ROXY MUSIC ILPS 9200 (-72) UK

Glam Rock started as a very British phenomenon. Pop and rock was mixed with traditional English burlesque and drag-show, making artists and groups act more theatrical, covered in make-up and glitter. The music was often simple and melodic with cute effects and lyrics mostly about identity crises or sweet nothings. This album has been seen as part of that movement, but in my opinion it's a lot more than that. It's an art/psych LP only using glam as a springboard. You get the first hint from the cover. It's not meant to be cute or sexy, but too much on every level. Too much make-up, padding and pink makes it appalling rather than alluring - fascinating, but not attractive. And most of the music is in the same vein. Inspired by UK sixties pop, but also classical music and John Cage it's not like anything else. Many of the songs have a unique form and all is made with a distance that puts it on another level. Bryan Ferry is one of the best pop voices ever, but on this debute his style is so exaggerated it's almost parody. The backing goes from simple rock to advanced psych, sometimes within the same track. Later on Roxy Music would develop to one of the most elegant and smooth groups with great success, but not yet. Produced by Peter Sinfield from King Crimson, who clearly favored Eno's avant-gardistic ideas allowing a big part built on whims and quirks. Nevertheless it sticks together and form one of the most exciting albums of the era. First US had UK single track "Virginia Plain" added (Reprise MS 2114) also as mono promo, second -76 with tracking as UK (ATCO SD 36-133). All UK 1:st came with label as shown here and laminated Robor f/o cover, but have different matrix no. settings - one kind is same as record no. the other starting with a "C". This has been a mystery for a long time, but maybe it can be explained. UK Island didn't have a pressing plant so most of their records were pressed at EMI:s. At the same time this was made EMI changed facilities and moved to a bigger plant. The moving affected the whole market and due to low capacity lots of pressings were leased out, not only in England but also to other European countries. As I understand the matrixes starting with "C" are German, while the ones having the rec. numbers are made in England. (ÄNÖ*)