Olympia [Import]

Bryan Ferry | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Astralwerks
• ASIN: B003VIW8DK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,814 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2010 release from the veteran British vocalist and Roxy Music frontman. The album features musical contributions from Nile Rodgers, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, Groove Armada, Scissor Sisters, Marcus Miller, Flea, Mani (Primal Scream, ex Stone Roses) and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead. Olympia sees Bryan Ferry reunite on record with members of Roxy Music, including Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, and Andy Mackay. This is the first album to reunite them since Roxy Music's seminal album For Your Pleasure in 1973! Olympia is a masterpiece of prolific artistry, blending sultry, elegant lyrics with genius compositions by Ferry, Rhett Davies and innovative, contemporary musicians.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of CD+DVD Deluxe Edition, October 25, 2010

By 

Fieval Years - See all my reviews

This review is from: Olympia (Audio CD)

This is a review of Bryan Ferry "Olympia" CD/DVD Deluxe Edition. This review is meant to summarize the Deluxe Edition of the album. Hope it helps you decide which edition to get. It doesn't do a track by track analysis because that is really for the listener to experience. But, I will tell you the song titled "BF Bass" basically means Bryan Ferry Bass (just in case you were wondering...I was)...j/k. Now as far as the deluxe edition is concerned: the content is packaged in a nice case with binding similar to a book. The book is a hardcover with a slipcase on the front and back that is glued to the book. Certain to create nice little scuff marks on the discs during frequent use. You may need to bring your own jewel cases to this set. A good example that springs to mind (as far as the "book" presentation) would be the recent Kylie Minogue Deluxe edition of "Aprodite." Inside the book contains the lyrics to the songs, pictures of Kate Moss, a brief two page description of the album that recounts Ferry past/present/future written by Richard Williams (I wasn't too big on the style this was written but whatever, some will think it is cool, it kinda is), and a nice photo of Bryan Ferry by Anton Corbijn. The DVD contained is Region Free NTSC that provides an excellent 27 minute behind the scenes of the making of the album. Shows the cast that made this album come to life. This album has a nice amount guest stars. For those interested in buying this because of guest stars on the DVD. The DVD does show David Gilmour but, no interview. Flea is shown and a very brief interview. Brian Eno is talked about but, not shown or interviewed. Steve Nieve is talked about but not seen. Good footage and interview snippets of Nile Rodgers and Jake Shears and Babydaddy. A brief interview of Groove Armada. Phil Manzanera is on many songs but, not on the DVD same with Dave Stewart. Nice interview of producer Johnson Somerset. Lots of Bryan Ferry interview and footage. Also a nice tribute to guitar player David Williams. Also nice footage of young guitar player Oliver Thompson (whom I wasn't famalair with) and Bryan Ferry's son Tara on drums with Andy Newmark. The DVD is directed by Ferry's other son Isaac Ferry. All in all the DVD is shot with beautiful lighting and really brings the album to life. Also included is the video for "You Can Dance."
Now for the music aspect. It must be known there is a more expensive version of this album coming out at the beginning of November called "The Immersion Edition," with a bigger book and an extra disc of six remixes and one instrumental. So yeah, this package does lack the remixes but, that set is almost as much as a cheap suit.
The CD included in this package is amazing. The music is pure Bryan Ferry. I liked "Frantic" but this is no "Frantic-era" Ferry. This album reminds me of the Bryan Ferry of the Avalon-Boys and Girls era. Words don't do the music justice but, it sounds like the Bryan Ferry of the 80's sting by a bumble-bee of 2010. Every song on this album is really incredible. It's not necessarily the type of album to sample on sound snippets but, really needs to be experienced in full. The regular CD ends with a song called "Tender is the Night" which is an excellent conclusion to the album and really acts a dimly lit candle burning out beautifully. The Deluxe edition CD has two bonus tracks: a John Lennon cover of "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" which is sung and arranged wonderfully and a Smiley Lewis cover (Elvis often sang live) of "One Night" which is sung well too. Both of these songs would have fit well during the album perhaps they were left off to focus more on the Ferry-penned material. The regular CD already has one excellent cover of the Traffic song "No Face No Name No Number" and a cover of the Tim Buckley song "Song to the Siren." The "Song to the Siren" bears little resemblence to the Tim Buckley original nor the This Mortal Coil cover. It sounds like if "Song to the Siren" was thrown into the Avalon-era Roxy Music Bizarro time warp complete but this time with Brian Eno on keyboards and even whale noises.
For the extra few dollars I highly recommend this package. The DVD is top notch (and works on US DVD players) the two extra tracks are not essential to the album but, a nice touch. If you have never liked the style of Bryan Ferry solo or Avalon-era Roxy I don't think you'll be liking this CD. If you only like early experimental Roxy Music you may not be too big on this CD. I was disappointed when I first heard he was making another solo album and not another Roxy Music album. My feelings have since changed because I think this is probably the best CD he has put out post Roxy and one of the coolest CD's of 2010 thus far. Buy it if want something just plain cool.

52 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, October 27, 2010

By 

Jame S. Boykin (Dallas, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Olympia (Audio CD)

I've been listening to Bryan Ferry since I bought For Your Pleasure on vinyl in the 1973. I think some of the reviewers miss the point. This is not Roxy Music circa 1973. This is an absolutely beautiful record. Reason or Rhyme and Me Oh My are two his very best songs in years. This is his best solo record since The Bride Stripped Bare. The production values on this record are stunning. It's one of the most complex headphone listening records I own. Admittedly you will get more out of this record on a very good stereo or listening to it through a high quality set of headphones. I'm not sure this is Ipod music. Highly recommended but not for people on a nostalgia trip or can't stand an artist who doesn't repeat the same thing he did 35 years ago. In comparison to a lot of artists who I listened to in the 70's Bryan Ferry still sounds like he actually enjoys what he does. I can't say the same thing for David Bowie or the Rolling Stones to name two. Interesting enough, I played this for some younger people (in their 20's) who had no idea who Bryan Ferry was. They loved it. They were quite surprised when I told them how old he was. Bryan Ferry and Nick Cave are proof positive that rock can still be relevant when played by 50+ year olds.

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings on this one, November 2, 2010

By 

Mr. Man (Canoga Park, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Olympia (Audio CD)

I'm a big Bryan Ferry Fan.. I think Boys and Girls and Bete Noire are my favorite things he's done. I was happy to hear some
material on Olympia that reminded me of those works and I'd say about half the CD works for me. There's a handful of tracks that
just seem trite and the lyrics seem like they wrote a song around a semi-clever title they liked, but the writing is uninspired.

Most of all I'm highly disappointed by the production and mixing on this CD. It's flat sounding, no dynamics, the clarity and punch just isn't there. And his voice is buried in the mix. There's no excuse for this given the tools they have today as well as the talent Bryan has at his disposal. Older CDs like Boys and Girls blow this CD sonically out of the water when I play them next to each other.

I'm still a big fan and this overall is one of my favorite CDs he's put out in a while. I just wish the production, recording and mixing wasn't so... blah.

Nevertheless, I still recommend the CD because if you like Bryan's music, there's no substitute. Just like Sade.. there's only one of them doing what they do and nobody else sounds like them. Rock on Bryan :-)