Re Rosebud: that's what I always assumed
Re: dichotomies...interesting observation. I'll look out for these, but it already rings true.

IRSNHO: absolutely! More specifically, all of the East Side (with the original Angel Eyes version), and elements of the West Side. It's the West Side where we see some aspects of the next Roxy recipe emerge.
STTY even reminds me of something from the Second Roxy Music Album. For me, that Side of the album has the feel of Roxy's early and mid period recipe(s).

What a shame though that the production throughout was so wooden? Some of the tracks could have been so much better with meatier production. Trash just wimps out after the intro, but could've been so good. Still falls the rain is hampered by really lack lustre production...imagine it with depth and edge! The vocal and lyric is strong, the sax is great...in fact it's all pretty good, but just sounds "wooden".

PS. I believe that TGPT played on several (all?) of the East Side tracks.

Hedonistic Hipsters,

W2 has never really thought of it like this but the ever tasteful RoxySiren is cent pour cent correct!

The production is dire and, if I'm right, I think it was their first self-produced effort. A great shame because the songs were good albeit they did mark a turning point in lyrical style with the 'West Side' being more orientated to the American radio market.

Still, who can ever forget:

"No more feeling
No more tears
The river's wide enough
Flowing stronger through the years
Through the years"

It would be great to hear this one again in Brighton - ne serait-il pas?

Salutations,
W2

I never thought of the East Side of Manifesto as "wooden" although I agree that Trash sounds rather thin and, sadly, forgettable.

Some of the West Side features TGPT but some of it doesn't (he said as much on his web/forum many years ago.

While I think that Dance Away is actually a pretty good lyric, the West Side marks a watershed for BF lyrically. Ain't That So? Please...

I was thinking of starting a thread on BF's "Weakest Lyrics" and ATS would be right up there!

Other pre-Manifesto tracks that seem less than inspired in terms of lyrics are All I Want (CL) and Could it Happen to Me (Siren). With AIW he seems to be trying too hard to write "a hit song" and CIHTM seems cliched.

That said, Roxy cranked out five albums between 72' and '76 and BF wrote all the lyrics. It's a wonder he didn't have more tunes that were not-so-inspired... He wrote plenty of great ones!

Finally, regarding Hearst and Citizen Kane. It is clear that he worked VERY hard to suppress the movie and keep from theatres. Here's link that gives info on his failed effort...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/kane2/

Merci, mes amis. Many good posts here.
Perhaps it would be a good idea for BF to rearrange/remodel some old songs in a modern way. Yesterday I listened to Country Life vinyl 1974 and then to Olympia 180g and it was just amazing how much better Olympia sounded.
In a way it is more suitable to talk about a Roxy-soup during their final stage; it was then most of the co-writing took place - if that now should be something good.
Salutations!

I love Prairie Rose for its energy and play on words. I associate with Jerry Hall (not sure if she was the muse for this song) as well as Texas. Although all this interesting talk about Rosebud is giving a different picture.

'Oh prairie rose, a crown of thorns, a scented flower'


I also love the lyrics of Nobody Loves Me from Frantic but I think the arrangement lets it down big time.

'When the cold wind blows I think of you
Your emerald eyes and golden shoes
you walk away from my rage
on the flaggy shore I watch the waves'

Topiary, Prairie Rose was composed and recorded before Bryan and Jerry met each other. It is not about her but I think once they were in a relationship he would sometimes dedicate the song to her when it was played live so that maybe the reason some folks think the song is about her.

I read that the song is indeed about Texas and the "Big Country", inspired by the old style western movies that were around when Bryan was a lad.

This has been a fascinating thread and while I am too indecisive to narrow down my particular favourites I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all the posts and being reminded of some of the best ones.

One of the more recent lyrics I would pick is from Reason or Rhyme.

Open your heart and let me live
All the promises I could give
The sun and moon and all the stars
They bow down to you whenever you pass

[quote="Roxy"]Topiary, Prairie Rose was composed and recorded before Bryan and Jerry met each other. It is not about her but I think once they were in a relationship he would sometimes dedicate the song to her when it was played live so that maybe the reason some folks think the song is about her.

I read that the song is indeed about Texas and the "Big Country", inspired by the old style western movies that were around when Bryan was a lad.

Hedonistic Hipsters,

The ever eloquent Roxy is correct, the chanson pre-dates Madame Hall.

In 1973, W2's only experience of the U.S.A was via celluloid but the first time he heard this song it's setting came across. His songs just have such a great sense of place.

Hearing 'Bette Noir', you don't have to know the title to realise you are in a smokey left bank Parisian location. You can virtually see Alain Delon and Catherine Deneuve through the fog of Gitanes :

"I know you, inside me
Like poison like wine
Now there's no sense in falling
Say you'll be mine"

Salutations,
Windswept

I agree with Roxy - Reason or Rhyme strikes me as the one BF lyric in recent years that holds up in comparison to The Great Ones fromthe early years...

Prairie Rose unquestionably predates BF's "discovery" of Jerry Hall and that makes the origin of the song all the more intriguing. The recording does have a big cinematic atmosphere and remember that Three and Nine (also on CL) draws imagery from going to the cinema in the 50s. James Dean starring in "Giant" was of the iconic films about Texas (and America writ large) in the 50s - and in the early 70s Dean was undergoing a major cultural "revival." Perhaps that was part of the inspiration for PR.

This tune came into my head when I was writing my earlier post.

https://youtu.be/f-7ZX_JA7-A