Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #6387 in Music
- Released on: 2000-03-14
- Number of discs: 1
- Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
- Original language:
English - Dimensions: 11.81" h x
.39" w x
11.81" l,
.21 pounds
Product Description
The front cover of this 1974 release was withdrawn in the U.S.!
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
43 of 43 people found the following review helpful.
By Timothy Welch
For my money the finest period in the stellar career of Roxy Music is the middle one, sandwiched between their Eno-infused art rock origins and the more pop-oriented later years. This era began with the brilliant, brooding masterpiece Stranded and concluded with the catchy though uneven Siren. Between them lay the band's classic rocker Country Life. Probably best known for its controversial album cover, Country Life nevertheless delivers a steady stream of unabashed rock 'n roll that represents the band's musical virtuosity at its finest. Phil Manzanera's hot guitar licks and Bryan Ferry's cool crooning perfectly offset one another while Andy Mackay's chunky riffs on oboe and sax, Eddie Jobson's stylish keyboards and Paul Thompson's steady thumping keep the tempo offbeat in typical Roxy fashion.
From the opening soaring strains of "The Thrill of it All", Country Life sets off with a soaring energy the band rarely displayed before or after this release. Even when the pace slows, as it does for the hypnotic "Bitter-Sweet", you can cut the group's creative tension with a knife. Country Life is not merely for the highbrow art-rock set, either. I've turned folks who wouldn't know the Velvet Underground from Velveeta onto this record, and it's due mostly to the hard-driving rock standards such as "Out of the Blue", "All I Want is You" and "If It Takes All Night". One for the ages.
72 of 81 people found the following review helpful.
By happydogpotatohead
This is Roxy Music's most overtly "rock" album. Part of the reason for this is that the group was writing less complex material. Whether this was as a reaction to their prior art-rock leanings, an attempt to become more commercial, or because Bryan Ferry was hearkening back to his soul and pop roots is immaterial; it's probably a little of all the above.
Another factor in this was that the band, at this point, had a very strong power trio at its core. Guitarist Phil Manzanera and drummer Paul Thompson (who is not called "The Great Paul Thompson" by fans for nothing!) were joined by studio bassist John Gustafson. His heavy, muscular bass playing seems to drive Manzanera and Thompson to new heights, especially on "The Thrill of it All," "All I Want is You," "Casanova" and "Bittersweet."
Musically the album is a fairly varied affair, ranging from hard rock to swirling psychedelia ("Out of the Blue" with Eddie Jobson's flanged violin/keyboards, is classic) to more-or-less straight blues and almost-country stylings. All of it works, even the odd "Triptych," which seems to be Ferry's attempt at writing a hymn.
One of the more interesting things about this record is that it is one of the most ripped-off of all Roxy Music albums. For example, Duran Duran built their entire career around rewriting "The Thrill of it All." And the creepy "Bittersweet," with its deliberately maudlin Brecht/Weill opening and the jarring 1930s-Berlin-on-acid section, was stolen lock, stock and barrel by Roger Waters (and bloated beyond endurance) to create the last quarter of the Pink Floyd's "pity-me" epic, "The Wall." As in most cases, the original leaves the imitators looking pale. And whether he means to or not, Ferry out-Elton Johns Elton John with "A Really Good Time," which probably should have been a hit in America. Not to mention "All I Want is You," which is one of the great lost power-pop gems from a band that nobody would suspect of power-pop.
All in all this is a grand record. It's stylish, smart, sharp, and yet has a heart. In an era where rock was often bloated, dunderheaded blues jams played by shaggy guys who hadn't bathed in a while and wore dirty jeans onstage in an attempt to appear "authentic," this record (like all Roxy's records) stood out. And to this day it doesn't sound dated at all. A great accomplishment and still one of the best Roxy Music albums.
32 of 35 people found the following review helpful.
By Michael Strom
If you didn't know anything about Roxy Music in 1974 & by chance walked into a concert on the Country Life tour, you would have thought these guys were one of the best straight-ahead hard-rocking bands in the world. Unfortunately, the buzz Roxy got in the U.S. effectively convinced most folks that Roxy was some artsy, difficult band that should play in conservatories instead of arenas. As a result, NO ONE HEARD THEM HERE!
Well, almost no one. I caught them in Boston at a small hall that was mostly empty. You could tell they were not real happy about the size of the crowd, but they proceeded to rip through most of Country Life and some of their beloved uptempo early stuff. Rockers like "The Thrill Of It All," "All I Want Is You," & "Prairie Rose" with barely a trace of irony. All at a loud & breakneck pace that bordered on frightening.
Since that Roxy never resurfaced after Country Life, this album is all the more essential. The predominant mood here is set by the pounding drums of Paul Thompson & Phil Manzanera's guitar work. Incredibly, there is even a straight-up blues ("If It Takes All Night") with Bryan Ferry blowing a credible harp solo. It also has one of the very best Roxy songs ever, "Out Of The Blue," perhaps the only song featuring violin & oboe that is capable of taking your head off at high volume levels. A great, great album.
See all 57 customer reviews...
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