It's always nice to revisit this one, and I still believe it to be one of Ferry's best. Closer to 'Olympia' than 'Boys & Girls' or 'Bete Noire' one feels, and it has certainly aged well.

"Mamouna" is my favourite album of all time by any artist! I attended three concerts in Tokyo after the release, but, not unsurprisingly to us who knows BF, only two songs from the album where on the show.

Oh well, the "twenty years ago" for this and that comes and goes. It`s only for us keep an open eye to these facts. -So much anticipation back then. Both Phil and Andy on a BF album... People were starting talking about the possibility of a proper group album. Anyway, this was a product of some dark years for Bryan, and still some years were to come before things started to happen. He couldn`t even do recordings in the daytime. It was before the internet, and newsletters from Jim Lawn were one of my few sources of information...

It's a marvellous album which should have done better than it did. I thought too that after that we'd get a group record and we're still waiting. The period between 1989 after the 'Bete Noire' tour and up till about 1998 were quite a fallow period for Bryan, and it has to be said since 1999 he has been unstoppable, albeit still delaying certain projects.

I'm always reminded of Bryan's quote from years after its release that he'd listened to it again and thought "Interesting, but where am I?" as he'd effectively buried his voice in the mix behind the contributions of all the session musicians he'd become so enamoured with towards the end of Roxy's time as an active band.

I don't think things like "39 Steps" or "Gemini Moon" have worn especially well, but the title track is a forgotten gem as far as I'm concerned. And Bryan's repeated live performances of "The Only Face" suggest his fondness for at least some of the album.

Ultimately though for me it's a product of so many lost years between the mid 80s and late 90s spent in studios with endless processions of fine musicians all recording their parts and Bryan tormented by which one(s) to actually include. Can anyone say for certain who played which part on which track on "Boys and Girls" or "Bete Noire"? Even the sleeve credits give up and just list everyone in total.

O for the days when there was at least a semblance of band democracy in Roxy and there were release deadlines to (try to) meet.

Yes I read that article with him saying that, he was certainly in the "aural soup" back then. And although the years 1985~1994 were still productive, four albums and two world tours it nevertheless did drain something out of him for a while. All those musicians, all those endless takes. I always thought after 'Boys & Girls' it would have been a suitable time for Roxy to reconvene.
After the 'Bete Noire' tour he said "I'm going make an album, and I'm going to have it all wrapped up in six months!"
That would have been the exact right time for a group record.

One of my favourites. Dark. More about atmospheres than sha la la.
I remember my first listen well; the excitement of hearing each eno-ism (a big deal that reunion for me back then) and applauding Bry's balls for coming out with something so moody and brooding.

If Mamouna was released in Fall 2014 and BF's voice was as strong as it was back in 1994 it would be a major event. Critics across a wide swath of media platforms would give it mighty praise! But his voice is not what it was 20 years ago and it is far from certain that his next album will draw much critical praise or attention...

In regards to Mamouna, I have always liked Which Way to Turn and Chain Reaction.

Article from Arena Magazine, Sept/Oct 1994.

The Arena article/interview is quite engaging but nonetheless rather sobering because it is 20 YEARS OLD!!! Wow. That is depressing...

But what I really want is a ruling from WS2 on the outfit BF is wearing on the Arena cover!!!!

To my uncultured eye this seems better suited to mid-80s WHAM! but I'll defer to the wisdom of WS2 on its suitability...