ROXY MUSIC - FOR YOUR PLEASURE @ 50

 

Marking its golden jubilee today is the sophomore LP from glam-rock pioneers, Roxy Music, with For Your Pleasure being released on March 23, 1973. Being their last record with synth maestro Brian Eno, it marked the end of their more eccentric musical excursions while also upping their production values.

After the success of their debut, for their second outing, Roxy Music were afforded the luxury of far more studio time with which to try out new ideas and experiment. This freedom, combined with Bryan Ferry being in top form in terms of songwriting, made it possible to deliver an album of exceptional innovation and quality. When it came to studio production techniques, the song "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" (Ferry's sinister ode to a blow-up doll) fades out in its closing section, only to fade in again with all the instruments subjected to a pronounced phasing treatment. The title track fades out in an elaborate blend of tape loop effects. Brian Eno remarked that the eerie "The Bogus Man", with lyrics about a sexual stalker, displayed similarities with contemporary material by the krautrock group Can. As for songwriting prowess, "Do the Strand" has been called the archetypal Roxy Music anthem, whilst "Editions of You" was notable for a series of ear-catching solos by Andy Mackay (saxophone), Eno (VCS3), and Phil Manzanera (guitar). Eno is very present in the final song from the album "For Your Pleasure", making it unlike any other song on the album. The song ends with the voice of Judi Dench saying "You don't ask. You don't ask why" amid tapes of the opening vocals ('Well, how are you?') from "Chance Meeting" from the first Roxy Music album.

For the album’s cover art, the front photo, taken by Karl Stoecker, featured Bryan Ferry's girlfriend at the time, singer and model Amanda Lear, who was also the confidante, protégée and closest friend of the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. Lear was depicted posing in a skintight leather dress leading a black panther on a leash. The image has been described as being "as famous as the album itself". One could hardly imagine a more iconic image to accompany such an iconic album.

Upon its release, the album went to #4 on the UK charts, but oddly, received mixed reviews in some publications. In 1973, Paul Gambaccini of Rolling Stone wrote that "the bulk of For Your Pleasure is either above us, beneath us, or on another plane altogether." I suspect such critics were simply beneath the material and frankly missed the point. Retrospective criticisms over the past five decades have consistently placed it in the higher ranks of “best of” lists for the era, with many citing it as a definitive example of British pop music of the times. The combination of lyrical deviance and adventurous musicianship make it a truly outstanding artifact that has transcended the bounds of the era in which it was created.

APHEX TWIN - 26 MIXES FOR CASH @ 20

 

Celebrating it’s 20th anniversary today is Aphex Twin’s 26 Mixes for Cash, which was released on March 24th, 2003. As well as collecting all the key remix jobs Richard D. James had done since 1990, it showcased both his respect or disdain for the artists he remixed, depending on what he delivered as a finished product.

James was notorious for delivering remixes which did not actually incorporate any elements from the original recordings he was handed to work with. This was particularly the case when it came to artists he was not especially fond of, like Nine Inch Nails. In such cases, what they got back as a “remix” was, in fact, an entirely original work from James. On a few odd occasions, what was delivered wasn’t even anything by James, but rather work produced by his flatmate, Global Goon, who was also signed to Rephlex Records. With that as the case, what you end up with on the compilation is frequently pure Aphex Twin and generally very good Aphex Twin at that. The album features 22 remixes and 4 original, previously unreleased tracks, including a remix of the Windowlicker single title track.

The title for the collection was suggested by the late Warp Records co-founder Rob Mitchell. It is a reference to the fact that James insisted on a cash payment from the record label when he delivered the DAT master because he did not want them to have any of his bank details nor know his address. The album was only ever released on CD with only a Japanese 12” vinyl issued containing two of the unreleased original tracks.

LED ZEPPELIN - HOUSES OF THE HOLY @ 50

 

Marking its 50th anniversary today is Led Zeppelin’s fifth studio LP, Houses of the Holy, which was released on March 28th, 1973. It marked a distinct evolution in the groups songwriting prowess and was the first LP from the band not to be given an eponymous title.

Prior to recording this album, both Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones had built recording studios in their homes. This allowed them to develop ideas well in advance of the album’s recording schedule and take their time to explore more complex arrangements and compositional techniques. With these resources at hand, they were able to come to the table with songs that were far more fleshed out and developed than on previous albums. This also had the effect of expanding the group’s range of musical styles as they began branching out into reggae and funk influenced rhythms.

When it came time to begin formal production on the album, the group booked The Rolling Stones mobile recording facility and set up camp at Mick Jagger’s StarGroves manor house at East Woodhay in the English county of Hampshire. The bulk of the album was recorded there, where the group took the songs that had been started at Page & Jones’ studios and added to them by jamming out additional compositions in the studio. They then moved to Olympic Studios in London for additional work and, finally, finished off recording in NYC at Electric Lady Studios. While in NYC, the group also recorded a series of classic rock ’n’ roll covers which remain unreleased.

In terms of its place in the group’s canon of recordings, Houses of the Holy, veered away from the dark, heavy blues of the first two albums and went for a much cleaner, expansive rock sound, which is particularly evident in Jimmy Page’s guitar tone throughout. The variety of musical styles was also key to the album’s eclectic sound. Though it lacked a standout classic like Stairway to Heaven from the previous album, it does contain pieces which became concert staples in tours following its release, like The Song Remains the Same and No Quarter. Not all of the material recorded during the sessions made the album, including the title track, which ended up being released on Physical Graffiti. Walker’s Walk eventually found its home on the posthumous Coda LP, released after the band’s demise following the death of John Bonham.

For the cover graphics, legendary ‘70s design house, Hipgnosis were hired to do the job. This was the first cover they’d do for the band, but they would end up designing all the future covers for them going forward. Aubrey Powell was the lead photographer and designer for this project. Initially, they had considered shooting in Peru, but ended up going to Giant’s Causeway in North Ireland where a series of photos were shot in order to create a collage for the front image. Two children, Stefan and Samantha Gates, were hired and sessions took place at dawn and dusk over the course of several days in an attempt to get the right lighting. The photo sessions turned out to be something of a frustrating affair as it rained constantly throughout the shoot, thwarting attempts to get the desired results. Images were shot in black & white and then combined to create the impression of many children climbing on the rocks. The results were deemed unsatisfying until a tinting accident inadvertently produced an effect which brought the whole thing together. Whatever the struggles to get a finished work, it ultimately ended up winning a Grammy award for packaging. Powell’s work was actually the second concept submitted for the album with Hipgnosis partner, Storm Thorgerson. initially submitting an image featuring an electric green tennis court with a tennis racket on it. Furious that Thorgerson was implying, by means of a visual pun, that their music sounded like a "racket", the band fired him and hired Powell in his place.

At the time of its release, it was met with mixed critical responses, though it still became a commercial success. Critics were not impressed with the eclectic mix of styles on the album and found it unfocused and derivative. Gordon Fletcher from Rolling Stone called the album "one of the dullest and most confusing albums I've heard this year", believing the band had digressed from "the epitome of everything good about rock" to a watered down heavy metal act. Such critiques didn’t hurt sales, however, as the album topped the UK charts and spent 39 weeks on Billboard's US top 200 albums chart including two weeks at number one (their longest stint since Led Zeppelin III). The album was number four on Billboard magazine's top albums of 1973 year-end chart. Personally, It’s certainly not my favorite album from the band. I tend to agree that the forays into lighter musical styles are not particularly convincing. I prefer my Zeppelin either hot and heavy or folksy and mellow. ’50s rock, funk and reggae felt strained in their hands, at least to my ears.