Roxy Music
Art Rock / Rock
Roxy Music is an English art rock group founded in the early 1970s by art school graduate Bryan Ferry (vocals and keyboards). The other members are Phil Manzanera (guitars), Andy Mackay (saxophone and oboe) and Paul Thompson (drums and percussion). Former members are Brian Eno (synthesizer and "treatments"), later famous producer and musician, and Eddie Jobson (synthesizer and violin), replacing Eno. Extant from 1971 through 1983, they reunited for a concert tour in 2001, and have announced that they are recording a new album in 2005-2007 for a yet-to-be-confirmed release date.
The group's name was partly an homage to the titles of old cinemas and dance halls, and partly a pun on the word 'rock'. (Ferry first named the band Roxy, but learning of an American band with the same name prompted the alteration of the name.) The juxtaposition of nostalgic and contemporary (or futuristic) themes was a distinctive feature of the band, particularly in their earliest incarnation. The group is noted for their combination of idiosyncratic experimentation and sophisticated wit, evident in their literate lyrics, restrained instrumental virtuosity, and highly developed visual presentation (mainly directed by Ferry) which expropriated imagery from the realms of high fashion, kitsch, and commercial photography.
During the 1970s, Roxy Music emerged as one of the foremost bands of the time, popular throughout the UK and Europe. In the USA, Australasia and other regions, the band was esteemed by critics and enjoyed an ardent cult following, but they remained little-known among the general public until the 1980s, when they received attention for their cover of the John Lennon song "Jealous Guy," which became their biggest hit.
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