2001-verzamelaar, verschenen naar aanleiding van de reunie-tournee van dat jaar, die de band o.a. naar het Werchter-festival en Ahoy' brengt. Begint met de latere smooth singles uit de 'Avalon'-periode en gaat gaandeweg terug in de tijd.
"Abandoning the intoxicating blend of art rock and glam-pop that distinguished "Stranded" and "Country Life", Roxy Music concentrates on Bryan Ferry's suave, charming crooner persona for their elegantly modern fifth album, "Siren". As the disco-fied opener "Love Is the Drug" makes clear, Roxy embraces dance and unabashed pop on "Siren", weaving them into their sleek, arty sound. It does come at the expense of their artier inclinations, which is part of what distinguished Roxy, but the end result is captivating. Lacking the consistently amazing songs of its predecessor, "Siren" has a thematic consistency that works in its favor, and helps elevate its best songs -- "Sentimental Fool," "Both Ends Burning," "Just Another High" -- as well as the album itself into the realm of classics." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)
"On Roxy Music's debut, the tensions between Brian Eno and Bryan Ferry propelled their music to great, unexpected heights, and for most of the group's second album, the band equals, if not surpasses, those expectations - resulting in another extraordinary record from Roxy Music, one that demonstrates even more clearly than the debut how avant-garde ideas can flourish in a pop setting. This is especially evident in the driving singles "Do the Strand" and "Editions of You," which pulsate with raw energy and jarring melodic structures. Roxy also illuminate the slower numbers, such as the eerie "In Every Dream Home a Heartache," with atonal, shimmering synthesizers, textures that were unexpected and innovative at the time of its release. Similarly, all of "For Your Pleasure" walks the tightrope between the experimental and the accessible, creating a new vocabulary for rock bands, and one that was exploited heavily in the ensuing decade." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)
"Falling halfway between musical primitivism and art rock ambition, this debut remains a startling redefinition of rock's boundaries. Simultaneously embracing kitschy glamour and avant-pop, Roxy Music shimmers with seductive style and pulsates with disturbing synthetic textures. The band is driven by boundless imagination -- Brian Eno's synthesized "treatments" exploit electronic instruments as electronics, instead of trying to shoehorn them into conventional patterns. Similarly, Bryan Ferry finds that his vampiric croon is at its most effective when it twists conventional melodies, Phil Manzanera's guitar is terse and unpredictable, while Andy Mackay's saxophone subverts rock & roll clichés by alternating R&B honking with atonal flourishes. But what makes Roxy Music such a confident, astonishing debut is how these primitive avant-garde tendencies are married to full-fledged songs. That was the trick that made Roxy Music the most adventurous rock band of the early '70s." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)
"Returning to action after four years of solo projects, Roxy Music redefined its sound and agenda on "Manifesto". More than ever, Roxy sounds like Bryan Ferry's backing band, as the group strips away its art rock influences, edits out the instrumental interludes in favor of concise pop songs, and adds layers of stylish disco rhythms. Although the songwriting is distressingly inconsistent, there are a number of wonderful moments on the record, particularly in the sighing "Angel Eyes" and the heartbroken "Dance Away." Still, trading sonic adventure for lush, accessible disco-pop isn't entirely satisfactory, even if it is momentarily seductive." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)
"An even slicker record than it's predecessor "Manifesto", "Flesh + Blood" precariously balances between alluringly seductive, sophisticated soul-pop and cloying, radio-ready disco-pop. At its best, the album is effortlessly suave and charming -- "Over You" is one of their greatest singles, and "Oh Yeah" is nearly as persuasive -- but much of the record is devoted to ill-formed, stylish lounge-pop. In particular, the reliance on reworked covers of "In the Midnight Hour" and "Eight Miles High" is distressing, not only because it signals a lack of imagination, but also because it suggests that "Flesh + Blood" is simply a lesser solo effort from Bryan Ferry. And even the handful of undeniably strong moments can't erase the feeling that Roxy Music were beginning to run out of ideas." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)
Dubbelaar, waarop alle bekende Roxy-songs voorbijkomen (van 'Re-Make/Re-Model' tot 'Jealous Guy') in prima versies. Met naast Ferry/MacKay/Manzanera/Thompson o.a. de uitstekende Lucy Wilkins (viool/toetsen) en Chris Spedding (g).
Concert-opname van de 'Avalon'-tournee, gemaakt in Frejus, Frankrijk, 27 augustus 1982. De Roxy Music-kern Ferry/Manzanera/MacKay wordt bijgestaan door o.a. de later van Dire Straits bekende toetsenist Guy Fletcher en drie achtergrondzangeressen.
Portret van de Britse artrockgroep, waarin de historie wordt geschetst vanaf het moment dat zanger Bryan Ferry en toetsenist Brian Eno elkaar midden jaren '60 op de kunstacademie tegenkomen, járen voordat Roxy Music wordt opgericht. Ook gitarist Phil Manzanera, drummer Paul Thompson en saxofonist Andy Mackay komen uitgebreid aan het woord, alsmede Eno's opvolger Eddie Jobson. Dit wordt gelardeerd met fragmenten van optredens voor o.a. The Old Grey Whistle Test en diverse concerten. Ook manager/platenbaas David Enthoven (de E van E'G Records) en diverse producers halen herinneringen op en diverse latere sterren (leden van uiteenlopende bands als Sex Pistols, U2, Chic en Duran Duran) vertellen hoe ze beïnvloed zijn door Roxy Music. Het is een opmerkelijk verhaal, hoe de 'arty' muziek van "Virginia Plain" evolueerde naar de muzikaal verrijkte jaren met Jobson tot de 'slick' leefkuilmuziek van "Avalon". Ook zijn er beelden van de reünieconcerten uit de jaren '00 en als extra wat complete live-nummers uit 2006.
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