I finally got to hear Olympia yesterday. After one listen, You Can Dance, Song to The Siren, and Reason or Rhyme seem to me to be the stand-out tracks. These are also the tracks that have a slight rememberance of Roxy. The rest are so-so. You Can Dance gave me hope for the rest of the album. I should soon be disappointed. Alphaville is sheer PAP, a conventional song rolling along just like “Cruel”, from Frantic. Heartache by Numbers continues in the same vein. It has it`s moments, but is “mystified”, in the classical Ferryesque sense, which means “lulled”, -made “undangerous”. Then comes Me Oh My. What`s so special about that? We are in well known Ferry-land, vulnerable and introverted. Then comes Shameless, -utter crap! This album is totally lacking in beats and edges. Bryan is trying desperately to make the music fit, even compensate, for his faint voice. Where are you, Rhett Davies? Practically speaking, you`ve been absent since Avalon. I find myself reaching for sounds that aren`t really there. In Song to The Siren, Bryan is coming close to his former self. ”No Name, No..” has a very conventional melody, packed in Ferryesque sounds. BF Bass is, like Shameless, utter crap. With Reason or Rhyme we are into something again. Then comes Tender is The Night. What is so special about that?
–Sounds like utter filler to me.

I don't find Alphaville to be conventional or in any way reminicent of Cruel. To me it sounds, if anything, in a similar vein to 'I put a spell on you', or at least the bass line does. Either way it is uniquely Ferry in sound. I think 'Sheer PAP' is a bit unfair. Song to the Siren is more conventional apart from the intro, which could be said to be Roxyesque. I personally like Shameless too, as do some of my friends, young and middle aged, here in Germany.
Anyway I guess opinions are like the crap you mention everybody has one...most days.

It`s growing on me...

The album has been out for almost 4 months and you are just getting round to listening to it? Anyway your comments are passé and so is your trolling. 

Just cannot take to Olympia having tried massive disappointment

I wasn't hugely impressed at first either but this album grows on me more and more each time I listen- just finished it again and now I would say most tracks are good. I'm still not too impressed by "Heartache by Numbers"- interesting verse but a rather bland chorus- or "Shameless" but the rest make one of BF's better albums in my opinion with "Song To The Siren" one of his best ever. All just personal opinion. Some people seem to like "As Time Goes By" and "Mamouna" but I think these are his worst-one man's meat.....

I'm pretty much with you on Olympia. "Heartache By Numbers" and "BF Bass" were my least favourite tracks, but then I found myself singing the choruses in my head.

It's not a case of persistently playing the album that convinced me that it's very good. I've tried to like other things this way and eventually just give in and realise I don't like it. Olympia did and has worked it's way into my subconcious and I rate it very highly and look forward to hopefully getting a chance to hear/see some of the songs performed live.

The best songs would make a great EP!

My suggestion:

Side 1:
1) You Can Dance
2) Song To The Siren

Side 2:
1) Reason Or Rhyme
2) Tender Is The Night

I'm always interested in how my wife and daughter react to hearing an album. In the case of Olympia it's been very positive indeed. I've heard both singing along to certain songs - not necessarily in tune, but a good sign nonetheless.