Thought I' d share my first impressions of Ferry's new solo album...

Olympia is quintessential Bryan Ferry – from the clean, classy design and typography to the Roxy-esque photographs of Kate Moss. It certainly feels like a high quality product, the CD and DVD housed in a hardbacked book format with good printing, on thick, glossy paper for the inner pages.

The mood of Olympia is sombre and reflective; Ferry sings with a lovelorn, melancholic tone, his vocals older and huskier. Echoes of Avalon and Boys and Girls drift through the music, and lyrically there are countless of references to the past, almost as if Ferry is looking back over his long career and repertoire of songs made up of film noire and tragic love stories.

The album gets of to a stirring start with "You Can Dance"; a song takes you straight back into the late night European imagery of albums such as Mamouna or Bête Noire. "Alphaville" is another immediate highlight; typically Ferry through and through. "Oh Me Oh My", is an instant hit, and leaves the lyric "I wish I could stay, but I'm just passing through" resonating in your mind. "Shameless", is perhaps the album's most catchy track, with a classic Ferry groove and addictive melody. The quiver in Ferry's fragile vocal sets the song alight with emotion, as he croons from the shadows of a lifetime of rock 'n' roll. "Reason or Rhyme" stands out at one of the best tracks Ferry has ever produced, with a gorgeous melody, haunting lyrics and an ambience to completely lose yourself in.

Atmosphere and mood are key elements on any Bryan Ferry album, and combined with superb musicianship, there is no exception to that rule on Olympia. The list of guest musicians is quite incredible, although there are times when it sounds like they're all playing at the same time, and Ferry is lost in the crowd; his voice drowned out and indecipherable. The production work is impeccable, although perhaps sometimes over-produced, leaving you wanting to go into the mix and bring out the vocals.

Olympia is arguably Bryan Ferry's finest work since 1994's Mamouna, although for me, that album was his master work, setting an exceptionally high standard, so it's certainly pleasing that Olympia comes pretty close.

Thanks for the review Alex! (I thought it would take another month for the album to come out, so it's a big surprise)

If it's the next best thing (compared to 'Mamouna'), I will surely buy it.
First thing tomorrow after work ...

I do believe the video to You Can Dance was fimed at Wiltons Music Hall?

Probably the most beautiful building in London

But Bryan Ferry's "Olympia" vs Brian Eno's "Small Craft"??

http://entertainment.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978632887

Didn't know Eno had new material out - although his stuff has never been to my taste, so I don't follow what he's up to. Prefer his production work to actual music - I find it so ambient, it might as well be "off"!

Back on Ferry, and I'm finding the album to be quite a grower. The special edition version comes with a DVD including the "You Can Dance" video and a 30-minute making-of documentary, which is really good and allows you to appreciate more the work that went into the album and the contributions of the various guest musicians.

We've got a couple of promo videos already.

YOU CAN DANCE promo video
SHAMELESS video

Really?

Admitedly, some of Eno's work can be a little 'slow moving' at times (I'm thinking of the album Thursday Afternoon), but there are also some incredible albums out there - particularly Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks ...

Rob

Well to be honest, I don't know much of his work at all - but what I have heard hasn't been for me, which was mainly his earlier albums, the one with David Byrne and and one with a white sleeve he did about ten years ago.

As I said earlier, I much prefer his production work and contributions to other's albums - almost like he's a living quality hallmark! if he's on there, it's guaranteed to be good.

Good brian ferry career in video thing here

I have most of Eno's albums.I would recommend the following.

Vocal Albums

Here Come The Warm Jets (1974)
Taking Tiger Mountain(By Strategy)(1974)
Another Green World (1975)
Before And After Science (1977)

Instrumental Albums

Discreet Music (1975)
Music For Films (1978)
Music For Airports (1978)
Apollo:Atmospheres And Soundtracks (1983)

I could go on and on......

Hi Alex

Thanks for your impressions. I have to admit I don't really like the visual look of this album (nothing against Kate Moss either). But your comparison with "Mamouna" (which I love) gives me a reason to give it a go!

cheers

Mark

I have to say that I find it very hard to listen to Thursday Afternoon (maybe that's the point!) but that's the exception to the rule as regards Eno and me.

I'm no fan of Kate Moss, but the style in which the photography has been done is very good and I think it works, certainly in terms of fitting in with Ferry/Roxy releases.

I'm not particularly keen on the Scissor Sisters collab or the Jeff Buckley cover "Song to the Siren" which everybody else is raving about, although the intro is gorgeous. For me the two songs which make the album worthwhile are the 2 more stripped-back pieces with Ferry on piano; "Oh Me Oh My" and "Reason or Rhyme"; echoing "Your Painted Smile" or "My Only Love" - I can't get enough of them.

I nipped into a Tesco on Monday to buy this. Shock and horror it wasn't in stock. Not even in their "Top 100" (although Jedward was).

I should know better I know.

Still really enjoying this album. It's been worth the long wait.

And there's a superb interview with Bryan over on The Quiet Us , which (you were right, Martin!) confirms the location of the "You Can Dance" video as Wilton's Music Hall.

He was on Italian telly last night .. a one hour special thing, he only mimed to Slave to Love and a new one, but the interviews was quite interesting and also featured Amanda Lear who spoke a bit about them meeting and working together in the 70s, David Bowie also mentioned...
pics here:
http://www.tvblog.it/galleria/bryan-ferry-al-chiambretti-night/1

he is looking quite good at 65 I must admit, although I'm still not sure about the new album....

It's a shame some TV shows still make their guests mime. Oh well, at least he's getting coverage.

Olympia isn't really a commercial album – it's clearly an album for himself and the hardcore Ferry fans.

There's a trio of tracks in the middle I'm not keen on, but other than that, I think it's a lovely soundscape. I just wish his vocals were more prominent on some tracks.

This album was a slow burner for me, it took a few listens for me to go "oh yeah, I get it, this is brilliant". Some songs are better than others, but on the whole I found it a really entertaining album.
I got Eno's new album a few weeks later as well, also really great, but I think it's pretty ridiculous to try and compare the two. They're completely different entities.

Haven't heard Eno's yet, but I'm not really a fan of his ambient style. I've read good things about it though.

'Olympia' is very good musically and designed beautifully. But it's not a patch on 'Mamouna', which I think may be down to the quality of the material and the amount of different people that play across all the tracks. 'Mamouna' had a much smaller and tighter core band, and a more cohesive musical sound and structure in my mind. But it's nice to have new original material from Bryan Ferry; it's been far too long since that was the case.

Completely agree with you there. Mamouna is, for me, Ferry's best work (it's hard to believe he had writer's block during it's recording!), and that could be, like you say, down to a tighter band and more simple affair.

There isn't a single track on Mamoua that doesn't work for me, whereas on Olympia, there's a good 3 or 4. However, it is much more of a "Ferry" album than Frantic was; there are some brilliant songs on it, especially the first 5.

Sometimes your view of an album changes the more you play it - with Olympia, my view has more-or-less remained unchanged since the first play. There are times when there are too many layers or not enough of Bryan's vocals.

"Me Oh My", "Alphaville" and "Reason or Rhyme" have to be up there with Bryan's best bits though.

I was wary of buying Olympia. I love Boys And Girls,Bete Noir and Mamouma but wasn't mad on Frantic which led me to avoid The Dylan album. However after reading Alex's comments on the new album and a few reviews in the press I bought it. I'm glad I did. Classic Ferry. I'm not a big fan of covers but love his version of Song To The Siren. Some excellent Ferry penned songs too.

I bought the new Brian Eno album recently as I'm a big fan and own all his essential releases. Some interesting stuff. From typically beautiful atmospheric tracks to more rhythm based stuff. It doesn't come close to his best work but worth a listen nevertheless.

I'm glad my review helped

I must admit I prefer Ferry's own songs to covers, particularly on Olympia, although as you say "Song to the Siren" is one of the stand outs and if anything, you'd think it was a Ferry original (I don't know the original at all). I also avoided the Dylan album, but that's because I don't like Dylan.

1993's Taxi album was very good though. In my opinion, his version of "I Put A Spell On You" is one of the best solo tracks he ever recorded. Same band line up/sessions as Mamouna and a curious choice of songs from the 60s and earlier; many very well known, but given a full Ferry makeover.

Just a note on "Taxi" - overall really good, I especially like "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?". But what WAS he thinking on "Amazing Grace"??

It does let it down a bit, yeah!

"Rescue Me" was another highlight - turning a well-known 60s song completely upside down.

Bryan Ferry "seriously ill" in hospital

Oh no!!

Apparently he's OK now, and has been let out. Phew!

The first record I ever bought at 13 years old was "Street Life". It was funny later on in life when I started to like Ultravox (with Foxx) that the reason why many people said that Ultravox were NOT sucessful was because they copied Roxy Music. Particulary with Systems. Maybe it was just because they were signed to Island too?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0K2Kzu1go0&feature=related

I still like Roxy...


One thing I have been thinking about tonight is when John Foxx in an NME interview described Systems of Romance "like dragging your face across concrete". Well... Something very close to that..

I think you're referring to the 'original' (guitar led) version of Hiroshima Mon Amour here, which wwas released on the B-side of the ROckWrok single in '77.

Now available on Ha!Ha!Ha!

Sorry, don't mean to go off topic

Bryan Ferry live concert on Radio 2 now

Aw, missed it!

I expect it's on 'listen again' or something..