Bryan Ferry: Tokyo Joe

author unknown

Melody Maker, 7th May 1977

Ann Odell's string arrangement gives this track, off the "In Your Mind" album, a velly nippy atmosphere. And the rest of it drives along like a flying karate punch. But I find this one of the least appealing songs Ferry has written.

The 'B' side, however, is something of a revelation. It's Lennon/McCartney's "She's Leaving Home" of "All This and World War II" -- and Ferry sounds simply delicious. Never has his voice been mixed so high in the track and at last we can hear his every very sensitive, inflection.

If he produced himself with as much respect for his vocal prowess, then his albums, focussed around his personality rather than the brilliant technique of his back-up musicians, would be 100 per cent more enjoyable.

"She's Leaving Home" could be a hit. "Tokyo Joe" is likely to be a miss.