Book Review: Sweet Dreams - The Story of the New Romantics

Sweet Dreams: The Story of the New Romantics provides an in-depth look at a decade-long period of the music and cultural scenes of Britain. Author Dylan Jones zooms in on the period from 1975 to 1985 and the second invasion of British music. This study goes from the heyday of punk to the peak of new-wave, through the birth of MTV and the culmination of Live-Aid.

Written in a style reminiscent of a documentary script, Jones presents the reader with an eye-witness account of this period by those who were key to it. Through interviews, the reader hears from the likes of David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Adam Ant, Martin Fry, Malcolm McLaren, Sade, the members of bands like Culture Club, Duran Duran, the Eurythmics, Heaven 17, Spandau Ballet, and so many more.

For someone like me who is a music-nerd that came of age during this particular decade, this book is a fascinating read. Even if you think you know a lot about these artists and their albums, I can guarantee you will find a number of interesting nuggets of trivia within these pages. It might even inspire you to revisit some of your favorite music from this period.

Roxy Music - Manifesto

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

Today (March 1st) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Manifesto, the sixth studio album from Roxy Music. This 1979 release went to number 23 on the US Billboard Album chart and number 7 in the UK. The band included Bryan Ferry (vocals, keyboards and harmonica), Paul Carrack (keyboards), Andy Mackay (oboe and saxophone), Phil Manzanera (guitar), Alan Spenner (bass), Gary Tibbs (bass) and Paul Thompson (drums).

Roxy Music - The High Road

A year after releasing their final studio album Avalon (click here for that review), Roxy Music compiled a four song EP of live recordings from an August of 1982 show at the Apollo in Glasgow, Scotland. It charted at number 67 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 26 in the UK. Today we will look at the March of 1983 record The High Road in honor of its thirtieth anniversary.

Roxy Music - Avalon

Today (May 26th) marks the 30th anniversary release of Avalon, the eighth and last studio album by Roxy Music.

This 1982 release by Bryan Ferry (lead vocals, keyboards), Alan Spenner (bass), Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy MacKay (saxophone, oboe), Paul Carrack (keyboards) and Andy Newmark (drums) went to number 53 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 1, for three weeks, on the UK charts. The album was ranked at number 307 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time and number 31 on its list of the Top 100 Albums of the 1980’s.

Bright Lights Big City (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.

In 1988, Michael J. Fox took the lead role in the adaptation of a Jay McInerney novel Bright Lights, Big City. Fox played a New York City magazine fact-checker with a cocaine habit that was slowly ruining his life. This very engaging drama also starred Phoebe Cates as the ex-wife and Kiefer Sutherland as the enabling best friend. The film is pretty good and the novel is a great read.

The soundtrack album that accompanied the film has a rather interesting mix to it. The contributions range from big name acts to some much lesser known ones. I think the end result is a good one.