Been a long, long time since first hearing "The Thrill of it All" by Roxy Music, and its the same questioning, driving, melodic primal scream I remember.
Eno 's gone, but the ivories are solid. Piano starts up and traces out the skeleton, a few phrases with Phil Manzanera and John Gustafson stretching it out, then all hell breaks loose when Paul Thompson starts cracking out a beat, and Brian Ferry's screamspace begins.
A team of fuel-soaked unicorns go galloping off pulling this sleigh supersonically stratospheric. Wailing all the while.
The sky is dark
the wind is cold
the night is young
before its old and gray
we will know - oh!, the thrill of it all.
The time has come
It's getting late
It's now or never don't hesitate
or stall
when I call
Don't spoil - the thrill of it all.
Then there are the bridges which tone it down a bit, but not exactly what you'd call quiet, and treat you with sax bursts interspersed with savory long tone bass, and complex weaving cacophony of wood blocks, finger popping, and lord knows what else.
... and before you go to sleep at night
Preying shadows, do they ask you why?
and in the morning through the afternoon
Do you wonder where your going to?
... every word I use
each crumpled page
strange ideas mature with age
like leaves
oh! when Autumn falls
turn gold
when they hit the ground|
Wedged between verse a howling spitirual tsunami, orgasm's edge, triumphant suffering, beggar's cant, pain desire longing satiation defiance and acceptance. I've never heard anything quite like it before or since.
... you might as well know what is right for you
and make the most of what you like to do
for all the pleasure thats surrounding you
should compensate for all youre going through
Swear part of the background's blast - a venerable wall of sound - is a Jew's harp plonking away. Guitar solos shooting out of the ether - buzz-bombing bees straight into cranial folds, and running the ridges 'till they find an easy meal.Bam!
I never hear it on FM radio (or, anywhere else, for that matter), and wonder why the hell not. If you've never heard it - hear it!
"Country Life"s cover art puts me in mind of proto-Suicidegirl sensibilities circa 1974 (nobody's pierced, or anything like that - but the girls are way pleasing to look at, and have attitude to spare).
Heading towards the New Year pell-mell ...
Stay hip
Keep cool
To the thrill of it all
Eno 's gone, but the ivories are solid. Piano starts up and traces out the skeleton, a few phrases with Phil Manzanera and John Gustafson stretching it out, then all hell breaks loose when Paul Thompson starts cracking out a beat, and Brian Ferry's screamspace begins.
A team of fuel-soaked unicorns go galloping off pulling this sleigh supersonically stratospheric. Wailing all the while.
The sky is dark
the wind is cold
the night is young
before its old and gray
we will know - oh!, the thrill of it all.
The time has come
It's getting late
It's now or never don't hesitate
or stall
when I call
Don't spoil - the thrill of it all.
Then there are the bridges which tone it down a bit, but not exactly what you'd call quiet, and treat you with sax bursts interspersed with savory long tone bass, and complex weaving cacophony of wood blocks, finger popping, and lord knows what else.
... and before you go to sleep at night
Preying shadows, do they ask you why?
and in the morning through the afternoon
Do you wonder where your going to?
... every word I use
each crumpled page
strange ideas mature with age
like leaves
oh! when Autumn falls
turn gold
when they hit the ground|
Wedged between verse a howling spitirual tsunami, orgasm's edge, triumphant suffering, beggar's cant, pain desire longing satiation defiance and acceptance. I've never heard anything quite like it before or since.
... you might as well know what is right for you
and make the most of what you like to do
for all the pleasure thats surrounding you
should compensate for all youre going through
Swear part of the background's blast - a venerable wall of sound - is a Jew's harp plonking away. Guitar solos shooting out of the ether - buzz-bombing bees straight into cranial folds, and running the ridges 'till they find an easy meal.Bam!
I never hear it on FM radio (or, anywhere else, for that matter), and wonder why the hell not. If you've never heard it - hear it!
"Country Life"s cover art puts me in mind of proto-Suicidegirl sensibilities circa 1974 (nobody's pierced, or anything like that - but the girls are way pleasing to look at, and have attitude to spare).
Heading towards the New Year pell-mell ...
Stay hip
Keep cool
To the thrill of it all