Bryan Ferry Album: “In Your Mind [Remaster]”

Having encountered this album from the perspective of an early Roxy Music fan, I was initially disappointed it did not contain the kind of experimentation characteristic of the Roxy 'early years'. But since then this recording has grown much on me and has become one of my favorite albums of all time. This is Brian Ferry's first solo album of all original material and it is truly an artistic gem. In this work he weaves blues, R&B, 70's funk, and even oriental themes (on Tokyo Joe) into a seamless pop album with intelligence, superb musicianship and sophisticated production. My favorite tracks are "Love me Madly Again", "Party Doll", and the title track "In Your Mind".

Several familiar members of Roxy Music contribute to this album including TGPT, John Wetton, and Phil Manzanera. But it is British guitar ace Chris Spedding who blows me away on this album. His economical approach stands in contrast to the familiar 'wall of sound' cascades of Manzanera's early Roxy style. So few guitarists I know can craft such deceptively simple yet powerful flourishes and solos which never overshadow but strengthen the songs. Spedding's slide work on this record is especially strong. As a musician, I know how rare this kind of tasteful playing is and it is all over this album. I absolutely love it. If you are a fan of middle period Roxy (Siren, Manifesto), you will too.

They say nobody's perfect, but that didn't stop BF from trying, and on this record he came close to succeeding. From the pop whimsy of 'All Night Operator' and 'Tokyo Joe' to the lounge/mysticism of the opening and closing tracks, a staggeringly original album (and not just because it was his first all-originals solo endeavor). But the real deal here is 'Love Me Madly Again' which is simply one of the greatest songs in human history. Literally awe-inspiring.

I guess every album that reaches a certain number of listeners has a few guys that it happens to resonate with who keep trying to tell everyone how good it is, and nobody else seems to be at that frequency.

I'm that guy for this album. The songs are so simple and understated--so square--there's nothing anywhere that's too clever for his boots, like you can sometimes say of Ferry. A little self-indulgent on some of the arrangements, like the strings in Love Me Madly (after some sublime guitar from Phil Manzanera in that tune), but it's all very simple and straightforward, no wanking about. Many people will hear it as just sort of, well, some songs that don't really have the hooks that Roxy has. Me, I hear a suite of perfectly crafted pop songs about yearning and reaching.

As such, as a nicely crafted arrangement of properly formed pop gems that ooze yearning if you pierce them, it's like a Marshall Crenshaw album, or like Roxy Music, for that matter--if it resonates with you, it will REALLY resonate with you. Bryan Ferry and Roxy were, in the 70s, crafting slick, slightly artsy pop music, but beneath the slickness, and not very far beneath it, is sheer emotion and yearning. Of course, the passing of time has culled out some of Roxy Music's catalogue for me and for many of us--you can only hear Mother Of Pearl so many times.

But this Ferry album still melts my heart, even now, after I've outgrown a lot of what I grew up with, this album still stands up after some three decades of occasional listening. Very impressive, even if I'm the only one who hears it that way--I doubt even the artist thinks it's all THAT good, but I do.

In Your Mind- Bryan Ferry's fourth solo (somewhat) escapade from Roxy Music could be described as muscular-meat and potatoes effort . Ferry doesn't "doll-up" the songs with his usual multi-layered stylings . I'm sure the great (yes I do agree) Chris "Ace" Spedding's contributions moved the music towards the album's road-house rock feel.(I was lucky enough to see a "In Your Mind" tour show at the Santa Monica Civic, LA Calif, way ,way back when- Let me tell ya -that band KICKED_ASS.Spedding AND Manzanera -They shredded, especially on "Love me Madly, Again" with Ferry rocking out between them. John Wetton,Horn section(MEL COLLINS?)Ferry did solo and some Roxy stuff-I distinctly remember"Could it Happen to Me" "Present laughter and the memories of troubles you have seen. They are written-IN YOUR MIND".Great Cd.

Having already had a solo career in tandem with Roxy Music's first big run in the early 1970's,Bryan elected to begin that solo career again mid decade after Roxy Music made their first temporary break up following their

album in 1975. As many will tell you this is the first Bryan Ferry album that contains only his own compositions. In addition it is very much free of the more abstract elements Roxy Music had in their sound. But that's only musically. Bryan Ferry,or for that matter any member of Roxy Music (including the early departed Bryan Eno) were never your typical rock stars anymore than David Bowie was. They had a strong affinity for theater and cabaret type dramatic effects and romanticism (some might call it "emo"). But also there was a love of funk and soul music. And not a bad understanding of it either. Bryan understood how to dress and groom himself in a classy way,had a soulful vibrato of a croon as opposed to rock shouter and loved having horns and electronic pianos as primary melodic contributors to his music in terms of the instrumental aspect of it. But what is this album anyway? What kinds of things does it say to someone listening to it?

Well the fact is was intended as a pretty musically straight shooting album is a good starter. As with Donald Fagan,David Byrn,David Bowie,Lou Reed and Patti Smith,Bryan Ferry is quite the story teller. On these songs,he definitely goes for setting a certain atmosphere more than extended on a narrative. He wants to get emotional flavor in his lyrics as opposed to colder prose. Probably part of his interest in soul music. All the same "This Is Tomorrow","All Night Operator" and "Love Me Madly",with it's distinct sections all have the guitars generally played down in favor of fender rhodes piano,horns and the funkiest possible rock rhythm. Kind of sounds like what you might get if you mashed The Rolling Stones,The LA Express and The Crusaders in the studio together and what they'd come up with. On "Tokyo Joe" Bryan goes for the dancefloor a bit. And again takes that richly textured to the disco-dance style of funk that likely few "disco sucks" haters would even have a big problem with. With "Party Doll" and "Rock Of Ages"..well it's more rock and soul before the theatrical,showtune style,almost carol-like closer.

Also to be said,even though these are songs possessed of very individual flavors this is very much out of an AOR frame of thought. These don't sound like songs thrown together onto one album to see which would become the most popular. And that's where the influence of Roxy Music is probably most obvious. Bryan is neither intentionally a singles OR an album based artist. More one of those artists who starts with one idea and flies with it. He lets his thoughts,heart and ability take him where it goes. And does a find job of writing,producing and coming up with the most unique vocal turns while he's at it. Next to....say Phoebe Snow and yes even Michael Jackson Bryan Ferry has to have one of the most unique and distinctive vocal styles in the pop/rock/soul/funk/R&B spectrum. You hear it and instantly know that it's him. And as such he may not be everyone's cup to tea either. But I must point out in today's pop world that's becoming more and more celebrating of idiosyncratic and soulful musical talents who rely on personality and ability over promotion and popularity,Bryan Ferry along with every other artist I placed into a similar category with him here may very well be the future of pop music culture.