Brian Eno is MORE DARK THAN SHARK

INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS & RELATED ARTICLES

Sounds MARCH 24, 1973 - by Martin Kirkup

NEW LOOK ROXY TWICE AS TOUGH

Divine decadence rides again, and Roxy Music are off on a month long UK tour, kicking off from Nottingham University last week. What's new? Well, Eno's had a haircut, Bryan sports a guitar, and the audience is full of Andy Mackay lookalikes.

The music? Ah, it's about twice as tough and strong as it was even three months ago, and most of it's new. There aren't many bands who'd chance playing nearly an hour of new songs, and then throw in their hit singles as encores. Of course, there aren't any bands like Roxy.

There's a new depth in their playing now, Phil Manzanera plays a really blistering guitar, Mackay's casbah sax flows and bites, and the electronics pulse through everything. The old numbers are so changed and improved that it'd be really nice to have them re-recorded; Re-Make/Re-Model rocks and attacks like never before. The material from the new album sounds even more impressive. The variety of textures, the combination of Velvet Underground and celluloid dreams wrapped in vinyl, give it thrust and power. Do The Strand and Bogus Man hit you first, but Ferry's recitation of In Every Dream Home A Heartache, while he clutches a big white guitar and looks just like Eddie Cochran, was very fine indeed.

It's hard to imagine a band being this good after less than two years together; but they're really together now.