Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music have been remastered and boxed before but there's a simple elegance to The Complete Studio Recordings that suits the band. Containing nothing more than handsome remastered mini-LP reissues of the band's eight albums along with two discs of non-LP singles – including "Virginia Plain," two mixes of "Pyjamarama," as well as several edits and mixes making their CD debut – the 2012 box set lacks such expected frills as liner notes, an absence that is noted but not greatly missed, as the execution on this set is expert. Presentation was always key to Roxy Music, and The Complete Studio Recordings is frankly gorgeous, its mini-LPs housed in heavy cardboard sleeves, the outer box black and sleek, conveying the well-tailored sophistication of the band while placing emphasis directly on the music. Nicely remastered – perhaps not a great revelation compared to the 1999 discs but warm, rich, and full, better overall – the music is familiar yet fresh, still kinetic with imagination after all these years. Roxy's catalog roughly breaks down into pairs with two outliers: the early Eno-graced Roxy Music and For Your Pleasure, their artiest and strangest LPs; the muscular glam of Stranded and Country Life; the cool European disco of Manifesto and Flesh + Blood. There is also the 1975 transitional masterpiece Siren – the bridge between art rock and art pop – and the reserved swan song Avalon. The bonus material is unequally balanced, with the entirety of the second disc devoted to the early '80s and about a third of the first covering the Manifesto era, but it's all welcome, particularly the odd mixes and the essential early singles. Ultimately, the box itself is essential: Roxy Music are one of the rare rock bands with such an exquisitely carved catalog, and it shines in this setting.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Falling halfway between musical primitivism and art rock ambition, Roxy Music's eponymous debut remains a startling redefinition of rock's boundaries. Simultaneously embracing kitschy glamour and avant-pop, Roxy Music shimmers with seductive style and pulsates with disturbing synthetic textures. Although no musician demonstrates much technical skill at this point, they are driven by boundless imagination – Brian Eno's synthesized "treatments" exploit electronic instruments as electronics, instead of trying to shoehorn them into conventional acoustic patterns. Similarly, Bryan Ferry finds that his vampiric croon is at its most effective when it twists conventional melodies, Phil Manzanera's guitar is terse and unpredictable, while Andy Mackay's saxophone subverts rock & roll clichés by alternating R&B honking with atonal flourishes. But what makes Roxy Music such a confident, astonishing debut is how these primitive avant-garde tendencies are married to full-fledged songs, whether it's the free-form, structure-bending "Remake/Remodel" or the sleek glam of "Virginia Plain," the debut single added to later editions of the album. That was the trick that elevated Roxy Music from an art school project to the most adventurous rock band of the early '70s.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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On Roxy Music's debut, the tensions between Brian Eno and Bryan Ferry propelled their music to great, unexpected heights, and for most of the group's second album, For Your Pleasure, the band equals, if not surpasses, those expectations. However, there are a handful of moments where those tensions become unbearable, as when Eno wants to move toward texture and Ferry wants to stay in more conventional rock territory; the nine-minute "The Bogus Man" captures such creative tensions perfectly, and it's easy to see why Eno left the group after the album was completed. Still, those differences result in yet another extraordinary record from Roxy Music, one that demonstrates even more clearly than the debut how avant-garde ideas can flourish in a pop setting. This is especially evident in the driving singles "Do the Strand" and "Editions of You," which pulsate with raw energy and jarring melodic structures. Roxy also illuminate the slower numbers, such as the eerie "In Every Dream Home a Heartache," with atonal, shimmering synthesizers, textures that were unexpected and innovative at the time of its release. Similarly, all of For Your Pleasure walks the tightrope between the experimental and the accessible, creating a new vocabulary for rock bands, and one that was exploited heavily in the ensuing decade.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Without Brian Eno, Roxy Music immediately became less experimental, yet it remained adventurous, as Stranded illustrates. Under the direction of Bryan Ferry, Roxy moved toward relatively straightforward territory, adding greater layers of piano and heavy guitars. Even without the washes of Eno's synthesizers, Roxy's music remains unsettling on occasion, yet in this new incarnation, they favor more measured material, whether it's the reflective "A Song for Europe" or the shifting textures of "Psalm." Even the rockers, such as the surging "Street Life" and the segmented "Mother of Pearl," are distinguished by subtle songwriting that emphasizes both Ferry's tortured glamour and Roxy's increasingly impressive grasp of sonic detail.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Continuing with the stylistic developments of Stranded, Country Life finds Roxy Music at the peak of their powers, alternating between majestic, unsettling art rock and glamorous, elegant pop/rock. At their best, Roxy combine these two extremes, like on the exhilarating opener "The Thrill of It All," but Country Life benefits considerably from the ebb and flow of the group's two extremes, since it showcases their deft instrumental execution and their textured, enthralling songwriting. And, in many ways, Country Life offers the greatest and most consistent set of Roxy Music songs, illustrating their startling depth. From the sleek rock of "All I Want Is You" and "Prairie Rose" to the elegant, string-laced pop of "A Really Good Time," Country Life is filled with thrilling songs, and Roxy Music rarely sounded as invigorating as they do here.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Abandoning the intoxicating blend of art rock and glam-pop that distinguished Stranded and Country Life, Roxy Music concentrates on Bryan Ferry's suave, charming crooner persona for the elegantly modern Siren. As the disco-fied opener "Love Is the Drug" makes clear, Roxy embraces dance and unabashed pop on Siren, weaving them into their sleek, arty sound. It does come at the expense of their artier inclinations, which is part of what distinguished Roxy, but the end result is captivating. Lacking the consistently amazing songs of its predecessor, Siren has a thematic consistency that works in its favor, and helps elevate its best songs – "Sentimental Fool," "Both Ends Burning," "Just Another High" – as well as the album itself into the realm of classics.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Returning to action after four years of solo projects, Roxy Music redefined its sound and agenda on Manifesto. More than ever, Roxy sounds like Bryan Ferry's backing band, as the group strips away its art rock influences, edits out the instrumental interludes in favor of concise pop songs, and adds layers of stylish disco rhythms. Although the songwriting is distressingly inconsistent, there are a number of wonderful moments on the record, particularly in the sighing "Angel Eyes" and the heartbroken "Dance Away." Still, trading sonic adventure for lush, accessible disco-pop isn't entirely satisfactory, even if it is momentarily seductive.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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An even slicker record than Manifesto, Flesh + Blood precariously balances between alluringly seductive, sophisticated soul-pop and cloying, radio-ready disco-pop. At its best, the album is effortlessly suave and charming – "Over You" is one of their greatest singles, and "Oh Yeah" is nearly as persuasive – but much of the record is devoted to ill-formed, stylish lounge-pop. In particular, the reliance on reworked covers of "In the Midnight Hour" and "Eight Miles High" is distressing, not only because it signals a lack of imagination, but also because it suggests that Flesh + Blood is simply a lesser solo effort from Bryan Ferry. And even the handful of undeniably strong moments can't erase the feeling that Roxy Music were beginning to run out of ideas.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Flesh + Blood suggested that Roxy Music were at the end of the line, but they regrouped and recorded the lovely Avalon, one of their finest albums. Certainly, the lush, elegant soundscapes of Avalon are far removed from the edgy avant-pop of their early records, yet it represents another landmark in their career. With its stylish, romantic washes of synthesizers and Bryan Ferry's elegant, seductive croon, Avalon simultaneously functioned as sophisticated make-out music for yuppies and as the maturation of synth pop. Ferry was never this romantic or seductive, either with Roxy or as a solo artist, and Avalon shimmers with elegance in both its music and its lyrics. "More Than This," "Take a Chance with Me," "While My Heart Is Still Beating," and the title track are immaculately crafted and subtle songs, where the shifting synthesizers and murmured vocals gradually reveal the melodies. It's a rich, textured album and a graceful way to end the band's career.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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Roxy Music - The Complete Studio Recordings (1972-1982) 40th Anniversary 10CD Box Set 2012

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