1. Pyjamarama
2. The Pride & the Pain
Let's get this straight right off the bat, you either know and accept that the first four (arguably five) Roxy Music lps are works of uncompromising genius and an essential part of any musical breakfast or you are dull, inane, utterly tasteless and not at all worth speaking to. (And you also probably don't like the Fall either and you are dead to me.)
1. All I Want is You
2. Your Application's Failed
What I was unaware of until I came across these singles was that there were actually singles from the first few lps and actual otherwise unavailable b-sides on them. Unfortunately I didn't get picture sleeves. (Google them up if you absolutely must have the ridiculous glam sleeves.)
1. Street Life
2. Hula Kula
The unfortunate thing is that they're also entirely inessential cuts. It would seem that they were attempts to spread some of the publishing cash around to the various other band members by piggybacking instrumentals to the latest single. I mean, they're not a total loss, but it's hard to get excited about them. "Hula Kula" which is Phil Manzanera's contribution is probably the most successful of the three. I post them mostly for the OOP rarity of them and the curiosity factor.
"Pyjamarama" however doesn't seem to have made it onto any of their lps save the live "Viva Roxy Music" one for some reason. That's sad. It could have easily been slipped onto the first lp with no problem. or at least the Cd version. It is an ace track.
I couldn't agree more about early Roxy Music. I had a friend in high school who bought all the new releases from England as imports before the American release. He was older and had a job, so he could afford to pay 8 or 9 dollars for an import, (this is '71-'74) and I was just a pimply high school kid with a lame allowance. So all us record geeks would go to his house and get hipped to the latest sounds, and, if we were lucky, get a bit baked if someone was willing to pass a joint our way. Anyway, he told me that he had just gotten this record from a new band called Roxy Music, and he thought I would dig it. He described them as what King Crimson would sound like if they'd existed in the '50s. That certainly intrigued me enough to raid my piggy bank, skip school and go into center city Philly to the only place I knew that had imports and buy the first Roxy album without having heard even a tune yet. The cover was compelling enough that, even if I didn't like the music, it wouldn't be a total waste. It turned out to be a classic case of, you don't like it at all at first, but you are strangely compelled to keep putting it on the turntable. I didn't quite hear King Crimson, but there was a Bowie thing about it, and a cinematic quality, especially side two, that made for some exotic late night excursions. Of course they became my favorite band, and I had to play it for anyone who'd listen. They remained a hard sell, particularly to Southern rock and Dead fans, but they were MY band, and being weird to a lot of people didn't hurt their appeal to me. Thanks for posting these rarities. I can't wait to hear the b sides, despite the low expectations. Long live Roxy Music!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy as such. They really do seem to exist for the sole reason of the publishing, but even the worst Roxy Music is better than the entire Bob Seger catalog.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I have had the Groceries in the random mix on my headphones. Occasionally something comes up and I'm pleasantly surprised. (There was a song about hitting someone with a hammer that came up this morning.) Thanks for sharing.
I seem to remember Pyjamarama being on their early greatest hits album (pre-Avalon). That was my introduction to the band and it lead to my getting all of their releases shortly thereafter. At that time there was nothing truly like this. Their was Prog and their was pop, but this sounded really fresh at that time.
ReplyDeleteHi Lanark. I've been digging the whole Roxy back catalog again, along with some choice bootlegs from 73-78, inspired by your recent posts. Some inspired weirdness masquerading as pop music! RE: Groceries: That one about the hammer: "The Perils of Wang" is based on a true story! Circa 1980, there was an article in the NY Times magazine about the criminal justice system in China. The trial mentioned in the story was about this guy, Wang, who assaulted his girlfriend with a hammer for allegedly shaming him. He thought she was left for dead, he fled, she survived to see him come to trial. You can't make this shit up!
ReplyDeleteI do like The Falln though - they are my favourite musical outlet
ReplyDeleteMost appreciated! I'd never heard a couple of these B-sides, and I'm an "original" Roxy fan (a fan of the "original" RM, and listening to them pre-'76).
ReplyDeleteYes, "Pyjamarama" was on this compilation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Hits_%28Roxy_Music_album%29