Reviews (page 4 of 8)
This one was interesting, think I’d heard of Roxy Music, incorrectly assumed it was a girl band. The songs are an interesting mix that didn’t really register with me until the final 3-4 tracks that started to resemble QOTSA. Casanova is an banger! Also, the album art is hella sexy and I bet it caused quite a stir when it came out.
Enjoyable and kind of bonkers, but wouldn’t listen to it again.
Not their best…not their worst.
For me, the songs that work the best are the most conventional-sounding ones (“Out of the Blue”, “If It Takes All Night”, “Prairie Rose”). Which, of course, is totally not the point of Roxy Music, which confirms for me that I am firmly in the camp of non-believers. The playing is good. Bryan Ferry’s voice and mannered singing are acquired tastes at best. On multiple songs on side one he does this weird vocal tremor which I find offputting. Then on side two he unleashes his complete lounge lizard persona. I thought I had blundered into the Cabaret soundtrack when I had “Bitter-Sweet” playing. Three stars for influence and importance, but this was not a great listen, and I enjoyed it far less than I had hoped.
Country Life by Roxy Music • Release Year - 1974 • Genre - Art Rock Favourite Tracks 1. If It Takes All Night 2. Three and Nine 3. Prairie Rose Album Ranking - 3/5 Stylish, Smooth and Experimental!
The A side for me is a 4 star album and the B side is closer to a 2 star album. But when it hits, it hits. Standout Track: The Thrill of It All Rating: 3
A little over- long, but this was enjoyable. Strong narrative that avoided being too twee or cheesy
My parents would never have allowed it because of the cover…haha… It’s not the style of Roxy Music or Bryan Ferry that I enjoy…
The third Roxy Music record in this project and the third time the verdict lands in the same place — perfectly fine, respectfully acknowledged, no desire to hear more. Bryan Ferry's lounge lizard persona is an acquired taste that hasn't been acquired, and the art-rock formula around him is accomplished without generating any pull toward return visits. The band plays with genuine energy here and the record has more muscle than For Your Pleasure, which earned the same three for similar reasons. The ceiling is consistent regardless. A respectful three, delivered efficiently and without ambiguity.
This was ok... It never really raised above the level of background noise. The first half of the album was stronger than the second half.
Very good
Yeah I mean I keep gathering the same sentiment for Roxy Music. It sounds good, produced well, lyrics are fine and yet at the end of the day I feel like I'm looking on at a party in digust. Like it doesn't feel particularly written for my tastes and interests (not that I'm looking for that). So I close with the same statement as usual. Good proto alternative adjacent music, at a time of blistering hard rock, cathartic punk, and soft rock staples. This one just sits in the back corner almost ignored by most. I am most.
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Out Of The Blue, Bitter Sweet, Prairie Rose First off, this might be the most provocative album cover so far in 500+ albums on the List. Not one, but two women, visible nipples, bush and somewhat suggestive posing. This resulted in a quick tangent for "most controversial" album covers, and while this could be construed as "controversial", its ultimately just two adult scantly-clad women posing for a picture. Some of the top contenders for most controversial album covers include Mayhem's Dawn of the Black Hearts, Blind Faith's self-titled album cover, Scorpions Virgin Killer, Guns N Roses original cover for Appetite for Destruction, and perhaps the most vile: Spinal Tap's Smell The Glove. Look it up. With that out of the way, what I heard on this album did not excite me as much as the album cover did. The only real song that got to the level of rocking I wanted was Out of the Blue. There's some good saxophone on Prairie Rose, and a few other tracks are interesting, but I haven't really found a killer track like I did on For Your Pleasure (In Every Dream Home A Heartache).
This is, as the kids might say, a "good album."
It's a little too theatrical for my tastes overall. Fun listen though. Not sure it's something I would return to often, but certainly has some replay value.
A bit overrated in my opinion
Album #159: Roxy Music – Country Life ⭐⭐⭐ I’m a fan of Roxy Music, but I’d actually never listened to Country Life before. I knew the cover better than I knew the music, which probably says a lot. Yeah, it’s grand. I don’t think I’ve ever really gotten into their post-Brian Eno work. I love For Your Pleasure, and I remember listening to Stranded, the album that followed it, and just not really connecting with it. At the time I put that down to Brian Eno leaving the band. I figured they were missing some of that texture and atmosphere he brought to the early records. But Country Life actually has plenty of texture and atmosphere. That’s not the issue here. For me, it’s just lacking memorable songs. It’s a very odd album. Weird songs about weird subjects, strange approaches to love, sex, and relationships. It never really settled into anything that grabbed me, and there weren’t many moments that stuck with me after it finished. It does strike me as a bit of a grower, though. One thing that definitely stood out was Phil Manzanera. He continues to be one of the most underrated guitarists in rock music. The guy is a fucking freak of nature. He’s an absolute tour de force, and on some of the tracks, especially around the middle of the album, he’s just tearing away at the guitar. His playing alone makes the album worth hearing. As for the rest of it, though, it didn’t really grab me on a first listen. I’ll definitely revisit it someday.
Es un álbum que no pudo agarrarme por completo, pero no fue algo malo
This definitely nods toward progressive rock in several tracks, with a blend of glam - both of which I like. So I did like this album, but it is not terribly cohesive.
Great album. A few great songs but I very much liked ‘Casanova’
Decent, but falls into that same trap of becoming overwrought and grandiose to the point of absurdity in the second half, which seems to affect so many British artists of this time period.
I fucking love Roxy Music and I won't hear a word said against them, but this album is, I'd say, mid-tier. Bitter Sweet is an all-timer, but it's too weird and music-hall-y to appeal very widely, I'd guess. Thrill of it All and Out of the Blue are good; the silly honky-tonk stuff on some of the other tracks doesn't engage. One hell of an album cover though.
Not bad persay but stylistically all over the place. From new wave-ish to honky tonk to i don’t even know
This was better than the last Roxy Music that came through but still not that great.
A+ album cover, C music
Brian Ferry doesn't just make naughty album covers, he's good at music too.
I liked that this had a bit of bombast to it.
I prefer their early 80’s sophisto- pop era but this album strays strong and has a few good tracks. Solid, not exceptional but it has boobies on the cover 3.2
Fantastic cover. The album is fine. Some good tracks and a couple of stinkers.
I mean it's 70s British rock it's fine I just don't get the hype.
Was kinda hoping the artist would be the two lovely ladies on the cover, but I guess 1974 would’ve been a little early for that. Quite liked a couple songs, like Out of the Blue and Triptych. It’s got an edge to it that elevates it above just good straightforward rock and roll. Call it 3.5 rounded down.
Typical Roxy 👍
I was expecting better! Don't know why, nothing to dislike.
not a big fan but nothing really to complain about either
6/10 – Decent
I just couldn't get into this. 3/5
This isn't a bad album, but I definitely prefer the albums when Brian Eno was with them.
Roxy’s music always was just a little too country life for me. I’d have liked it more if they had leaned a little bit into the sleazy side of glam. Sure Marc Bolan was the king and David Bowie the queen, but Bryan was just a little to princely with the artier side prevailing over the rock side. The record is certainly enjoyable and at this point in the bands catalog the Roxy sound was certainly set with Phil Manzanera’s intricate guitar work lending jazzy elements to the proceedings. What really stands out for me is that none of these songs evoke any real feeling and thus don’t really connect with me the listener. Not all Roxy records are the as well rounded as this one, but the lack of buzz makes this one miss the mark. Where are songs like Editions Of You which appeared on For Your Pleasure? That was a great freaking record. This record seemed like a step back. Oh well. 3/5
Still early in their careers, so it's not as loungey sdn sleazy (in a good way) as their later ones. But is good, Brian Eno provides some fine melodies and basslines, and it all comes together nicely.
Interesting and unique album. Kinda alternative, kinda classic rock. I liked when the one song switched to german that was silly!
Great energy but not much stood out that I can think to talk about which isn’t the best sign
Album cover is pretty epic sigma mode Feel like the songs are trying to follow the recipe that made a lot of Bowie songs great but doesn’t quite have all the right ingredients 3
fine in the background? nothing to get too excited about
Surprised by the unique rock sound of this album, it's familiar but not quite like anything I usually listen to. Fun album but nothing too special. 6/10
Review - never like Roxy Music as much as I hope to. Not a bad album but there are a fair few dull songs in the mix. Score - 6/10 Need to listen? YES
nice safe sound not too experimental
Nja... Inte överförtjust i detta. Det är inte direkt dåligt men inte så kul. Out of the blue och Prairie Rose tyckte jag var bäst. Resten lite samma, samma... Gillar Roxy Music från lite senare år bättre. Får jag också säga att omslaget på albumet är lite tröttsamt? Halvnakna kvinnor i någon slags olja, modeller förstås.... Suck...
Middle of the road enjoyable listen, kept wanting a track to really impress me
How shocking that this was so middling.
Incredible album cover and opening track, but the rest kinda faded away
Alright
Roxy Music - Country Life Thought, without Eno, this would be a lot straighter than it was. But the artschool glam racket vibe can still be heard all over this last 'hurrah' before the attraction of pop sales took over. Thrill of it All, Out of the blue (great violin), the rhapsody that is Bittersweet (David Sylvian must have listened to this a hundred times), Prairie Rose all well up there as standout tracks. But....there is a lot of filler, and I definitely wasn't prepared the theme from Blackadder one to appear in the guise of Tryptich. Best Track - Prairie Rose. Says goodbye to this era of Roxy with a lazy, laconic attitude. Manzanera's slide guitar and Ferry's 'just about bothered' vocal in the coda is a perfect kiss off. Worst Track - Tryptich. Medieval themed interlude anyone? Erm...no thanks. 7/10
Honestly liked this quite a bit, even for it being a genre I usually detest. I like the instrumentation, I like a lot of the themes, and there may or may not be one other thing here that's kind of very nice too. Gets a little weirder and less enjoyable upon a relisten, but I really have to make an effort to return to this more often. Fave tracks: - The Thrill Of It All - Three And Nine - Out Of The Blue - If It Takes All Night - Casanova - A Really Good Time - Prairie Rose
This is an album that I cannot post the cover of on social media unedited lol. They are not beating the allegations of band your mum likes. It's a good album, I should like it more, especially seeing it's early new wave. It just never hits that much for me.
I don't really know how to describe this music. It has a few different styles that mix and blend together that gives it a unique touch. It wasn't bad, it was definitely an interesting listen though.
Odd album for sure. Seemed to mix multiple genres together to create a weirdly coherent collection of songs. I wouldn’t say it was amazing but I didn’t mind the listen through at all
It’s good but I feel like other bands have done this but better.
Eh fine. I like some of Roxy Musics output but I can never fully immerse myself in it seemingly.
I enjoyed the front half of this much more than the last album by them. Very Bowie-esque. The back half lost me again
Listened to it twice and I still don’t understand. Roxy Music is…. good?
The album really kicks off with a bang. It fades then picks up with a few more fun tracks Sonically, I love the anthemic rock. It has a Springsteen vibe without giving up the English rock band flavor. Cool to read the backstories here behind the personnel. Prarie Rose (the last track) was my favorite
Listening to this will depend on the day. The art rock navel gazing can be dull sometimes and interesting others
An interesting album. This is my second Roxy Music album. This first one I hated. This one seems to be better. The music is definitely better. The singing is good as well the songs are good so I think this is a better album.
"Hey, guys. So, we don't have that Brian guy anymore. He's off making God knows what, probably some stupid airport music or something. Problem is, we just lost one of the most popular art rock artists ever and our sales are probably gonna tank. What should we do?" "tiddies" "heh, tiddies..." The album then proceeded to outsell anything they made prior.
If It Takes All Night a bit like Shakin Stevens or Darts. Not sure about the Germanic Bitter Sweet. Or Triptych. Liked Prairie Rose. The rest was alright. 2.8.
Quite liked it. A bit different to the Roxy music i thought i knew. Sounded a bit like Sparks. Probably a grower.
Before getting this album, I only knew More than This by Roxy Music, and I didn’t know what to expect. The beginning of the album is powerful, but then I feel it dissipates towards the end. The Thrill of it All is a powerful beginning, with the piano, strings and chanting of OOOOOOOHs. The album then begins to show its alternative rock character, and can be grouped with the likes of Talking Heads and The Beat. It then shows some southern rock, honky tonk vibes, a bit like Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop. Bitter Sweet and Triptych is where you lose me, like a cold shower on irritating music coming through my headphones. God damn the harpsichord. With Prairie Rose it gets fun again. I would revisit this album for some of its songs, but not all.
reminded me of berlin by Lou Reed so i guess I know what art rock is now. The Thrill of it is a banger
twas ok
Alright
624/1001 2026.05.28 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
First Listen; 3; This felt like an uneven album. Some parts were catchy and fun, while others were boring and trite. I didn't care for the slower songs or the more country influenced tracks, but thought that it was at it's best in the more straightforward rocking, 1-2-3-4 songs. Favorite Track: Casanova
Honestly pretty good, even if i didn't enjoy it as much on my listen.
I imagine anyone that was a teenager in the 70s is very fond of this album and has great memories of it, despite never actually listening to it.
un 3...
Honestly, I get a little sick of the luscious art-pop thing the album is doing by the end. But christ almighty, that's probably my fault. Can your lobster be too buttery? Can your caviar be too rich? Alright, it's not THAT good, but it's pretty solid. Track after track of earnest love songs, dry British snark, and proto-new wave rhythms. All wonderful stuff, though I still stand by my point that you can have too much of a good thing. I wish it held back a bit more often, maybe.. maybe I'm just not high brow enough to get it. (Insert witty comment about the album cover here... cuntry life? I dunno.)
Kept me entertained, so I'll grant that, but didn't hear anything too remarkable here.
A decent glam rock album from the band. It doesn't include any really strange or very experimental part, like in "For Your Pleasure", maybe due to the replacement of Brian Eno in the keyboards. While this means they sacrificed a bit of uniqueness, I think it is a great decision as I wasn't a big fan of the weird parts in the mentioned project. The more straight forward song writing makes this a more fun experience. The songs are very fancy, glamorous, lively and rich in both instrumentation and details, but without ever being too extravagant. However, I don't really think this album is very memorable. The melodies and performances are gret, but I've never found anything to be outstanding or super interesting. Maybe in comparison with other glam project rocks, they do have their own sound and personality. Nevertheless, I am not really connecting with it. So in the end, I think it is a pleasant a fun album that doesn't do anything particularly remarkable.
It's alright. Nothing spectacular and nothing inherently bad either. 2.5/5 Might listen again
When I think of Roxy Music I think of light groovy 80’s yacht rock, having never heard this particular album before, I was expecting to hear more of that here. What I heard instead was a harder rock than I expected, some tracks almost verging into southern rock territory. It’s a good album for what it is, but it certainly doesn’t grab me in any of the ways Roxy Music’s earlier music that I am more familiar with does. It feels like this is more of an experiment in different styles than it is a cohesive album, and I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing, but on each individual track it’s pretty easy to point out a very specific artist that influenced it. Some examples include the song “Triptych” which has a clear psychedelic influence reminiscent of bands like the byrds and even the Beatles. “Casanova” sounds, to my ear, like an Alice Cooper B-side. “A Really Good Time” could easily pass for a song by Daryl Hall and John Oates. I don’t dislike anything on this record, but it really does feel like throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks. 2.5*
I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked Roxy Music’s self-titled album when we reviewed it, so I was expecting this to be somewhere along the same lines. I quickly began to suspect that this album was Roxy Music without Brian Eno and I later found that was correct. ‘Country Life’ lacks the experimental edge of their self-titled album and a lot of these songs basically sounded the same to me.
It was OK. Pleasant to listen to, but just kinda boring
I must say, glam rock is quite fun! Nothing too special, though it has the high energy of traditional rock injected with a hell of a lot of pop razzle dazzle (that provided some much needed balance). Didn't know what I was expecting from the cover art, though I came away from this record feeling lighter than I had 40 minutes prior.
mulher pelada jumpscare
Listened to this three times and although I appreciate it more after the extra listens, I still didn't think it rose up to the rank of 4. Curious to see if there is more Roxy Music on this list. I haven't had any exposure before this and barely any Eno exposure.
If I liked art rock, I’d like this a lot. As it is, it’s pretty good.
Meh
Out of the blue reminds me of something but I can't place it. Zeppelin? Rush? idk Not a fan of bitter-sweet wth is going on Faves: The Thrill of It All All I Want is You
Ik ga het niet over de hoes hebben. Ik ga het niet over de hoes hebben. Ik ga het níet over de hoes hebben. Eerdere albums van Roxy Music kregen van mij een 1 en een 2 en van een luistermaatje ook niet erg hoog. Nu zie ik ineens een 4 bij hem genoteerd. Is het deze keer dan toch wat? Nou ja, hij koopt Stef Meeder natuurlijk ook niet voor die prachtige orgelmuziek. Kak... Maar eens aanzetten. Na de eerdere albums valt wel op dat dit ineens acceptabel is. Wat is hier ineens aan de hand. Ah, meneer Eno was inmiddels vertrokken. Je gunt al die muzikanten die met hem samenwerken toch een spoedig vertrek. Niet dat de band op dit album nooit uit de band springt. Zet voor de illustratie daarvan Bitter Sweet maar even op. Nee, vergeetbaar kunnen we het niet noemen. Ook al niet door de hoes. Kak... Misschien door de vergelijking met hun eigen albums of met andere draken uit de lijst. Maar ik neig deze keer toch naar een voldoende. Of speelt onbewust toch die hoes een beetje mee? Kak...
Joetjoep blokkeert het openingsnummer, vanwege een iets te geilig clipje vermoed ik. Al hebben ze weinig moeite met de hoes, waar een zure broeder lyrisch over is. Dit komt hij blijkbaar niet tegen op bumble. Anyway, die openingstrack ken ik wel, en is lekker uptempo. De stem van Brian Ferry stoort me nog niet (en die andere Brian was hier al vertrokken uit de band), al kan dat niet lang duren gok ik. Er zit een artsy fartsy toetertje in. Ik heb al wel een idee hoe de rest van het album gaat klinken. Bombast is meer iets van de jaren 80, maar deze mannen waren er blijkbaar vroeg bij, want het heeft heel veel jaren 80 elementen. De rest van het album is redelijk relaxte artrock. Met de typische zang van Brian en er komt regelmatig hetzelfde toetertje voorbij. Er is niks mis mee, maar ik ben het ook wel weer snel vergeten, oftewel een vergeetbare 3. Het is geen iconische plaat zullen we maar zeggen. Die hoes daarentegen ...
I am a little tired of the same artists getting two albums on when the other album is better.
cool!
This one really didn't stand out to me in any particular way. At times it sounded a little odd and at other times it sounded a little pleasant, but I didn't feel like pulled in any particular direction with this album.
A mixed bunch.
Interesting
Er dette prog med radio-vennlig lengde på låtene? Ikke noe galt med det, men det fenger liksom ikke heller...
I’m a huge Roxy fan. This album doesn’t really hit the mark. The cover artwork is awful, even at the time!! All I Want Is You is a great single but the album lacks the weird and wonderful of previous albums.
The music is fine, slightly elevated by Brian Ferry’s distinctive vocals.
I like Roxy, but they seemed to have jumped the shark by the 4th album. The theme of the album cover was just too far. The music is still good but not as good as before. This one is mid.
Not my favorite Roxy album. I think it makes so many lists due to the cover picture more than the music. Still pleasant though. 3/5
This is far better than the first album by them I heard on this list. I'll give a 3
It was pretty nice, mos to the songs, not really memorable, we're all good
Mixed feelings
mixed bag. there's songs like "three and nine" and "triptych" which have some very fun instrumentation; the latter with that lovely harpsichord. they didn't overly stand out to me, but it was broadly pleasant. on the other hand there's songs like "out of the blue" and "if it takes all night" feel like pretty generic 70s rock that aren't noteworthy at all, or "bitter sweet" which is a neat concept but totally whiffs imo. this is Almost good and instead it's just okay on the whole.
"English 70s rock band" we're so over. "Brian Eno" We're so back. This IS more interesting than the average British rock slop on the list, its got a bit of flavor by merit of being art pop and maybe even the tiniest touch of prog. As it went on the almost glam aesthetic did begin to win me over- I can see a lot of Bowie in some of these songs and googled to learn he was indeed a fan (and also the Eno connection is there). It just feels a little uneven to me. The topics of most of the songs didn't really interest me, some songs leaned too much on the pop end whilst other songs (Bitter Sweet) flat out didn't work imo. With a little more focus this would be a 4 for me, but I don't think it quite reaches that bar.
Typical Roxy album.
Even though this was good and I liked it, I felt myself begging them to just pick a genre a go with it. Is it rock? Is it pop? Is it electronic or synth? It’s a little of all of those I guess, but rarely do they fuse it all together. The songs are just different. Again, I liked it and it was a good album (maybe all those things are why people love it?) but it certainly didn’t knock my socks off.
Roxy Music often leaves me underwhelmed. Aside from the striking cover of Country Life—which certainly gets the pulse racing—the music itself rarely sparks much excitement for me. There are touches of glam rock and pop throughout, but I can’t shake the feeling that the album’s reputation owes as much to its controversial artwork as to the songs it contains.
Meh. Plus 1 for half naked chicks on the cover, but the music was mid.
I think my brain associated Roxy Music with Brian Eno so much I assumed this would just be a more upbeat Music for Airports and instead it’s glam rock.
Definitely an interesting listen. I really liked the production on this one, but the songs were just okay. Sounded like an offbrand Bowie at times. Quite the album cover though.
Bowiesque. You'll enjoy it you like Bowies music.
The music was good. It’s just that Bryan Ferry’s vibrato singing style just gets raises my hackles as the album goes on.
Ah, the best album cover on the whole list! The music is fine. All I Want Is You was pretty fun. Out Of The Blue and Prairie Rose have good music. If It Takes All Night was really fun. Casanova and A Really Good Time were nice and chill. Best song: If It Takes All Night
Not sure how something so technically proficient can still fail to excite me.
I liked what they were trying to do with the art rock thing but didn't think they quite pulled it off. "Ooooh, we've got a song in German" - great, but it's not a very interesting song.
The cover really had me wondering what I was getting into. Guessing it was used purely for shock value because the album gives the vibes that it would have been played in a gay club in NYC in the 70s. Overall a fun listen. David Bowie meets Brian Eno with a touch of Queens flamboyance. The lisp got noticeably more present as the album went on and it's all I could focus on at some points like in "A really good time".
Spotify doesn't have this album, I'm guessing due to the breastises on the cover. Do better Spotify.
This album art is SO incongruous with the albums content LMFAO. Its solid, pretty British, but there is good composition and production. Not super wild about the lead's voice. The definition of don't judge an album by its cover, I was expecting Bon Jovi sleaze. 3/5
Pretty well put together but didn’t resonate with me much
Omg breats. Music was a bit too theatrical for me
I have a soft spot for Roxy Music. They were rough at the start, refined themselves into a good rock band, then morphed again into a smooth 80's band. Bryan Ferry grew as a frontman in the very same manner. No kid from the 80's can forget this album in the record store bin... wait, what?! I've listened to the entire album in the past and I enjoy the majority but I am not sure what makes this one stand out from other albums in their catalog. I feel the start of the album kind of all sounds the same. "The Thrill Of It All" goes too long, "Three And Nine" is a glimpse at their futureness, and "All I Want Is You" picks right back up where "Thrill" left off. "Out Of The Blue" is the 'hit' at 4.5M listens but his vocal delivery is still too wordy and staccato, Ferry's coolness isn't on full display yet. "Bitter Sweet" sounds like a circus nightmare, I hated it. Best song was easily "Prairie Rose" or "Casanova". I think the mastermind who created this list missed the mark on this one, there are a few much better RM albums. I don't know what this one did to merit being included (outside of the cover). It was an average album with no hits, no songs that are now considered classics. I don't know the influence it had in England, where so many of these T1001 albums were bigger than they are in the states. 3 stars
Bryan Ferry has a great voice, not my favourite Roxy Music album, but still good. 3.5 stars
Mmmmm yeah okay I see it, let's think on this!
This is kinda weird, but not in a bad way. Great album cover.
You could just listen to Bowie
good but not as good as Avalon...
Still can’t figure them out. Three albums now, and I’m not sure who or what Roxy Musis is. Definitely do not hate them. Need to listen to today’s album a few more times. Think Incan come around on it.
3 1/2
Great cover and good music.
I hear some Underworld's DNA in the certain elements like the backing vocals of the chorus to the first track (Is Bryan Ferry saying "calling you calling you calling-calling you calling you"?), maybe I have Underworld Derangement Syndrome (UDS). The high speed octave jumps of the bassline are so in the pocket. 'So I drink my fill, until the thrill is you.' is gonna stay in my head for awhile, no doubt. The space in which the harmonica stands in Three and Nine is like the complete opposite of the harmonica on Bob Dylan's second album, which I find to be a good thing. By the third song in, I notice that there is at least one particular instrument that stands out to me, for example; On All I Want Is You there is the very bright and wide sounding grand piano, covers nearly the whole field of audio. There's this overwhelming flanger effect on God knows what instrument during an instrumental break on Out Of The Blue, also the baseline feels very halloweeny during that part, OooOoOOOoh spOooOky and so CooOoOky. Bitter Sweet starts by hitting you hard in the face with a big amped up stroke of a chord, half expected him to say "I AM IRON MAN". Does anyone know what style of singing that's called on Triptych? I like Texas, I don't think it's dumb. The lyrics on the entire record are very comforting and came at the right time in my life. I wonder why I all these 70s British rock bands had really satisfying basslines, like where did they get that from?
With Bryan Ferry's accentuated and articulated theatrical vocal delivery style and the band's bombasticity, this album brings the glam and Bowie influences. Toward the middle of the album there's a bit of chamber/psychedelic flavor with "Tryptic" featuring harpsichord and oboe. Early 70s rock with a bit of weirdness - maybe it's less weird than previous ones, since this one is missing Brian Eno. Nothing particularly grabbed me on this one, but it was OK. I haven't heard any of their stuff except for the later singles, but there are two other earlier albums by them on this list so I'll be getting more exposure sooner or later.
Cool listen and liked "A Really Good Time" the most. An album you usually recognize from the cover getting publicity. Glad to have finally knocked this one out.
Didn't catch my attention. A random selection of songs. My mind is still stuck on the album cover
The album cover gave my false hope this band had women in it and made me realize this album generator hasn't shown me an album including a woman since Fever to Tell two weeks ago. ANYWAY fun album, you can definitely tell Roxy Music is where Brian Eno cut his teeth. But I think I may be too burnt out on brit rock to properly appreciate this album.
Gets an extra mark just for the album cover
idk, doesnt feel all to glamourous considering its glam rock. smth just off abt thisidk
Seen the cover a thousand times but for some reason never played it. Interesting music for its time. Just not for me. It sounds like the soundtrack of a cult film
3 stars
Country Life ist das vierte Studioalbum der englischen Art-Rock-Band Roxy Music, erschienen am 15. November 1974. Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, Andrew Mackay und Paul Thompson präsentierten sich hier straffer und kompromissloser als auf dem Vorgänger Stranded – weniger verspielt, dafür mit einer fast aggressiven Direktheit, die dem Glam-Rock-Gestus der Band eine härtere Kante verpasst. Die Produktion durch John Punter und die Band selbst in den Londoner Air Studios klingt noch heute bemerkenswert kohärent: warm, dicht, ohne die Kälte mancher Zeitgenossen. „The Thrill of It All" eröffnet mit einem Tempo, das kaum Luft lässt, während „All I Want Is You" – UK-Single, Platz 12 – zeigt, dass Ferry auch im kommerzielleren Kontext nichts von seiner seltsamen Eleganz einbüßt. „Casanova" ist das Herzstück der B-Seite: zynisch, treibend, mit einem Saxofon-Einsatz Mackays, der förmlich schmerzt. „Prairie Rose" schließt das Album mit einer fast cineastischen Weite ab – ein Texas-Ode, die mehr Melancholie transportiert als Folklore. Das kontroverse Cover – zwei spärlich bekleidete Frauen vor Bäumen, fotografiert von Eric Boman – wurde in den USA in undurchsichtige Folie eingeschweißt und in Australien teils verboten. Es lenkte seinerzeit von der Musik ab, was schade ist: Country Life ist kein Skandalalbum, sondern eines der handwerklich stärksten Werke des britischen Art Rock. Rolling Stone listete es 2003 auf Platz 387 der 500 größten Alben aller Zeiten. 9 / 10 – Roxy Music auf dem Höhepunkt ihrer frühen, kantigen Phase. Wer nur Avalon kennt, wird überrascht sein, wie viel Biss diese Band einst hatte.
it's 3.5
The Thrill of It All - 4.5/5 Three and Nine - 3.5/5 All I Want Is You - 3.5/5 Out of the Blue - 4/5 If it Takes All Night - 3.5/5 Bitter Sweet - 3/5 Triptych - 3.5/5 Casanova - 4/5 A Really Good Time - 3.5/5 Prairie Rose - 4/5 A good mix of eras between prog rock and the glam rock and/or art rock genres yet to come. It’s nice that they had a good amount of variety and they managed to hit on most of it. Good listen, probably more of a 3.5 but I have to round due to the system here. Overall: 3.5/5 Favorites: The Thrill of It All, Out of the Blue, Casanova, Prairie Rose
I like Roxy Music but I feel like listening to them in full album lengths is the wrong way to do it.
Enjoyed the classic rock tracks a lot, less of a fan of the prog ballads in the middle
Lush and ornate and arch, but ends up sort of wafting over you, not to be grasped, just enjoyed via osmosis. Pretty but hollow.
It was fun but not really memorable
I get that this is important because it was unique at the time. It isn't as dated as I would have thought from my feelings. I just found this to be sort of average. I didn't hate. I didn't love it. I listened to the whole album. It was pleasant enough. 3/5
OK but not Roxy at their best.
Interesting but pretty weird. I liked the first song
WIEDER ROXY MUSIC sie mached halt schono cooli musig glichzitig ischs halt iwie glich wie die vorherige 2 albe? weiss nöd d bridge bi out of the blues isch seehr geil und allgemein de bass🥵 bitter sweet isch jz nöd gad öppis wo ich nomal wett lose aber s isch ns cool? JAA KEI AHNIG same für triptych he weiss nöd. ich han all 3 albe vo roxy music cool gfunde und bis jz immer es 4i geh, aber es isch jz scho nöd e band, wo ich 3x 4 stern gib? drum gits I guess da es 3 aber es chönnt gad so guet bi eine vode anderne 2 albe sii, s tönt alles chli glich (wenn au guet) für mich
The Good: Who doesn’t like country life? The Bad: Finding out that there is not BBQ included… The Ugly: And that the latrines are full and it is our turn to clear them out… Mar 06 2026, that’s when this album was presented to me. June 8 2026, that’s when I am writing this review… Why have I let 3 months fly by?… I really wanted this album to be a 4+* album… I really did. I have a soft spot for Mr Ferry and his vibrato… but it’s irritating me on this album… really irritating me. Virginia Plane is a top notch song, but the rest of the album… not so top, nor so notch. I think I am going to listen to “In Your Mind”, an album that is sadly missing on Apple Music, but I have a CD version of it, so off I go and think fondly of Mr Ferry again… 2 1/2* upgraded for effort...
Meh.
Middle of the road art rock that left me mostly indifferent on first listen. Maybe this was original in 1974, but now it just feels like a less talented and exciting version of the Eno / Bowie collaboration. It's not a bad album, however, and it kind of grew on me after a second try. There are certainly some enjoyable moments - I liked Bitter Sweet with its Tom Waits vibe, and most of the B-side was all right. The instruments are pretty good (nice horns !), but the record as a whole lacks depth and feeling, probably due to the flat and subdued voice of the singer. I doubt I'll revisit it. And no, hinting at boobs and pubes on the cover is not enough to get my attention. I’m not 13, for crying out loud. 5/10
I am afraid age doesn't give the album justice. At the end the cover is what's most to remember about it (and that we cound't do it anymore).
I wish I liked this more than I do.
This was interesting. I liked it. A solid listen. Give it a 3.5 but on the 3 side.
Album cover 10/10 Music: 6/10 It’s pretty good, actually. Rocky Music and Brian Ferry are an aquired taste, but there’s something pretty good about this album. It’s not as weird as some of the other albums, and more rock oriented.
I think I like solo Eno more than any Roxy Music stuff
I have to admit that the album cover is pretty clickbait-y - I wanted to check if these were band members, but turns out that the lead singer simply met those two girls and asked them to be on the cover. As you may realise, this album wouldn't have been accepted everywhere at the time, so there is an alternative album cover where they are just normally dressed. Anyway, music-wise, this is actually not too bad, and it was alright leaving it in the background while I was doing other stuff.
Not bad. Bit awkward to open up spotify and see the NSFW album cover while at work, but pretty good music
Its ok. But really not for me but still alright to listen to.
Pretty cool, interesting songs. Rock, maybe some kind of prog vibe, punk edge, something like that.
well produced but the songs are not good
I definitely like this more than For Your Pleasure, but not as much as their original self-titled release. Still, this is a pretty good record overall; maybe not one I'll come back to often, but I certainly enjoyed listening to it a few times today. 3.25/5
initially was getting along with this, but by the end I was feeling a bit bored with it. There's enough here that I still had a good time though. I never noticed it until this album, but the dude from Franz Ferdinand is really aping this vocalist. 3/5
That album cover is saying something... I don't know what it is apart from "sex sells", but it's definitely got a statement. Music is meh
kind of a weird queeny ivbe. not bad
I can definitely hear how Bowie was influenced by RM. Or was it the other way round?
Decent glam rock, rousing, energetic, colorful. Personally speaking it went one ear and out the other.
Fine
I wouldn't say anything in particular stood out to me while listening to the album, other than the cover, which I'm sure was quite the attention grabber when it was released. After doing some investigating of the cover art, apparently the models had to be persuaded to take part in the photo shoot that resulted in this picture, which could be pretty gross depending on what was meant by "persuaded". Focusing on the music itself, as a fan of this genre, I should like this album more than I do. The problem for me is that, for being a 70s rock album, the vocals are quite unimpressive. I didn't necessarily dislike any of the songs, but admittedly I was quite bored by the end of the album.
Still don’t have a spot for these guys in my rotation. But the album cover is an all time top 10! 3 stars for memories of prepubescent fantasies!
Better than the last one I heard of theirs.
Of the three Roxy Music albums on this list this is my least favourite. It’s actually one too many and the list would have been served by just having their debut album on it. That album was truly ground breaking and different whilst what followed was a variation on a theme. In fact you could argue that after the first album things went downhill. Not off a cliff as this is still a good album and worthy of a further listen today. I own the debut Roxy Music album and that is the one when I am in a Roxy mood will go to rather than this. 3/5 11/2/26
Ganske ok, likte noen av låtene
So Roxy Music is one of those bands where if you listen to enough indie music, eventually someone will recommend them to you. So having heard about them for years I’ve checked out their singles but never been that impressed. This is my first time with a whole album. It’s pretty good in that way where you know something is good but it just doesn’t hook you. Intellectually I like this but- it doesn’t get past that first layer of skin. This is what you listen to when you LOVE 70s-era Lou Reed and Bowie and you’ve worn those albums out and want something in the same vein. “Out of the Blue” has a particularly cool solo. This is fine. THREE STARS
eh, alright
A dangerous album to open while at work. Enjoyable, but not groundbreaking. Favorite Song: Out of the Blue
115/1001 First listen. My second album by Roxy music. I have no memory of that album but it got the same rating as this one from me. This was pretty rockin’ and weird enough that I could see it growing on me if given a chance. That cover though. Lady, You need two both to cover that bush. Pretty wild stuff for its time. 5/10
Like nearly every other Roxy album, *Country Life* is frustratingly inconsistent, half-stocked with some absolute jewels and...some second-rate stuff. After the experimental leanings of their first two records, the band's sound on their fourth album is somewhat more conventional, and as a result, the songs live or die on the strength of Bryan Ferry's songwriting. Half of these tracks, including "The Thrill Of It All" and "Out Of The Blue" are stellar - they have tremendous rock and roll punch but still retain Roxy's characteristic out-there flavor. The remaining tracks are *too* conventional however, as though Ferry and the band are pulling back on the reins a little too much.
Pure vibes
Bara allt í læ
Cool but fades a bit on side b
Ta okładka… a do tego jeszcze sama płyta. Nie jest to nic, co wybrałabym z własnej woli. Niby nic drażniącego, po prostu przeciętny łagodny rock, ale stężenie kiczu trochę drażni zarówno uszy jak i oczy 5/10.
I love RM but this was just ok
J'ai trouvé l'album vraiment intéressant avec pleins de diversité dans les sonorités qui mélangent de nombreux styles. D'autre part l'ambiance et la tonalité de l'album a su bien se modifier tout au long du projet ce qui creer un vrai fil conducteur interessant.
This is pretty cool. I like how it’s a bit glam, a bit boogie, and even a little punk. In a lot of ways it reminds me of Queen. Especially with the pop songs. The more obscure songs feel very much like David Bowie (which I think I called out in my last review). This feels like something I’d like more if I spent more time with it, there’s a lot of cool elements in terms of instruments and production.
great cans on the cover, but the music never reaches anything that good. I saw Country Life and immediately furrowed my brow at how off the mark it was, but I realized a 70's British rock bands version of country music is closer to UK folk music and that kinda makes sense here. Some harmonicas and lazy sounding vocals contribute to the sound, but the lead singer just sounds out of breath or in pain or sometimes agonized yodeling. I'll give them this, there is a large variety of sound here, different tempos, sometimes you get a distortion-laden guitar solo, sometimes an aforementioned harmonica. Also its like they're trying to ape other artists, If It Takes All Night is just an Elvis impersonation, Three and Nine sounds like an Elvis Costello/David Bowie joint, etc. I've heard people say that a sandwich should be greater than the sum of its parts, and the same could be said of music and countless other things. Thats my gripe with this album, its just a bunch of mishmashed instruments and sleepy vocals, creating a real audio gruel.
A couple pairs of yabbos on the cover can’t save this album from being forgettable as frick. Listened to the whole thing in one sitting today and couldn’t tell you a thing about it. Oh well thanks for the yabbos
Country rock it was ok
Definitely did not expect the glam side of Roxy Music to be like this, but it is and I'm all for it. Album starts off strong with some bangers, but gets a little sideways in the middle with random German lyrics, but finishes strong with Casanova and Prarie Rose. 3.1 / 5 stars
Really interesting history around Roxy Music. The vibes were there and can understand how this album left an impression on the decades following.
6/10 Not a major fan of the Roxy Music sound, although they do have some very good songs. These aren't on here unfortunately. Highlights: Out of the Blue Bitter Sweet
Strong first half
Pretty okay album
This is the third Roxy Music album we've had on here, and I think this may be the only one that belongs on the list. That isn't to say it's stellar or anything, jsut that I don't remember a single thing about the other ones. I do think this is good until we get to Bitter Sweet, then it picks up again on the last track. Half an album of good songs does not an unforgettable album make, unfortunately. I do like the first bunch of tracks, but again, I don't think I get what makes this band special. They're a decent group of musicians that write pop-rock music. It's fine, again. Better than before but c'mon.
Another risqué album cover for work.
After listening to the first couple sounds, I started to think this could be 5 for me, but then If It Takes All Night came on, and I knew it would not. And then Bitter Sweet was next, and I started looking for an exit to the circus that I was apparently transported to. I skipped the last minute and a half of that one. I like Roxy Music, and I love how experiential and groundbreaking they were at the time, but the experimental nature of some of their tracks makes making listening to a full album a bit painful. How could this album have come out in 1974? Even though I absolutely hate a couple of these songs, what’s important to me is this: They were not boring. I’d take annoying over boring any day. At least they were *trying* something!
I like the album cover and "Casanova"
First listen Saved 4/10 Top track: The Thrill of It All
I liked this one, groovy with a classic rock vibe. All the songs after “bitter sweet” except for “prairie rose” were a little too slow for me tho.
instrumentally everything’s here, love the variety that they use and it made the 2nd half of every song enjoyable, but otherwise the vocalist kinda bored me
Need to give it more listens but I like the overall sound of it!
Decent enough. Nothing that stood out in a good way or a bad way. Just generally enjoyable to listen to. Not an all timer or anything like that but enough. About as middle of the road as you can get for me personally.
Groupe connu, chanteur connu mais pourtant jamais pris le temps d'écouter. Quelques beaux titres mais le reste m'a semblé plus fade.
An interesting album that didn't grab me.
Boppy new wave. It’s infectious, but not as complex as some of their other albums.
was expecting female vocals smh clickbait existed back in the 1970s. they did have some tunes on here, esp going out of their way not to be every rock band and add some more instrumentation in a nice way, prob eno pushed it into their heads before he left haha.
This album is fairly interesting but steady throughout, which is not bad but also not amazing. Definitely more inspired by the glam rock elements of the time, instead of their more pop style later on.
Good stuff here, especially musically. Lyrics have a bit of a show tune vibe for my taste. For the record, Bryan Ferry is a jerk.
Rv
The bassist is the fucking shit followed closely by guitar. The vocalist, however is a whiney stooge. 3/5
it was okay but didn’t blow me away, i liked the end
Not too much country, is it?
There are some good songs here but overall it is just an average album. 3 stars or C+.
Roxy Music is kind of indescribable. Louche cabaret music? If David Bowie performed in the 1940s? Sedative Techno? I don’t know. But it grows on me real fast. Listen to Braun Ferry sing the word “heroin” on that one song. You’ll be hooked.
Hard to believe this album is from the 70s. It surprised me, I enjoyed it.
This was some fine background music but not something I'd play on a regular basis or really dive into with full attention. That cover though... sheeeeesh!!!
Arty pop is my best discription. Very good in places
Decent album, not really a standout 3/5
I like Roxy Music better than Brian Eno's solo work but less than Bryan Ferry's solo work. But I suppose Eno wasn't involved in this one, so perhaps that's why I didn't mind this...
Bit of a weird one. Wasn't terrible but not particularly memorable.
Not bad, considering I am not much into this kind of music. 7/10
Hyvä kansi...musa sinnepäin
Ihan ok. albumin kansi 4,5 ⭐️
Aika perusrokkiahan se. Kannesta pisteet.
Album review 017 Country Life by Roxy Music (1974) Rating 3/5 Roxy Music’s fourth album (and my fourth favourite so far) starts as strong as any album of this era with The Thrill Of It All, it’s just a shame that there’s nothing as good over the remaining nine tracks. Not to say that this is a bad album as there are some high points, including Phil Manzanera’s guitar work, but most of Country Life is just mediocre.
awesome album, awesome cover
Pleasant
I like art rock and having never heard a Roxy Music album before, I’ve been looking forward to hearing this. It’s a bit weird and theatrical at times but in a good way. However, I think I wanted to like this more than I actually did. My first listen wasn’t the most focused but the final two tracks really landed with me so I made a decision to return. After my 2nd listen, I came to the same conclusion that the last 2 tracks were my favourite, and the battle to decide whether this deserved a 4th star just fell short. However, I’d return here and hope it clicks more with further listens if/when I get the chance.
Good
Not my thing.
pretty mid
Interesting enough to get me to stop and pay attention, but was lacking in any show stopping moments that justify the price of admission. Still a good intro to the band. I like it ✨
This is clearly contemporary to ‘70s Bowie. Some wild swings artistically. Bitter-Sweet was a standout.
Man, side two really shits the bed
Rokkia jossa on vähän new wave ja jänniä musikaali piirteitä. Sopivan vekkulia. Ja kuten levyn nimi sanoo on tässä vähän myös kantri rock vaikutteita. Hyvää ja menevää. Parhaat: Three And Nine, Casanova, Prairie Rose
It was okay!
Listened but have no urge to go back and listen again. Fine music but no oomph for me.
Never judge a book by its cover, they say. It's the case here, this is a surprising album, toeing between vanilla rock and proggy bits.
Interesting album. Had hints of what was going to happen soon in rock but then really had some dumb stuff in the second half of it that dragged it down for me. 6/10
So promising at the beginning, I thought I was going to get a surprise 4 but by halfway through, some of the songs were getting annoying and a bit boring
This album has multiple songs with the same title as other songs I really like but they aren't the same songs at all. Also, they don't make album covers like this anymore.🤨
Again, I had no idea what this was going to be. I think I was imagining Duran Duran? Anyway, it's not that much like Duran Duran at all.
Folky, sleepy 70s rock with vocals reminding me of Elvis. Not too memorable but easy to listen to.
I've never listened to this album (48). Not bad for alt rock! Some great parts.
Middle of the road music
It was fine, nothing in there got me excited but neither was I offended.
It was ok
3/5
Wasn't familiar with your game Roxy Music.
one of those albums i feel quite impartial about. i can certainly appreciate that it's a decent album but i feel like i've heard it a million times before. the vocals are quite difficult to fall in love with but i did enjoy some of the instrumentation - creative guitar parts and the drums sound decent. won't be coming back to it but i'm glad i've listened to it.
This is generally enjoyable, but really forgettable. I listened to it 3 different times because I forgot to rate it and couldn’t remember how I felt about it.
Yeah it was ok! Listened to it in the car on the way to touristy stuff. Didn't pay much attention to it but enjoyed what I heard.
Weird in places but enjoyable
I believe country life is 70% cover 30% album. I mean, come on it’s an iconic cover! But there’s probably 3-4 really good songs
Roxy music is ok.
I think on a day I was craving Bowie, this would slap. Today I feel a little bored? by it
Alright; fairly standard 1974 album. I like the horns
Took me a few goes to find the pulse here. Sounded like a bunch of fancy art-school types showing off their new synths. Good fun though, like martinis before the party gets weird. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - Out Of The Blue - If It Takes All Night - A Really Good Time
+1 for boobs. -1 for the weird Nazi song in the middle.
Good vocals. Okay music.
This list should have been called 900 and some average albums that you could definitely miss with some great albums and some terrible albums thrown in. This is so average it’s painful.
Decent rock I guess, but nothing that blew me away.
-this is def my favorite Eno-related “conventional” rock project i’ve heard so far, it’s cool as hell -a lot more sophisticated than the other album i heard from Roxy Music, i think. could honestly use a relisten but i enjoyed it. sorry if this is nonsense i’m drunk -Favorites: The Thrill Of It All, Triptych
Had some pretty fun, catchy tracks.
I have more questions than I could ever have answers to. Sometimes this is a good thing, but I don't know about here. First, the album cover. This is the sister and girlfriend of a member of Can, a krautrock band. I don't think this is a question that I want an answer to. If we get past that and get into the music, some of it sounds familiar, but I have no idea what I've spent 40 minutes listening to. This is a question I would like answered. It wasn't all bad, but it was such a bipolar album. Some of the songs sounded like the 80s pop that my mom listened to when I was growing up and other songs sounded like they'd be a cult anthem with some different lyrics. The song Triptych sounded almost like Renegade by Styx if it has more classical instruments (vibraphone and bagpipes) that was rearranged and the vocals were all changed. I think songs individually would all get a 3-4 if they weren't in an album. I'd even consider a 5 for a couple. The album as a whole gets a 3.
It's not bad, but not exactly great either. Not a fan of the singing and the instrumentals didn't hit very well either for me. Solid album, though
O que me incomoda no som do Roxy Music é o exagero de camadas, guitarras, sopros e teclados, tudo misturado, tornando o som confuso e comprometendo a completa apreciação das melodias. Dos três álbuns que aparecem no livro, este é o mais fraco, mesmo assim um bom disco.
I didn’t even hear the music. I never got past the album cover.
Roxy music are great.
not my favourite roxy music album
Mindst interessante vi har haft med dem endnu. Nogle af numrene lød en lille smule som David Bowie
Meget chill i forhold til de tidligere RM vi har haft. Den mindst gode
It was hard to follow the direction of the album. I don't feel like it collectively meshed together to wow. Like different identities trying to fight for the front spot light. I can appreciate the start of glam but into it was like a slow bleed ..
A fun listen overall. Between the times he sings like a rock star he also got in the mid evil jester voice, and like he was in Ooingo Boingo. Lots of different sounds and a ton of solid riffs. I can appreciate it not just for the art, but for it's influence on other bands I'm more familiar with. I will admit, the sudden high influx of 70s music in my life is starting to have an impact and I may have to give this another listen when I can come back with fresh ears. I didn't hear anything I out right hated, it's just that nothing grabbed me. Was I distracted by the cover art? Maybe. Is this a moment like when you need to focus on driving and you turn down the music to see better? I'm not ruling it out. It's entirely possible I too turned down the music to see better. Am I disappointed in myself? A little. Will it happen again? Mostly likely. Am I convincing myself I need to listen again to have the excuse? I'm not sure reader. Sometimes the depths of a man's soul has shallow sections.
Can see how this would be influential but I thought it was just fine.
You’d be hard pressed to find a better album opener than “The Thrill of It All.” It’s dramatic in a way only Bryan Ferry could pull off without toppling into self-parody. And while Roxy would go on to release bigger albums—Siren, Manifesto, Avalon—this one doesn’t need a qualifying asterisk. Country Life stands tall all on its own. It’s commercial and arty in the same breath. Glossy, but with fangs. At times it’s even relentless but they always find the pocket. Ferry sings like he’s half in love and half in peril. The cover was banned or censored in multiple countries. Ferry apparently met the German models on the front in Portugal the week before. I'd love to hear their side of the story. It’s glam, it’s gothic, it’s absurd, and it all totally works.
Pretty nice
I listened to this album twice and I don't really have anything to say about it.
There are a few good songs on here, but generally this seems like a struggle for ideas and a sound. Ferry's voice remains strong here, and it's still Roxy at heart, but the dabbling with - ahem - country on the closer doesn't really work, for example. A bit of a mixed bag, this era probably best sampled via the Greatest Hits.
A very bold and in your face album. It demands your attention, often when it's not welcome. I prefer the more introvert Roxy of soundscapes and endless introductions. But at least its got balls, and isn't afraid to show them.
Yet another Roxy Music album (three now, and thankfully all that we get in this collection). I'm not sure there's much to say about this album, except that I found it strangely screechly/jangly, far more so than the earlier albums, especially so on some tracks like their hit "All I want is you" (but maybe that's due to new headphones? or maybe Brian Eno's absence?). I've generally enjoyed Bryan Ferry's strangely distinctive voice, but not as much on this album (with the partial exception of the uber-dramatic "Bitter sweet"). Sorry, Bryan!
Joda, gubberock. Med gubbecover.
This was a nice surprise indeed! I've always read about this band here and there, but never listened to them. I even didn't know how they sounded like, so I expected something more poppy bc of the name. But to be honest this is mainly rock, and it's so heterogeneous it gets ridiculous! But in a good way. While the obvious reference could be Bowie, there are some hints of Kiss there in the guitar riffs (All I want is You) and amazing guitar solos in 2 or 3 songs. Then in maybe the best song of the record (Out of the Blue) star in a dark dark way almost resembling post punk. To be lated evolved into rock n roll again, nice! So this is the vibe... glammy rock n roll with a lot of influences, most of them good but with a few embarrassing moment (that corny country song If Takes All Night is annoying). Really liked this, and the cover art is cool too! Listening notes: Obvious resemblance is Bowie, but guitars are heavier, check those solos and KISS riffs in All I Want is You, super suprised about this... always heard the name but first time listening to them. And then Out of the Blue sounds totally like Joy Division to transform into a shredding guitar piece... what mejunje is this? El rollo ese country ridículo de If It Takes All Night no es para mí
3,3
Nothing special in my opinion
Meh
I want to like Country Life more than I do. "Out of the Blue" cuts through for me, but not so much the other tracks.
Roxy Music albums are pretty alright, but they never really manage to blow me away, like they're lacking that special something.
Pretty cool.
Not something you want to listen to in school
This is an average LP for Roxy in my opinion with a few good cuts. Put out between Standed and Siren it is the weaker of the three.
6/10 This was an interesting listen. It had a distinctly 80s edge to it, despite being released in 1974, so there must be some element of this being ahead of its time. It also had places where it sounded very reminiscent of David Bowie. From a songwriting point of view, I didn’t find that there were too many memorable hooks that stuck with me past the end of the record, which was a bit of a shame. The vibe was often really good, but it rarely completely engaged me, despite the overall appeal of the sound itself. When they allowed things to get a bit weirder, things were pretty fun, although perhaps less synthy than I was hoping for (now that Eno had left the band, maybe that was to be expected). They do conjure up some really good grooves here and there and some of the guitar playing was particularly decent. There was a slight lack of balance to the album, in that a few of the tracks didn’t stylistically blend particularly well with the rest, like If It Takes All Night and Triptych, but sometimes that can be a really useful device to add a bit of intrigue to an album. It’s probably not an album I’ll be coming back to that often, but there were certainly some interesting aural flavours that were worth hearing. The Thrill Of It All - A good song to kick things off. There’s a nice pace to it that drives it forward with a tight and solid rhythm section. There’s plenty of instrumentation that comes and goes, with the strings and sax offering some interesting flavour. Solid guitar work too. Three And Nine - I’m a bit less keen on this one. It’s a bit more laid back, but it doesn’t really offer much in the way of interest outide of the main theme. There are parts of it I like, particularly the rhythm of some of the vocal lines against the track and some of the vocal blend of lead and backing. Nice, but not overly exciting. All I Want Is You - There’s some cool guitar playing on here. I like the overall vibe and it feels super 80’s, so must have been ahead of its time. There’s nothing about it that really grabs me hook-wise, unfortunately, but I did enjoy it. Out Of The Blue - There’s some great playing on this. Some really nice sweeping phasey parts too. I like the little breaks that they throw in here and there, and there’s a real driving thrust to it too. It’s quite Bowieish, and I like the slightly off the wall descent into mania at the end. Sonically, it’s a pretty interesting track. If It Takes All Night - A fairly straight rock n’ roll number, but with more modern production values. It’s decent, but it does sound a bit like Bryan Ferry trying to ape Elvis a bit too much. I kind of feel like this might have been the jumping off point for Huey Lewis & The News. Bitter Sweet - This is atmospherically interesting. It’s quite grand in a way and the climbing and falling piano is interesting, before the thudding, plodding weirdcore section, which is the kind of thing Mike Patton would take in an even heavier direction almost 20 years later with Mr Bungle. It’s pretty bold and wacky. Triptych - This is also a bit of an odd one. It doesn’t really offer a huge amount of diversion from its fairly plodding rhythm, despite the always moving harpsichord tone. It never really gets grand or big enough. Not for me. Casanova - This has got a really nice swing to the rhythm. Some of the best vocal delivery on the album, too. This is a proper head-bobber and it’s got a bit of grit and attitude to it too. It’s still got that twist of weirdness, bit it’s more anchored and has some really cool guitar work too, which pulls against the synth parts nicely. A Really Good Time - I quite like the attitude to the vocal and the way it sits against the rest of the track. There’s some nice rhythmic choices too, particularly with the descending beats that the band hit together. There’s a nice ambience to the instrumentation here too. Nice track. Prairie Rose - The groove of this is good. There’s a nice drive from the drums and the blend of the different dynamics from the staccato rhythm section and the drawn out vocal and slide guitar is nice. It feels like this track does do quite a bit of hanging around on one thing for too long though. More solid guitar playing, but the vocal sections are maybe a bit too broken up and repetitive. Not bad though.
This is the second album by roxy music that I have had on my list. The first was I was almost unable to listen to. This set my expectations low. I was surprised when I made it through all of this without wanting to shut it off. The vocals were much better then on roxy music. The song on this one have focus and made sence. But the album is still not good.
it was fine, i guess
Of its time
It’s really good
A lot of the songs on this one hover around the upper edge of "okay" for me - I wouldn't quite say they were good, but they're kinda almost there. He dips into his Dracula voice occasionally but it's not as prevalent. This finishes me on the list's trio of Roxy Music albums. We got all 3 of these within a span of about 40 albums - For Your Pleasure came up as album 234 in July, Roxy Music was 258 in early August, and now Country Life is 274. I'm ready to put this group in the rearview.
This is exactly what'd you expect of a Bryan Ferry album titled "Country Life." Not exactly sure what shade of irony he was contemplating, but while the album is moderately fun and interesting, I am not sure it is fun enough to listen to or think about in the future... unless your a fan of Roxy Music or Bryan Ferry's brand of wit.