Manifesto - ROXY MUSIC***

Manifesto/Trash/Angel Eyes/Still Falls The Rain/Stronger Through The Years/Ain’t That So/My Little Girl/Dance Away/Cry Cry Cry/Spin Me Round

After a gap of four years the art-rock group Roxy Music announce their return with Manifesto. It is a rather uneven album with a couple of excellent singles outshining the remainder of the tracks. Features the romantic UK No. 2 Dance Away plus the UK No. 4 Angel Eyes. (US:23 UK:7)

“Side one starts the album (recorded after a four year hiatus) in excellent energetic fashion, having obviously grown slicker from their incorporation of disco and soul. However, the record quickly loses steam.”

“Roxy Music were certainly not operating at the height of their powers when they made this rather monotonous and disappointingly dull album. Not an awful record necessarily, but it obviously pales in comparison to their earlier albums which were produced with more energy and conviction.”

“The strongest song is still Dance Away. There is no denying that Ferry has always known how to write the perfect pop song. Although it sounds nothing like Roxy Music, I can't help but enjoy its wonderful melody and great heart-broken lyrics:”

“Nothing is terrible here but it’s just rather dull. And from Roxy Music I don't want dullness, I want off the wall weirdness or seductive new wave. Apart from Angel Eyes and Dance Away the rest is throwaway. It’s not terrible by any means but once you compare it to their albums before this you realise how weak it is.”

“Dance Away, is a simple, infectious and heartbreaking ballad that shows why Ferry was so good at writing these types of songs, and why his songwriting style inspired a whole onslaught of clones in the years to follow.”

“This album very nicely has one foot in the older catalogue, and one in the later period. It also still has many of the original band members to continue the creative and cool sound that is distinctive of the band.”

“Manifesto, Roxy Music's first album in nearly four years after the fine run ending with Siren, does not measure up. Neither the supposedly more European sounding East Side or the slick and poppy West Side themes, deliver enough great songs or moments to make this a favourite of mine.”