Customer Reviews

Stranded

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Though it is not as strong as SIREN and COUNTRY LIFE, STRANDED works because it is one of the most elegant Roxy albums. There's some strangeness in "Street Life" and "Amazona", as well as the beginning to "Mother of Pearl," but for the most part the album is calmer than early Roxy albums. For that reason, it must have shocked and upset those fans who jumped on board when Eno was in the band, but it doesn't mean it is inferior. Rather, STRANDED's beauty is magnificent. "Psalm" has an uplifting aura to it, spirituality without the dogma. "Song For Europe" has a great middle section, when the violins come crashing in for a near-lead, and the aforemnetioned tracks are all stunning. The others are pretty good too. Get COUNTRY for the rock, SIREN for the funk, and this one for beauty.

This is probably the flip side to SIREN--the most underrated Roxy Music album of the first incarnation of the band. The production by Chris Thomas is stellar and the songwriting superb. While a little monochromatic in the overall "sound", this album would pave the way for the superior COUNTRY LIFE.

The lyrics see Ferry's themes emerge mature for the first time. While the earlier album was recorded by a group playing at being a rock band, this is an album by the rock band itself. Serious themes(religion, love, the crush of civilization)would reappear in various forms on later albums until the band broke up for the first time in 1976.

Some of the songs require repeated listenings to fully appreciate their depth, but are well worth the effort. While the casual fan won't appreciate this album perhaps as much as the hardcore Roxy fan, after giving popping the cover and allowing it to breathe, they'll find like fine wine, STRANDED gets better with every listening.

It's hard to put an accurate star rating on Stranded. The highlights easily rank 5 stars, but there are a couple weak tracks ("Just Like You" & most of "Amazona," although it has a blazing Manzanera guitar solo).

By this point, the hard-rocking numbers were no longer served up as straight-ahead stompers such as "Virginia Plain" or "Editions Of You." Everything on Stranded had odd, edgy elements that assured poor sales in the U.S. Hard to describe musically, but tremendously original creative songs & execution. About half the songs seem to start one place, go someplace completely different along the way, & either reach startling levels of intensity ("Psalm") or come back to where they started ("Amazona" careens out of control, then abruptly returns}. You've never heard anything like it, and you never will. That alone probably makes it essential, along with the devastatingly simple and beautiful coda, "Sunset."

Indeed, Roxy Music was stranded when Brian Eno left in 1973. They had also done the 'Strand' for the last time. When I listen to 'Stranded', I keep wishing that the tracks had either more electronics or more funk. This album shows Bryan Ferry's efforts to utilize synthesizers as a gimmick (thanks to Eddie Jobson's bland contributions) I find, rather than as a fundamental musical layer as in 1972's inovative 'Virginia Plain.' This is perhaps a result of the album's rushed release (RM's second 1973 record) but also of the sonic void created by Eno's departure. As a result, I don't find this album as successful as 'For Your Pleasure' or 1974's 'Country Life.' 'Song for Europe' was better realized as 'Bitter Sweet' and 'Street Life Life' as 'All I Want is You' on 'Country Life.' 'Mother of Pearl' has inspired music but is flawed by lyrics that betray Roxy Music's usual high standards of irony and innuendo:

'Oh mother of pearl lustrous lady of a sacred world... Oh mother of pearl submarine lover in a shrinking world...Oh mother of pearl so so semi-precious in your detached world...Oh mother of pearl I wouldn't change you for the whole world.'

I'll let you figure that one out.

'Sunset' stands out for its serenity - Bryan Ferry's vocals are melting and the piano work is beautiful. It stands as one of Bryan Ferry's most successful ballads.

Incidentally, the B-side of 'Street Life'- 'Hula Kula' - (not included here) is one of Roxy Music's most light-hearted forays into, no less, a Hawaiian instrumental complete with ukelele. It is that kind of fun and experimentalism that 'Stranded' is missing. Ironically, Bryan Ferry's almost contemporary solo album 'These Foolish Things' is brimming with wit and vitality.

Overall, I think this record serves primarily as the transitory step to the thrilling 'Coutry Life' album and the last scattered ashes of Roxy Music's first brilliant phase with Brian Eno.

When I first heard of Roxy Music, I heard of Avalon, and yes, it's probably one of the best makeout albums of all times. But then I started to listen to early Roxy Music and I was intrigued. The first five albums are quintessential albums of the glam/art rock period. This one particularly stands out because this album was made when Brian Eno left the group and was replaced by Eddie Jobson, a keyboard and violin virtuoso. The result is a perfect balance of chaos and order that makes this album flow like wine. The concepts put on this album are pure genious--listen to "Mother of Pearl", "A Song for Europe", "Sunset", and "Amazona" for this. I wish more groups and individuals today would experiment like this to make the music worth listening to (Beck and Cornershop have the idea).

Look, either you love Roxy Music or you don't. I've been trying for years to come up with a term for the kind of music they offer and, well, Roxy Music, fits as well as anything because it is unique. I'm always tempted to label them punk (even though I know this is a gross misnomer) because they are so original and musically brash and because I hate the term "Art Rock" that is usually applied to them.
As far as this album is concerned, it is a great one with lots of standards and stand outs. Avalon is usually considered their most romantic album, but I'd recommend playing this one even more so if you're looking to get lucky.
The Japanese pressing is quite nice, but I haven't sat down and compared it side by side to a standard American CD release. The cover on the miniLP is, however, gorgeous and worth some extra cash.

I guess Roxy Music is like Notre Dame: you either love them or hate 'em. Im one of the few in the middle. This album has three utterly fantastic, grammy-eligible songs: "Street Life", "Psalm" (if you don't feel like going to church after this, you never will), and "Mother of Pearl" (perhaps RM's best song ever). the rest of the album is the usual meandering claptrap.