I've been spending some quality time with Bryan Ferry's new solo album Olympia. The first few listens left me feeling a bit meh. I kept listening. Now I can say with some certainty that I like it - I like it a lot. Is it a paradigm shift in sound or style? Absolutely not. It sounds just like a Bryan Ferry or Roxy Music record should. The cast of players on it is mindbogglingly huge and ranges from old time studio pros to the hipsters of today. For starters you've got his Roxy band mates Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay and drummer Andy Newmark. Then you add Nile Rodgers & Marcus Miller. Toss in some David Gilmour, Jonny Greenwood and Flea. Add a pinch of Mani, Dave Stewart, Groove Armada & Scanner, then sprinkle with Jake Shears and Babydaddy. And of course, produced by Rhett Davies. Yowsah. And I left some people off. Suffice it to say that the record is expertly played and produced. The songs take you from the smoky back room of a club - You Can Dance showing an older Ferry getting tired of the grind - to the dance floor, with the Groove Armada collabo Shameless bringing gritty beats and bass. There are covers as per usual. Tim Buckley's Song To The Siren is nice but not as spine tingly as This Mortal Coil's. This album is probably not likely to win a lot of new fans, but old fans should be pretty happy with the results! Enjoy a few remixes...Bryan Ferry - You Can Dance (John Monkman Remix)
Bryan Ferry - Alphaville (Leo Zero Remix)
Bryan Ferry - Shameless (Still Going Remix)
Bryan Ferry - Heartache By Numbers (Circus Parade Remix)
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