Artist: ROXY MUSIC
Album: AVALON REMASTERED (CD)

Year: 1982/ 1999
EAN/UPS: 0724384746025
Media type: CD

Avalon, released in 1982, was Roxy Music's eighth (and, to date, final) studio album. Recorded in 1981-82 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, it is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of the band's later work. It was a huge commercial success, hitting #1 in the UK (for 3 weeks) and staying on the album charts for over a year. Although it only climbed as high as #53, Avalon is notable as the band's only platinum record in the US. Bryan Ferry's girlfriend Lucy Helmore appeared on the cover wearing a medieval helmet and carrying a falcon. The image evoked King Arthur's last journey to the mysterious land of Avalon. Like all previous Roxy Music albums, the cover featured at least one woman as the central figure. However, departing from all previous album covers, the woman is shot from the back and in armour, making her not obviously female. The lush arrangements and synthesizer drenched sound of Avalon later found its way onto Bryan Ferry's solo follow-up album Boys and Girls (1985).

A single, "More Than This," preceded the album and was a Top 10 hit in Britain (#6), Australia (#6) and most European countries. Although a chart failure in the US, the song was popular on the college radio circuit. It is unusual for a pop song in that Ferry's vocal ends at 2.45 minutes, leaving the last 1.45 minutes as a synth-driven instrumental. It has since become regarded as a classic Roxy Music song. In 1997, a cover of "More Than This" performed by 10,000 Maniacs with the lead singer Mary Ramsey became a US hit when it reached 25 on US Hot 100.

The title track was released as the album's second single and also became a UK Top 20 hit. A third extract, "Take a Chance With Me," with a remixed version of album track "The Main Thing" on the b-side, reached UK #26 and was Roxy Music's last UK hit single.

All songs written by Bryan Ferry except as noted.

TRACKLIST:

"More Than This" – 4:30
"The Space Between" – 4:30
"Avalon" – 4:16
"India" – 1:44
"While My Heart Is Still Beating" (Ferry, Andy Mackay) – 3:26
"The Main Thing" – 3:54
"Take a Chance with Me" (Ferry, Phil Manzanera) – 4:42
"To Turn You On" – 4:16
"True to Life" – 4:25
"Tara" (Ferry, Mackay) – 1:43

LINE-UP:

Bryan Ferry - vocals, keyboards, guitar synth
Andy Mackay - saxophone
Phil Manzanera - guitar
Neil Hubbard - guitar
Alan Spenner - bass on tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10
Andy Newmark - drums on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9
Jimmy Maelen - percussion on tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9