The Bryan Ferry Orchestra -- The Jazz Age

Well since it seems we have individual threads for his albums rather than one overall one. Anyway, my Pitchfork review:

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17383-the-jazz-age/

Full info over on his official site:

http://www.bryanferry.com

It's streaming on NPR now.

I enjoyed it but mostly it just made me want to listen to Louis Armstrong.

It's definitely an album that thrives on context; the more you know Ferry's work the more you can enjoy the contrasts and reworkings. Otherwise, like you say, it comes across as too much pastiche!

Love Ferry, hate when he does this placeholder shit.

but even Ferry needs dough to cover his wine tab

I enjoyed imagining well-dressed 1930s dancers hitting the floor for "Love is the Drug." It's a pastiche, sure, but it seems a loving and careful one.

I can think of better ways for Ferry to make money than to remake his own songs again. Hint: it starts with R and ends with Oxy Music.

lol

The only Rick Rubin project I'd endorse is sitting Ferry in front of a piano and just singing.

Rubin redeemed himself w/latest ZZ Top album imho

I barely recognize the source material at all in these tbh. not bad tho

NYT interview

In interviewed him on camera about this album. He had amazing socks on.

Think he is doing some kind of instore at Union Square Barnes & Noble tonight

"I interviewed"

I can't for the life of me hear the melody in the reworked Love is the Drug...sounds mostly like wanking around in a minor mode. But maybe the other cuts are better

Same here. Of all the ones I've sampled where I'm super-familiar with the original, I'm wanting these jazz versions to hew closer to the melody line. That may have made it even more of a "novelty record," but...

"This Island Earth" is the standout. It's atmospherics anyway.

I wish Stephen Poliakoff had heard this before doing the music to 'Dancing on the Edge', because Ferry and his collaborator nails that early 30s hot jazz style perfectly.

He proved on 'As Time Goes By' that he understands this orchestration

i quite like this album, it really gives a new perspective on roxy music. and i especially like that certain songs are rather difficul to identify. these new clothes really fit very well to those old roxy music tunes, 30s horn-heavy jazz rejuvenates 70s glam rock, who would have thought that possible?

This is worth reading. http://pitchfork.com/features/5-10-15-20/9076-bryan-ferry/

sw00ds, Ned, and I discussed The Jazz Age here: http://rockcritics.com/2013/02/21/roxymania-re-turnedre-tuned/

Hah, totally forgot to post that discussion here, didn't I...

Really enjoying this record, I want more but with him singing as well

Well...catch the tour?

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/28/bryan-ferry-review

y'know, this may be an extended in-joke of an album but it's actually pretty great

Tbh I don't really mess with Ferry beyond the Roxy Music Greatest Hits but I like this record a lot, despite not knowing almost any of the original versions. The band swings, and I always appreciated the attention to period accuracy with the arrangements & playing.

if they had been any less committed to the period details, it wouldn't have worked as well as it does.

I love this ! He’s also been involved in the soundtrack of the (great) german tvshow Babylon Berlin set in 1920´s Germany.

If you can see it, I recommend you check out ‘Babylon Berlin’, not least for it’s judicious use of this album. Ferry even makes a cameo in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H24eEnEdT1M

Oh duh, didn’t see the xpost. Cosign above.