Bryan Ferry Album: “Another Time, Another Place [Remaster]”

Description :

Personnel: Bryan Ferry (vocals, harmonica, organ, keyboards); John Porter, David O'List (guitar); John Wetton (fiddle, bass); Ruan O'Lochlainn (alto saxophone); Chris Mercer (tenor saxophone); Henry Lowther (trumpet); Chris Pyne (trombone); Paul Thompson (drums); Vicki Brown, Helen Chappelle, Barry St. John, Liza Strike (background vocals). <p>Recorded in 1974. <p>All tracks have been digitally remastered using HDCD technology. <p>He's got them old foppish fin-de-siecle ennui blues again, mama. Ferry's second solo album is, rather explicitly, These Foolish Things Part Deux, at least conceptually. Once again, he covers--make that radically re-invents--a wildly eclectic bunch of songs, from "You Are My Sunshine" to Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World." <p>The results are still somewhat variable, given Ferry's vocal limitations, but the songs here seem more suited to his traditional mien of lounge lizard angst, and on balance ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE is probably superior to its predecessor. For example, Ferry's take on Dobie Gray's "The In Crowd" makes that song's undercurrent of aggression palpable in a far more believable way than Gray's deliberately likeable original. Other high points include a commendably unsentimental version of Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away," which works its way to a big, honking R&B finale, and a surprisingly touching C&W-like version of the aforementioned "You Are My Sunshine."

For me, Bryan Ferry's second solo album is a bit uneven in the quality of song choices. I find most of these selections rather boring, even with Ferry's unique arrangements and vocal stylings present. But though half of the CD is a little uninspired, there are five songs that make this worth purchasing. The best songs are the first and last ones. "The In Crowd" is handled perfectly with just the right amount of camp and humor. Also a bit humorous are the versions of "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" and "Fingerpoppin'". "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" is touching and lovely. Finally, the title track is one of Bryan's best original songs with its unusual time changes and catchy melody. If you dig this CD, pick up his first solo outing, "These Foolish Things".

"Another Time, Another Place" is an interesting selection of Ferry's unmatchable arrangements of cover tunes. My favorite piece on the album is "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," a slightly more upbeat arrangement than usually seen for the song. Other notable cuts include "Funny How Time Slips Away," done as a barrelhouse blues piece, and a jazz version of "Help Me Make It Through the Night." Fans of Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music will certainly enjoy this collection.

Ferry's second solo round finds him mining the classic cover songs again, but with far less inspiration. Although the album opens very strongly, with back-to-back phenomenal covers, most of the rest of the album sags. The first track, 'The In Crowd', is explosively sublime, and he renders the following track, 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes', in a way that forever defines the song (in my view, THE definitive version of this standard), but the energy quickly flags and the record limps along with what seems to be a bevy of filler tracks until the final, title track (the only original composition on the album) which returns the listener to the stratosphere. Overall disappointing after his debut effort, but well worth having if only for the first 2 and final tracks.

This album is an excellent attempt to take oldtime classics and turn them into actual rock songs, and then add a few good originals. The remakes are fantastic, especially "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Walk a Mile in My Shoes", "Funny how time slips Away", and "Fingerpoppin". You will have all your limbs shakin and boppin and funkin at these remakes. The final tune has a great core rythym, and it's too bad Ferry couldn't have found a way to make it longer and more soulful.

Another Time, Another Place being was released 1974 and was Ferry's second studio album and reached number 4 in the UK charts. This album is a cover album for all tracks except "Another Time, Another Place". Tracks that stand out on this release are "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "It Aint Me Babe" and "The 'In' Crowd". Ferry looks very debonair on the cover and looks just as stylish on the photo in CD booklet. We get a very nice list musicians and the lyrics to "Another Time, Another Place". 4/5.