roxy. But, as the present tour set list documents, he is smart enough to realize that his work with Roxy is what continues to resonate across the musical and cultural landscape of the 21st Century.

BF has created a a remarkable assemblage of musicians for this tour and they are capable of generating impressive versions of great Roxy songs. But could such an assemblage as this CREATED the songs that sprang forth from Roxy? Ah, that is the great conundrum that bedevils BF. He is in control of this band, but control can only take an artist so far...

Hipsters,
For those of you are either new or infrequent visitors to this hallowed cyber hall, you will quickly learn that this is a hypothesis that our DJC, a renowned and much loved Roxologist , makes in the most articulate fashion. It's his schtick, he believes it and he makes the argument well.
Unfortunately his hypothesis falls apart and under scrutiny, it has all the credibility of a UK Cabinet Minister's expense claim.
Excluding compilations and live renditions, our hero has now made a phenomenal 22 albums. Only 8 were with Roxy and the last, 'Avalon' was 32 years ago!
Throughout his career his solo furrow has yielded some of his best work and there is no doubting that the restless changing of scenes and musical troubadours has been the key driver behind his creativity. Fare from forever labouring under the shadow of RM. He shook it off years ago and is all the better for it.
As for being a control freak, I think that's a very different thing from knowing what you want. Writing music and producing albums is not necessarily a team sport. Playing music is but when it comes to creativity, a horse designed by a committee invariably turns into a camel and our hero doesn't do too many camels.
When I look at his output and quality he is without doubt one of, if not the, pre-eminent modern musician of my generation and you don't get to be that without knowing how to get the most out of people.At the end of the day he was and is Roxy Music!
IMNSHO,
Regards,
Windswept

DCJ and WS2 are two legends on this forum. I read their excellent posts and agree wholeheartedly with both! Then I realise that I'm wimping out and fence sitting......gotta rethink here. Mmmm.

It's good to know that WS2 has recovered from the dark despair brought on by Our Hero's white sneakers and is back to quaffing deeply from the giant jug of Kool-aid distributed under the brand name Ferryista. Oh it is an intoxicating brew, soothing the tongue and palette as it lulls the drinker into a state of euphoric bliss. But it sometimes clouds the mind and utterings made under its influence must be embraced cautiously...

Hey, I've liked much of BF's solo material and sometimes the collaborations he has masterminded have worked out wonderfully (e.g. much of IYM and much of Mamouna) Other times his solo albums have lacked heart (e.g. Frantic and much of Olympia). But no matter. The point here is that Roxy was a collaboration beyond the over-riding domination of BF and, IMNSHO, this is one of the reasons that - although the last Roxy studio album appeared 32 years ago - Roxy Music still holds the public's attention in a way that BF's solo records do not.

BF is not Roxy Music. He's an essential component, perhaps the most essential component. But, despite WS2's heartfelt protestations, Roxy Music is something that transcends the individual contributions of its members.

Mr Riff, Ouch!

Cornfakes and wine? Not in this house. Porridge, Lidl's own make, laced with Guiness? Yes. As a matter of course.

None-the-less, now you have chipped in, I'm sure I represent the majority here in being mildly keen to hear your thoughts on the topic posted, and indeed, the responses that follow.

Yours in friendship.

P.S. I have to agree that Bryan is Roxy Music. It's his vehicle, his baby.

Cheers.

Aww, DCJ................ you were doing so well and then you have to go pull out the Kool-Aid card.

Cher Roxy,
Un grand mercy mais I have broad, well tailored shoulders and wear my 'Ferryista' VIP badge with great pride. White sneakers withstanding I will remain so until the last fandango!
Although I love all of the Roxy Music albums, when the history books are written — or even better the biography - I am sure that what I call the noir trilogy ('Boys & Girls','Bette Noir' and 'Mamouna') will rightfully be saluted as the equal of any in the Roxy canon.
'Bette Noir' is, in any thinking person's opinion, a sublime album. It remains tragically underrated. I recently played it at a diner party and even musical philistines were blown away. After 'Day For Night' one guest proclaimed it to be the most haunting song she's ever heard. I wouldn't go that fare but it is a fabulous song (don't know why he's never performed it live - Dublin please!) and it's just one on an LP that just hasn't got a bad track.
With albums like this under his arm I don't think even the most fanatical feather boa wearer could imagine our hero as a control freak forever labouring under the shadow of Roxy.
What a body of work!
Regards,
Windswept

I think we should accept that our tastes differ subtly and not get too excited about it!

I personally think the decade which spawned the "Noir Trilogy" that WS2 holds so dear is the weakest of BF's career and everything sounded diluted (for want of a better word) when compared to the albums which came before and afterwards.

Nothing will ever quite match the bite and surprise of the first four Roxy albums for me, although I love IYM & TBSB hugely too. But that doesn't stop me from looking forward to each new release or from enjoying all the tours.

Deep down I'd rather that BF mined the seldom played treasures from his solo work for the tours under his own name, but I accept that this is now possibly the only way I'll get to hear the Roxy classics too.

That's one of the reasons I booked for the orchestral gig in Dublin; if I'm going to hear Roxy material without the Roxy guys, I'd rather hear it done afresh.

Bottom line is that I'm grateful that he's still touring and giving me the opportunity to catch live what I missed out on in the 70s (i.e. fan since '73, but first gig not until '80).

I have a sense of foreboding that BF might hang up his stage gear at 70 and there's still so much that I haven't heard done live. Oh, for a last hurrah with the Roxy guys and a chance to hear Beauty Queen, Strictly Confidential etc...