Frantic [Import]

Bryan Ferry | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 21, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: VIRGIN
• ASIN: B000060OX8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  DVD Audio  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,170 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Frantic is hardly an appropriate title choice for Bryan Ferry, who is the epitome of unflustered, cucumber-cool decorum. Frantic, his first album to feature original material since Mamouna, has been simmering away on the back burner for all of eight years. And it's all the tastier for it. The ingredients are just right: another song cowritten with former Roxy Music partner Brian Eno; tunes about models, movies, amour, and large houses; a guest appearance from Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood on "Hiroshima" (this is Ferry reclaiming his stolen clothes from the New Romantics' wardrobe); four fine new numbers co-penned in the 1990s with the Eurythmics' Dave Stewart; contributions from guitarists of the caliber of Chris Spedding and Mick Green; backing vocalists of the caliber of Lucy Laplansky and Alison Goldfrapp; a little bit of medieval; a little bit of Leadbelly; and a little bit of Dylan. Often the involvement of so many contributors results in too many cooks spoiling the broth, but not here. Compliments to the chef. This being a Bryan Ferry album, you can still play it at dinner parties, but the sensual ardor put into Frantic suggests Ferry had blood, sweat, and tears trickling down his tuxedo. This is a fantastic album. --Kevin Maidment

Product Description

Frantic by Bryan Ferry

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bryan Stripped Bare, April 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Frantic (Audio CD)

FRANTIC is almost an appropriate name for Bryan Ferry's most recent effort. I say "almost" because 'frantic' implies anxiousness and nervousness -- and Bryan Ferry could never be labeled either (he's far too meticulous and patient in his artistic determination). What FRANTIC displays, however, is a creator demonstrating his mastery over a variety of different styles. And this mastery is delivered with an organic energy that Bryan hasn't utilized since THE BRIDE STRIPPED BARE. Texturally, Bryan comes full circle with FRANTIC. Over the years Bryan has explored a very layered and controlled sound. AVALON was the apotheosis of this approach with Roxy Music, and MAMOUNA was clearly the ultimate distillation of that cosmically ethereal sound in Bryan's solo career (and MAMOUNA can never be topped -- it's just exquisite musical art). Bryan's next effort, AS TIME GOES BY took a 180-degree turn. Here was Bryan, stripped down to just his voice and traditional non-synthetic accompaniments, exploring staples from America's past. If anyone questions his talents as a crooner or the power of his voice, I simply refer them to his version of "Where or When" (it makes Sinatra's take on it seem like insincere drivel). Now Bryan turns it up a notch. Using the same organic approach, he fashioned a rock album in FRANTIC that explores Dylan, pop, funk, trip-hop, ballads, blues, and folk music -- and Bryan's foray into each territory is inspired. His voice has become smokier, but that familiar quiver -- symbolizing his yearning for the perfect, ideal love -- has matured into a curtain of passion that wraps itself around the listener. For me, "Hiroshima . . ." and "I Thought" are classics that triumphantly usher Ferry into the new century. The former is a hypnotic masterpiece that should have been released as a single to the trip-hop/Massive Attack crowd (it would have made Virgin Records billions had they been thinking). The latter is a brilliant, beautifully lyrical rumination on lost love; it begins with a funky Morricone-esque keyboard delivered by Brian Eno and escalates into a swirling mass of forlorn beauty. Forget Sting. Forgot Bono. Forget Josh Groban. Forget Peter Gabriel. Forget Andrea Bocelli. Forget Celine Dion. Forget Cher. There is only Bryan Ferry.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can we say Grammy award?, June 11, 2002

By 

Steve L. (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frantic (Audio CD)

This is a great album! Bryan Ferry with his new album "FRANTIC", has regained the creative passion that initially made Roxy Music one of the most influential bands of the '70s. While much of his audience is probably over 40, I would guess much of this older fan base is very loyal, and probably considers itself fairly well educated musically. Once the word of mouth spreads, this album will have a solid chance to cross over to a more mainstream audience. Can we say Grammy award?

Bryan Ferry's early solo albums were often wonderful. He often drew on a mixture of top musicians and would also include some of his Roxy Music bandmates on certain tracks. He does that here and returns to some of his signature sounds and roots in "FRANTIC". Reminiscent in one respect, of his debut album of 1972, "THESE FOOLISH THINGS", he again uniquely covers a couple of great Dylan classics, "IT'S ALL OVER BABY BLUE" and "DON'T THINK TWICE, IT'S ALL RIGHT". There is much original new Ferry scored material here as well, including several strong up tempo songs co-written with Dave Stewart. One of which, an homage to Marilyn Monroe, "GODDESS OF LOVE" could become a hit single.

His collaborations here with various gifted muscians including orginal Roxy bandmates Brian Eno and Paul Thompson, the above mentioned Eurithmics co-founder Dave Stewart, guitar great Robin Trower and top session guitarist, Chris Spedding, not to mention recent Ferry touring musicians, pianist Colin Good, and bassist Zev Katz, make this a very solid affair.

When you think about it, Bryan Ferry has been one of the most prolific songwriter, bandleader, vocalists of the past 30 years. Roxy Music, of which Ferry wrote or co-wrote virtually everything, produced 8 original material albums, not including concert/greatist hits, and Ferry had 10 solo albums previous to this and not including collections, etc.

There is something for every Ferry fan here, a bit of every era of Bryan. The songs are varried in styles, that it is just a pure pleasure to experience. There are at least eight strong songs on this disk. It is one of Ferry's finest albums.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing and rewarding - Bryan's best since Boys and Girls, May 23, 2002

By 

tenohtwo (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frantic (Audio CD)

I have to admit - I really got started late on Bryan Ferry. I barely discovered Boys and Girls in the early '90's (though I had heard "Slave To Love" and "Don't Stop The Dance"), and my Roxy Music knowledge was very limited. It didn't take long after hearing Boys and Girls in its entirety that I was a Ferry devotee, and I soon explored the entire Ferry-RM catalogue. Siren and Avalon are masterpieces, and Boys and Girls remains my favorite work of his (I'm in my early 30's, so the 80's New Romantic sleek-and-stylish approach of Boys and Girls really grabbed me). Of course, "Is Your Love Strong Enough" remains my top Ferry tune. Anyway, we're talking about the new album, aren't we? Well, it's not as *cohesive* as Boys and Girls, as far as the overall sound goes, but the combination of varying musical styles works very well on this LP. At first, I thought that opening a 'new album' with a cover song seemed a bit strange, but "It's All Over" has such a strong opening, that I wouldn't have sequenced the album any other way. I will say that secretly, I was hoping to hear some sax on the album, but the harmonica parts are certainly a pleasant change (we don't need Boys and Girls 2 now, do we?!) The new single "Goddess Of Love" is a classic Ferry single. Sure, the hooks are nothing new, but the song is anything but recycled and stale. Naturally, the single, along with "Hiroshima" and "Cruel" is among my favorites on the album, reminding me of Avalon - Bete Noire-era material. I still have a tough time with some of BF's 70's solo material (too much of a 'Streets of San Francisco vibe going on there, and the tunes don't hold up as well). I know that a lot of diehard Ferry fans swear by The Bride Stripped Bare, but I was a child of the 1980's, so naturally my tastes fall more with the Avalon-Boys material. The follow-ups to Boys and Girls were good, but not great: Bete Noire has a couple of standout tracks, but is definitely not his most-inspired effort, and Mamouna has its moments, usually when the wah-wah guitars aren't too overbearing. Taxi and As Time Goes By are good covers albums, but the new release is one of the most satisfying CD's I've heard thus far in 2002. Highly recommended for fans of all of Ferry's albums. If you think about it, this album is almost a 'greatest hits' of Ferry's career, only represented by new covers and originals. Way to go, Bryan!