Sorry to hijack Sadie's boyfriend's thread - but some of the posts got me thinking that between Frantic and Olympia the two stand out songs for most people seem to be I Thought or Reason or Rhyme ... In fact they're probably the only two later Ferry songs that i listen to the most ... Which song do people think is the most satisfying out of these two ? I remember marvelling at the essence of I Thought - finding the song utterly blissful - both a wonderful homage and a glimpse into the future .... Then I heard Reason or Rhyme and I was astounded at how emotional it made me feel - the pulse and repetition growing more and more intense - as the song progresses it reminds me of Nick Drake, Kate Bush, Neil Young, Pink Floyd - even snippets of Television and Bob Marley - It is glorious and melancholy and still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end - So which one ??? The yearning starry eyed ice cream van jingle.... or the intense folky electric spaced out waltz......

Gardner, what a lovely post. You have really captured the essence of both songs in just a few words (although you did go a bit Julie Goolden on us with your description of all of the musical flavours that you can pick up on ROR).

I Thought is like bumping into an old friend after many years. A bit different than you remember, slightly mellowed, but instantly familiar and comfortable. (Jerry Nunn, I know that you will be laughing at that description given our recent experience - but you get my drift?). To me, it is the classic early Eno template brought up to date a little. The problem is that the delivery is strongly stylised, which is great if (like all of us, presumably) you like the style, otherwise the great little song that lies at the core of this recording can get missed.

However, Gardner asks which out of the 2 songs we find the most satisfying. For me, the answer has to be Reason or Rhyme. I can't improve upon Gardner's description above. Suffice it to say that this is one of BF's finest compositions and is full of the classic song-writing ingredients. It is just waiting for somebody with more selling power than Bryan has nowadays to pick up on it and deliver it to the wider market. Of course, the lyrics might pose a problem for the younger artist, and it won't be delivered with anything like the poignancy and style that Bryan brings to the table - but it is such a great song that details like that shouldn't hold it back too much.

Interestingly, as an aside, ROR has come up on the outside rail a bit. While it now generally gets acknowledged as the standout track on Olympia, if we go back to related postings in this forum from a year or so back, Song to the Siren was getting most of the praise.

Ha ! Avondale - i see your point about the list of flavours !! That was me playing it down !! i could have thrown in a few more - There's a wee bit Fleetwood mac in there too .... But each song seems to be difficult to hold on to ... as soon as it's over it's like it was imagined ...and it has to be played again to prove it even existed ! My friends all love I Thought and called it "The Song" - At a certain point in a boozy evening they would shout " Play the song !" and they responded to it in the way that i've seen people respond to Bowie's Heroes . Reason or Rhyme is more inward looking - I think it turns in on itself in the same way that I Thought spins outwards . For some reason I think of Isabella Blow when i listen to Reason or rhyme and that makes it feel more heartfelt .. But I still can't make up my mind ..

Song to Siren is the best track from Olympia. Reason or Rhyme has more energy when played live, but the recorded version lacks impetus. A more considered production could have accentuated the melody to a greater degree.

I Thought points the way to what Roxy would have been like if Eno was a current day member. It is sublime and possibly the best song from Ferry from the last ten years.

I wonder if Gardner could clear something up? Is he really asking about the songs or does he actually mean the tracks?

My answer above is based upon song writing quality only and, for me, it is a fairly easy choice as I think that the tune and lyrics of ROR are both superior to IT. However, if he is asking us to also consider the delivery and packaging of the songs as they appear on the respective albums then the decision becomes much more difficult.

Hi there - I mean the songs as they appear on the albums . I don't really like R or R live ! I think it loses the atmospheres that make it work for me - "I Thought" live was okay but still i think it looses it's sparkle and invention in a live setting.
I forgot to mention the R or R bass line which has me closing my eyes, lifting my shoulders and moving my head back and forward in time like a stoned tortoise... That should've been included in my first post !!
As far as Song to the Siren is concerned - i think it starts of well then turns into some horrendous Chris de Burghesque - 80's American movie end credit soundtrack ... I much prefer the remix
http://soundcloud.com/bryanferry/song-t ... en-johnson
It gets rid of all the cheesy bombast and is much more intense and haunting - I think Greenwood's guitars are more to the front - they're beautiful .

Gardner wrote:
"I forgot to mention the R or R bass line which has me closing my eyes, lifting my shoulders and moving my head back and forward in time like a stoned tortoise..."

Well, this is how all his music should be. It`s a minimum, contrary to the filller pompuous cheesy American movie end soundtrack bombast of "Song to the Siren" or "A Fool for Love". - A pity Bryan doesn`t seem to see it himself.

the orchestral instrumental remix of R o R is a thing of beauty, one of the better olympia remixes

The guitar "Solos" in each song - or the middle instrumental parts - are both fantastic - I love the simplicity of the twangy one in I Thought as much as i adore the electric meanderings of the dreamy central part of Reason or Rhyme .