Product Description

Assembled from three live shows three years apart, VIVA! ROXY MUSIC suffers a little from murky sound, but features uniformly inspired performances. Violinist Edwin Jobson gets his first real chances to shine on "Out of the Blue" (originally appearing on COUNTRY LIFE) and a ten and a half minute version of "If There is Something" (from ROXY MUSIC). "Pyjamarama", the band's second single, ups the funk groove of the original considerably, and to good effect. "Both Ends Burning" comes very close to outstripping the studio version, remaking the song in a faster and more furious mold.
The last two tracks, however, are simply stunning. For the first, a version of "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" that doubles thelength of the original, the live production is perfect for the song's sparse desolation. Interestingly, Bryan Ferry's creepy, highly mannered vocal in this song was copied almost exactly a few years later by the vocalists of the Gothic rock movement. The last track, "Do the Strand", comes across asa frenzied locomotive accentuated by Andrew Mackay's saxophone. It also features the band performing brief excerpts of tango and waltz. Not many live albums are as essential as this.

Track Listing

1. Out Of The Blue
2. Pyjamarama
3. Bogus Man
4. Chance Meeting
5. Both Ends Burning
6. If There Is Something
7. In Every Dream Home A Heartache
8. Do The Strand

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33703 in Music
• Released on: 1999-11-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Live, Original recording remastered

Customer Reviews

Roxy Live
"The only nag is the wail of backing singers "the Sirens" during the chorus, which almost ruin the song,"

You have to be joking! Those backing vocals are among the most intense and exciting of any live recording. I should know. I was at the show itself in 1974 and they sent a shiver up my spine :-)

Definitely one of the best live albums ever!

Simply Superb
I bought this album when I was 15. I am now 46. Its still brilliant. Nuff said. RM just injected so much life into their music, now brooding, now kick-ass live. Just buy it, and admire how a band lke this could thrive in their hayday. I really like the "walk on the dangerous side" feel to this album. Its adventurous, soul-wrenching and ecstatic. Don your threads, slick your hair, put on your tie, opt out and buy this album. I dare you not to get up and boogie.

Essential Live Work
Always pushing the boundaries of the term "rock", this live album of Roxy, circa the early years, is comprehensive listening for any fan of the genre (could Roxy ever be put into one, some might say). The line up had lost the "non-musician" Eno, but in my opinion Roxy had gained a greater artist in prog-rock and Frank Zappa guest musician Eddie Jobson, a talented multi-instrumentalist who added depth to the opener "Out of the Blue", the fiery electric violin solo being his. The band blast through "Pyjamarama", a little heard welcome addition, and then move onto the weirdness of "The Bogus Man" accompanied by subtle guitar work from Phil Manzanera and sci-fi synth from Jobson. "Chance Meeting" is low-key but still brooding especially Ferry's vocal styling and Manzanera's synth-guitar. From this explodes "Both Ends Burning", mighty, powerful and with the ever present powerhouse drumming from Paul Thompson (surely one of rocks greatest drummers). The only nag is the wail of backing singers "the Sirens" during the chorus, which almost ruin the song, but Manzanera sets the record straight with a blistering solo to close. "If There is Something" is a jam epic, with the space created for Thompsons drumming, Jobson's synth and violin and some magnificent trade-off's between Andy Mackays sax and Manzanera, who plays for his life to keep up. Perhaps greater than the original. If there is one song which is better live then "In every dream home a Heartache" is the one. Menacing, brooding and downright disturbing. Ferry and all the musicians clearly enjoy taking the opening section and dragging out its oppressiveness to the maximum. Synth and guitar touches add to the eeriness. Then the whole joint blows up when all the musicians go into overdrive and crash their way through the second section, wailing guitar and pounding drum fans listen up. This cracking album finishes on "Do the Strand" which lightens the atmosphere for a sing and dancealong and makes sure the album closes in style. A great addition to any collection, and goes to show Roxy Music had to be one of the most creative and ingenius bands around both in the studio and on the stage.