The Thrill of It All: The Story of Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music

by David Buckley

Roxy Music, one of the first and best art-rock bands of the 1970s, is chronicled in this account of decadent glam-rock excess.

Included are accounts of Ferry's affair with supermodel Jerry Hall and its public end when she left him for Mick Jagger, the band's various splits and regroupings, and the recent reunion in 2001 for a sold-out greatest hits tour.

Years of research and interviews with all the major participants, including Ferry himself, have resulted in a definitive history of a band that changed popular music forever.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Buckley did an excellent job on the Bowie bio, and in turn this is also an interesting book on what I think is one of the major groups to come out of the 70's glam scene. In fact they're a foundation! There was not a weak link in the original line-up of Roxy Music. And the fact that they also built a bridge between the avant-garde and pure classic pop is an important route to go on as a listerner.

Roxy Music is also about the visual art world, design world, and of course the fashion world. It's a combination of visual wit with extremely underrated songwriting. Buckley writes about all this and he does a good job.

[Stuart Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual biography in that it focuses on a band member that according to this author's account was one of the less talented members of the group. I did wonder whether Buckley's original intention was to write a biography of Roxy Music only but was persuaded by their publisher that one based on the lead singer was more commercially viable. The earlier sections of the book were enjoyable to read and Buckley's enthusiasm for the first few years of Roxy comes across clearly. I didn't enjoy the solo years period as much though as the author didn't seem as interested and gave an account which was partial. Whilst I do prefer a biographer to take a critical stance to the subject they should also give credit where it is due, which didn't seem to happen here. He criticises Ferry's choice of songs on the Taxi album for example on the basis that many had been covered by other artists. Surely this isn't a problem if a performer puts their own stamp on the material which was definitely the case here. Whilst rightly dismissive of a peculiar reading of Amazing Grace, Buckley neglects to mention some of the stronger material on the album such as the atmospheric All Tomorrow's Parties and the nicely crafted Rescue Me which cleverly employed a Morse code motif as part of the rhythm.

The book does benefit from interviews with Ferry and other people associated with his career but unfortunately the key personnel did not participate so the views of Mackay, Manzanera et al aren't represented to a great extent. It would have been interesting to hear Manzanera's reaction to original Roxy guitarist David O'List's claim that Manzanera copied him note for note and bought the same guitar to reproduce the same sound. At times a single source is quoted without any discussion as to the accuracy of their statement. Mick Rock's assertion that Ferry was probably taking drugs at the time of the final 3 Roxy albums isn't supported by any evidence, and seems unlikely when Ferry's statement of his distate of drug use is taken into account.

The weakest parts of the book find Buckley quoting irrelevant commentary from people with little relevance to the subject. I am sure that most readers aren't particularly interested in Martyn Ware and Mark Radcliffe's views. Buckley also quotes a 'typical fan' on the Roxy reunion who declared that they should get Eno back in and do some new material, this seemed to be included purely to back Buckley's claim that Brian Eno was the genius auteur in the band. I find it hard to believe that fans only really liked the first 2 Roxy albums which made up a quarter of their output. Throughout the book the enthusiasm for Eno is overblown, the nadir being the reference to him having probably sold millions of solo albums.

Whether you agree or disagree with the author's stance you should find this of interest as it is generally well researched and contains some interesting and amusing anecdotes. Kudos is due also for the comprehensive bibliography and discography sections. Not a definitive account by any means but certainly worth a look.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

A recent mention of Roxy Music by a younger friend got me thinking about my obsession with Bryan Ferry. I met him in 1983 backstage at a concert (and Bono, too!) but that's another story. His suave sophistication was so appealing. I remember listening to "Manifesto", "Flesh and Blood", and "Avalon" late at night in the dark--record albums and headphones with a long spiral cord! :)

This book is a pastiche of snippets from interviews, some by the author and most from public sources. It left Ferry seeming more mysterious than ever. It did help me understand the chasm that occasionally opens between my husband and myself. With him being 9 years older, the music of his youth is definitely different than mine. He was an early Roxy Fan, and I was a later one. Imagine my shock at realizing Brian Eno was an original member of the band! Eno for me was typically associated with his own weird recordings and collaborations with Robert Frippp. No wonder my husband often says about bands, "I liked their earlier stuff much better."!!

[gekko100 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and researched biography of the band, focussing on enigmatic lead singer Bryan Ferry. I found this considerably more comprehensive than another biography on the band that I read a while back (Unknown Pleasures, by Paul Stump), and it's also more recent, being written in 2004.

The major shortcoming for me is the paucity of direct interviews with the band members -- we get plenty (indeed, often an excess) of opinionated quotes from lesser known associates of the band and various other hangers on, presumably quite happy to get their two cents on the record -- but what's glaringly absent are the opinions that really count. I'd love to read lengthy discussions/confessions from Ferry and Eno regarding Eno's acrimonious departure from the band after the second album, or Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger regarding the latter's wooing of the former away from a hapless Ferry. But probably even the most clout-wielding journalist in town would be unable to elicit such information, and it's clearly well beyond the author's reach. That being said, the author does provide a balanced, and at times starkly critical, perspective on Ferry that would perhaps would have suffered from greater collaboration with the singer.

I'd like to see a second edition (though not sure if I'd bother to read it), updated to include Ferry's latest solo effort, Olympia -- which is actually quite a decent album.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

In many ways I read this book just to understand why I should care about Roxy music?....I am a fan of music in most forms and although I have picked up various Bryan Ferry and Roxy music vinyl and CD releases over the years from car boot sales and charity shops I have only really given them a cursory listen feeling much of the time that the hype generated from the build up others have given the releases doesn't translate in actuality.....as you can tell I'm not a Roxy music fan per se..
However I did enjoy reading up on the creative process of the band and understanding how their Canon is maybe worth me revisiting just as there does seem to be some development there.
The book is in actuality more a focus on the front man but given the personnel changes in the band Ferry was always likely to be the focus...an unusual character in many ways a working class lad with aspirations to the gentry and this perception may be one of the reasons I struggle with the band...in fairness from reading the interviews within the book Ferry has never tried to dismiss his roots and indeed shows some pride in them.
He comes across as a complicated character someone who courts the level of fame of his contemporaries but who in some ways seems to be a fragile character.
This book has given me the will to relisten to the bits I have with fresh ears so in that way job done.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book about my summer obsession, Roxy Music.

This was a thorough dive into their formation and their music and I found it really interesting. It added quite a bit to my knowledge. I thought the author did a little too much "armchair analysis" of Bryan Ferry, which is never fair or fully accurate. But it was obvious that the author is a fan (as is his wife, apparently).

This might be a little too in-the-weeds, but as someone who can play the piano (although not technically well), I found it fascinating. Producer Chris Thomas showed musician Ian Burden of The Human League the secret of how Ferry writes his tunes. Basic chords have three notes: the root note, played with the thumb, and the third and fifth notes. Ferry played with two fingers, leaving out the middle note. That is the note that determines whether the key is major or minor, so the rest of the band could decide what they wanted to do with it. The early Roxy songs were mostly in a major key but minor inflections often made their way in there. I'm not sure why that fascinated me, but it did! I immediately sat down at my keyboard and played around with that and was amazed at how the sound changed.

It's that kind of experimentation, especially early on, that made Roxy Music such an innovative and influential band to so many musicians that followed.

[S. Harper · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointment, to say the least.
This book taught me that I really don't love everything about Roxy Music, and that after the break-up with Jerry Hall, Bryan Ferry was really boring. As I "read", my mind wandered and I found myself wishing for a coffee-table-sized photo-record of Brian Eno's rapidly receding glam-rock hairline instead.
This is the first book in a long time that I had no interest in finishing.

[Dierregi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed biography of Roxy Music leader, the suave Bryan Ferry, obviously inextricably linked with the band's history from its unlikely inception until 2002.

Roxy Music made its debut in 1972 and they started with a bang, their self-titled LP quickly followed by the successful single "Virginia Plain" and by what is probably their masterpiece, their second LP, "For Your Pleasure". Their success was also determined by the presence of non-musician Brian Eno who was asked to leave the band after the second LP because he was having too much personal success and Ferry was not happy.

Ferry seems an interesting, complex character who always had a bad relationship with the press, due to his reluctance to play along and a natural shyness, but also his posh snobbery that didn't endear many journalists.

Despite Ferry's shortcomings as the Roxy leader, the band prospered for ten years also thanks to lead guitar player Manzanera, oboist Mackay, and a string of other players, until the release of the sophisticated (and soporific) Avalon, released in 1982.

In the meantime, Ferry had launched his soloist career with alternate results. His love for crooners, kept at bay by the experimental streaks of Roxy Music meant a string of banal records. The felony was compounded by his perfectionism, meaning years spent in the studio trying - and failing - to produce the "perfect LP".

To this date, Ferry kept releasing records and touring, also with Roxy Music, never achieving the superstardom of his peers (Bowie, Mercury, etc...) due perhaps to his excessively sophisticated choices or simply to the fact that alone he could just not achieve the experimental greatness of the first Roxy Music years.

[Nathaniel Wrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable Journey

Roxy Music were one of those influential bands of my youth, their music intriguing me as my father played them on the turntable, shaping my tastes as I grew up. David Buckley's book brings the band's story to life, with a focus on Bryan Ferry. There is a strange glass half-empty feel to every chapter, missed opportunities, poor decisions, failure to crack America or not being like David Bowie. This removes the risk of a sycophantic, one-sided history and all are given the opportunity to air their views. However, at times, it can also feel like the legacy of the music doesn't get full credit, the representation from influenced bands a little light. But all in all an enjoyable read.

[Vanyo666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely interesting, enlightening and informative about the genesis of Roxy Music, the departure of Eno and the character and personality of Mr. Ferry, a must read for all fans of Roxy and Ferry.

A bit infuriating to me is how the 85-94 albums of Mr. Ferry are shortchanged and dismissed as the product of an overtly fussy and directionless artist. In my ears, those are some of the finest pop music ever recorded. And the wishful thinking about Roxy reforming and Eno getting back in the fold (we know know) were nothing but a misguided mirage. The quoted testimonials are by far richer than the somewhat bipolar critical analyses.

[Allan Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written in 2005 on the back of the Roxy reunion and Ferry's fine Frantic album. His last decade has been more fruitful than the previous one but one suspects the positive future the author saw for Ferry remains unfulfilled.

This is a very good book that collects a wide and diverse range of opinions on Ferry. He's a fascinating character but equally a frustrating one.

Nevertheless, we'll always have those early Roxy albums. Even as we hide most of the solo albums at the back.

[Leilani Ferreira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously we don’t have the full picture seeing as much has happened since this was written but quite a nice timeline of music and events. I do however feel like the author seems a bit biased in their writing.

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro tão sedutor quanto esta banda. Um percurso musical muito rico, com uma carga estética que o livro captou, tudo sob o magnetismo de B. Ferry.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry for many years, I had been looking for a biography about them that was worth reading. This is an excellent book for those who want to read about Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry's career up until 2004. Since the book is 20 years old, obviously it doesn't cover some of the things that have occurred since it was published, such as the band being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the deaths of David Bowie and Bryan Ferry's ex-wife Lucy Birley. But it does an excellent job of covering the years Roxy Music was active and covering a good deal of Bryan Ferry's solo work.

The book begins by briefly describing the area where Bryan Ferry's parents lived when they met and when he was born in 1945, a small town in Northern England where they lived without much money or luxury. Bryan would go on to develop an interest in art that led to his study of the subject. He worked as a teacher for a few years before deciding to try to make a go of it as a musician, despite not having much of a musical background to speak of. A bit older than most rock stars when he started the band, the fact that Roxy Music came to be at all is a bit of serendipity, but thankfully they did and the rest is history. The book describes how the band members were found and mostly focuses on Ferry and Brian Eno, though the author does devote time to Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay, and Phil Thompson, as well as a bit on the revolving door of other musicians who played in Roxy Music over the years.

I learned from this book a few things, one being that Bryan Ferry truly hates to give interviews. This might explain why there aren't many books about the band when you consider how popular rock biographies are these days. There are a few books out there about them, but most of them are quite old and this one seems to be by far the best of them. Phil Manzanera has written a book, which I haven't read yet, so I don't know how much he includes about his time with Roxy Music in it.

Bryan Ferry in particular has always been wary when it comes to giving interviews, but it turns out all of the band members have treated the privacy of the band with secrecy akin to Fort Knox over the years, to the point where it mystified even some of the people who knew them, according to one quote in the book. Ferry himself likely does not trust journalists considering most stories that have come out about him even in the years since this book were printed have been negative - - a revelation that he was included in Jeffrey Epstein's book of contacts, his marriage and subsequent divorce to the ex-girlfriend of one of his sons, and his defense of his son's fox hunting activities. Hard to imagine him agreeing to sit down with anyone to give his own story or writing his own autobiography before he passes away. Which means that Roxy Music remains a fairly mysterious group, despite their fame.

The book also discusses Bryan Ferry's depression and how that has affected his career at times. As a fan, I am aware of how uneven his solo work is, though I enjoy it. Knowing a bit of how his mental health affected his work has put it in perspective a bit more for me.

Brian Eno's departure from the band is discussed and explains several reasons why it was inevitable. While Brian and Bryan are on good terms now, it's clear they couldn't have continued to work together in the band as things were.

There were a few minor mistakes in the book. In the song Remake/Remodel, the license plate in the chorus is listed as CPL5938 instead of CPL593H, which is what every source I could find lists it as. It's an odd mistake to make, especially since the author says there is a license plate in Surrey that reads CPL5938. Also he mentions the lack of Roxy Music cover songs without mentioning the hit that 10, 000 Maniacs had in 1997 with their cover of More Than This in the US. This was my first exposure to the song and how I first became aware of Roxy Music, and I was surprised he didn' t mention it, since he lamented the lack of Roxy Music covers. I also noted a spelling mistake ("causal" instead of "casual" was used at one point).

All in all, this is a very good book about the history of the band, and one I would recommend for anyone who is a fan of Roxy Music or '70s rock. It could use an updated version to correct a few minor errors and to update the band's inclusion into the Hall of Fame, as well as add the Bryan Ferry albums Olympia, Avonmore, the Dylan cover album, the Jazz Age, the Mamouna re-release, and anything else he's released since the book was published.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read a review of a more recent book about Roxy Music (Michael Bracewell's "Remake Remodel: Becoming Roxy Music", which, as it turns out, hasn't been published in the US yet) when I picked this up at the library. It's fairly routine rock journalism, and a little too willing to give in to musical prejudices, but there are some genuinely good observations on what made the sound and look of the original Roxy (the Eno period) such a cultural breakthrough - and why they never caught on in America.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid critical biography of Bryan Ferry, a performer who broke all the rules about what a rock front man could be for three years in the early '70s, then retreated to stuffy, overly calculated convention before lapsing into a multi-decade torpor. What went wrong? This book does a good job of explaining why the shy, insecure, self-doubting Ferry derailed his career and managed to, one by one, shed the musicians who helped him create the spectacular, innovative sounds of early Roxy Music.

[Malini Sridharan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buckley gives a lot of lip service to how great Bryan Ferry is, but he doesn't seem to think Ferry is all that great. Eno comes out looking way more awesome. But I love the weird little tid bits of info. For instance, Ferry's son is a Master of the Hunt. WTF? Trollope, anyone?

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing style was rather choppy and I found that distracting from the content which was interesting.