Roxy Music: The Atlantic Years 1973-1980

By Steve Sutherland

Melody Maker, 5th November 1983

FERRY across the big pond, trying to flog fake soul to the folks who originated the real thing, castrating history and attempting to make the slick appear even slicker, The Atlantic Years is a Christmas compilation designed to kid the Americans they've been missing out on something big by bundling together, willy nilly, some marketing person's idea of Roxy's most sellable assets.

The way it stands, I doubt the band had much to do with it.

This is Roxy desequenced, sans irony, sans their wicked nostalgia, sans any flicker of outrage; a polished tribute to the bland band we welcome into the charts for old time's sake, singing along without ever really being able to get all dressed up or mad about them anymore.

This is the respectable, coffee table Roxy where emotional contact came through some sentimental accident (Oh Yeah) rather than some daring kitsch thrill (where's In Every Dream Home a Heartache?). This is the Roxy people appreciated for Andy Mackay's sax solos rather than Ferry's winged epaulettes.

This is what happens when a band can't be bothered to get together to record a new album a collection of tracks recorded lovelessly with callous care carelessly repackaged and chucked back out as so much product.

The Atlantic Years are Dance Away, Angel Eyes, Still Falls the Rain and Ain't That So from the patchy but influential Manifesto album (Duran Duran were born here) and Over You, Oh Yeah, My Only Love and Midnight Hour from the Flesh And Blood album which was going nowhere but managed to plug into the middle-aged market that acquires rather than questions.

That leaves the gatecrashers Do the Strand and Love is the Drug, positively sardonic in this setting, belligerant parodies of etiquette, illuminating the other's complacency. The Atlantic Years is unsatisfactory and inconsequential, not for what's here but, more, for what isn't.

For the uninitiated only.

Text copyright 1983 Melody Maker, used without permission.
With thanks to Grant Goggans

Last Updated: 9 April 2008