Released on 23 May 1980 "Flesh + Blood" was the seventh studio album by Englisn band Roxy Music, it was an immediate commercial success peaking at No. 1 in the UK for
one week in June and then returned to the summit in August for another
three weeks, the album also peaked at No. 35 in the United States and
No. 10 in Australia.
The album was preceded by the single "Over You", "Oh Yeah" and "Same Old Scene". Flesh + Blood also included two cover versions: the Byrds' "Eight Miles High" and Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour".
The latter was released as a single in some territories. In addition,
the album's title track along with the aforementioned "Over You" and
"Eight Miles High" peaked at No. 46 on the Billboard dance charts.
It was the band's first recording without drummer Paul Thompson, whose departure reduced Roxy Music to a core trio of singer Bryan Ferry, saxophonist Andy Mackay and guitarist Phil Manzanera, augmented by session musicians. It wasn't as good as the follow on album Avalon, but Flesh and Blood is still fair trade. It offered early hints of the 80's dynamic sound footprint that so many archetypical bands evolved
into. "In The Midnight Hour" the opener has become a cult classic and other tracks like ' "Same Old Scene," "Eight Miles High" and "Running Wild" offered much promise.
Standout tracks were "Same Old Scene" with strong bass, nice vocals and great
keys maybe too much disco sound but Mackay ease the stuff, "In The Midnigh Hour" didn't developed bit more
the intro the guitar riff wasn't good and the melody was average. "My Only Love" : an inspired Ferry, good guitar
from Phil and a great bass support with the choir at the end a little bit heavy.
"Over You" sounded a bit like "Kimberly" from Patti Smith. It peaked at No. 5 in the charts. The next two tracks were the weakiest of the album : "Eight Miles High" a cover from The
Byrds is dicotheque oriented and repetitive for the former, slow and dull for the latter. "Strange Delight" was another story. The strange Roxy atmosphere of the early days were back again a bit decadent, a bit pop, a bit "sexy". The other highlight of the album was "Running Wild" which is a good mellow ballad in which Ferry
exells.
The album cover was conceived by Peter Saville and photographed by Neil Kirk. It features three young women holding javelins
(two are on the front cover, one is on the back). Saville worked with
no input from Ferry or the rest of the band, but continued the tradition
for Roxy Music albums to feature images of women on the cover artwork.
The model on the back cover is Roslyn Bolton (her modelling name was
Ashley). The front cover models are Aimee Stephenson and an unknown 18-year-old model, whom Bolton remembered years later as being named "Rachel".
Flesh + Blood definitely was not a masterpiece. Roxy Music always had a great overall sound that was more than a sum of
its parts. That chemistry was missing here. No matter how important and
unique are Andy McKay and Phil Manzanera, this was almost a Bryan Ferry
solo record. Some others considered a shockingly bad Roxy Music record that it provokes a certain fascination. Original followers of the band may founded it low on character
and surprise. Not a bad record specially if you compare it to much that was produced
at the time, prog wise. But this one was definitly not a good starting
point to someone who wanted to get to know this groundbreaking band.
Flesh + Blood was and is for hardcore fans and collectors.
Flesh + Blood Track List:
1. In The Midnight Hour
2. On Yeah
3. Same Old Scene
4. Flesh And Blood
5. My Only Love
6. Over You
7. Eight Miles High
8. Rain Rain Rain
9. No Strange Delight
10. Running Wild
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