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In Your Mind

Bryan Ferry - In Your Mind Audio CD

A fair review of the Bryan Ferry "In Your Mind" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Bryan Ferry reviews here, or go back to the Bryan Ferry tabs.

Band: Bryan Ferry
Title: In Your Mind
Rating:

Release Date: 2006-08-24
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: This Is Tomorrow 2: All Night Operator 3: One Kiss 4: Love Me Madly Again 5: Tokyo Joe 6: Party Doll 7: Rock of Ages 8: In Your Mind

A solid solo outing for Ferry involves the usual suspects that he collaborated with
While "In Your Mind" isn't as arresting as the best albums he made with Roxy, it does allow Ferry to try a sleeker sound distinguishing it from his work with his band. Maybe Bryan Ferry's first solo album of original material sounded exceptional in his mind. Made during the height of disco (and just after Roxy split up for the first time),Ferry's album has hints of the R&B that was so influential during his tenure in The Gas Band. "In Your Mind" features a streamlined Ferry/Roxy sound. Gone are the ambient textures replaced by a sleeker, slicker sound. Interestingly most of Roxy was involved in a cut or two for the album; Paul Thompson and Phil Manzanera appear (although it doesn't state which tracks fans will be able to tell)while Andy MacKay is MIA. Later Ferry/Roxy collaborators such as Neil Hubbard appear as does Chris Spedding and John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia and a temporary bassist briefly for Roxy during a tour).

"Rock of Ages" and the title track are among the stand out tracks. Roxy fans should be prepared that this sounds more like "The Bride Stripped Bare" than "Siren".

The remastering is quite good on this HDCD release but I prefer the original EG/Polydor CD--it sounds like it wasn't messed with and that the CD is a straight transfer. Both have nice detail and I doubt you'll notice a huge difference between the two. Your milage may vary.

I am disappointed that there are no bonus tracks (tracks recorded during this session were released as bonus tracks for a CD single much later)as there were outtakes from the album that weren't used. Each of them would have fit on the album although they aren't quite up to the quality of the songs that did make the album, they would have been a welcome addition.

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Re-Making/Re-Modeling Pop Music.
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). They say nobody's perfect, but that didn't stop BF from trying, and on this record he came close to succeeding. But the real deal here is 'Love Me Madly Again' which is simply one of the greatest songs in human history. Literally awe-inspiring.

Ferry's most solid solo outing
Ferry doesn't "doll-up" the songs with his usual multi-layered stylings . In Your Mind- Bryan Ferry's fourth solo (somewhat) escapade from Roxy Music could be described as muscular-meat and potatoes effort . 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. .

Bryan Ferry Rocks Out.....
While far from perfect, the result is an album that is quite good. Following Roxy Music's first split (after the excellent SIREN album) in 1976, Bryan Ferry decided to try his hand at his first solo album entirely consisting of his own compositions.
What is most interesting with IN YOUR MIND is that it is the most straightfoward rock n roll work Ferry has done to date. It is completely stripped of all the glam-rock and art-rock trimmings of most of his early Roxy Music and solo work. So Ferry's trademark croon and vibrato may sound a tad bizarre at first in such an ordinary rock setting, but after a few listens, it all seems to work.
Though the album is far from being the best example of Ferry's songwriting skills, it does contain some fine moments. "Tokyo Joe" is fun, infectious, and downright weird. It sounds like a stripped-down demo that found itself left off of SIREN or COUNTRY LIFE.
"Party Doll" and "One Kiss" are almost equally catchy, but not nearly as fun and entertaining.
Aside from these the rest of the songs are very hit or miss. The one exception, however, is the title track, wich closes out the album. What initially sounds like a Ferry-penned Christmas Carol turns into a thrilling anthem, complete with an excellent guitar solo by the great Chris Spedding. And while the lyrics may border on the absurd and pretentious side ("see the veiled prophet's withered gaze reflect the nouvelle-vague. "), musically, this is one of Ferry's finest.
There are, of course, better Ferry solo albums out there, but IN YOUR MIND is definitely enjoyable, and it's sounds as though Ferry had some fun making this one! Don't let the silly album cover scare you away- give it a try.

In your mind...
But since then this recording has grown much on me and has become one of my favorite albums of all time. 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'. 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.

You can see a complete list of all Bryan Ferry discography, or go back to the Bryan Ferry tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.