Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
On the album art of Avonmore, the record he released when he was a year shy of 70, Bryan Ferry showcases himself as a dashing young man -- a portrait of an artist not as a glam trailblazer or distinguished elder statesman, but rather caught in an indeterminate time between the gorgeous heartbreak of Roxy Music's Avalon and the meticulous solo work that came immediately in its wake. This is Ferry's prime, a moment when his legacy was intact but yet to be preserved in amber. Avonmore consciously evokes this distinct period, sometimes sighing into the exquisite ennui of Avalon but usually favoring the fine tailoring of Boys & Girls, a record where every sequenced rhythm, keyboard, and guitar line blended into an alluring urbane pulse. Ferry isn't so much racing to revive a younger edition of himself as much as laying claim to this particular strand of sophisticated pop, one that happens to feel a shade richer now when it's delivered by an artist whose world-weariness has settled into his marrow but is yet to sadden him. This much is apparent on Avonmore's closing covers, an oddly appropriate pairing of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns" and Robert Palmer's "Johnny & Mary" that are both given gently meditative electronic makeovers, but much of the record explores the other end of the Ferry spectrum, where he's making music to dance away the heartache. He's no longer on the floor himself, preferring to watch with a bit of a bemusement, but this reserved romanticism suits him perfectly, particularly because Ferry and his co-producer Rhett Davies -- a steady collaborator since 1999's standards record As Time Goes By -- place an emphasis on mood but not at the expense of the songs. Naturally, what is first alluring about Avonmore is its feel -- it's meant to be seductive -- but the songs are what makes this record something more than a fling.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/avonmore-mw0002757654
On the album art of Avonmore, the record he released when he was a year shy of 70, Bryan Ferry showcases himself as a dashing young man -- a portrait of an artist not as a glam trailblazer or distinguished elder statesman, but rather caught in an indeterminate time between the gorgeous heartbreak of Roxy Music's Avalon and the meticulous solo work that came immediately in its wake. This is Ferry's prime, a moment when his legacy was intact but yet to be preserved in amber. Avonmore consciously evokes this distinct period, sometimes sighing into the exquisite ennui of Avalon but usually favoring the fine tailoring of Boys & Girls, a record where every sequenced rhythm, keyboard, and guitar line blended into an alluring urbane pulse. Ferry isn't so much racing to revive a younger edition of himself as much as laying claim to this particular strand of sophisticated pop, one that happens to feel a shade richer now when it's delivered by an artist whose world-weariness has settled into his marrow but is yet to sadden him. This much is apparent on Avonmore's closing covers, an oddly appropriate pairing of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns" and Robert Palmer's "Johnny & Mary" that are both given gently meditative electronic makeovers, but much of the record explores the other end of the Ferry spectrum, where he's making music to dance away the heartache. He's no longer on the floor himself, preferring to watch with a bit of a bemusement, but this reserved romanticism suits him perfectly, particularly because Ferry and his co-producer Rhett Davies -- a steady collaborator since 1999's standards record As Time Goes By -- place an emphasis on mood but not at the expense of the songs. Naturally, what is first alluring about Avonmore is its feel -- it's meant to be seductive -- but the songs are what makes this record something more than a fling.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/avonmore-mw0002757654
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Reseña de Stephen Thomas Erlewine
En la carátula del álbum de Avonmore, el disco que lanzó cuando le faltaba un año para cumplir 70 años, Bryan Ferry se muestra como un joven apuesto - un retrato de un artista no como un pionero del glamour o un distinguido estadista mayor, sino más bien atrapado en un tiempo indeterminado entre el hermoso desengaño de Avalon de Roxy Music y el meticuloso trabajo en solitario que vino inmediatamente después. Este es el momento cumbre de Ferry, un momento en el que su legado estaba intacto pero aún no se ha conservado en el ámbar. Avonmore evoca conscientemente este período, a veces suspirando por el exquisito enojo de Avalon, pero generalmente favoreciendo la fina confección de Boys & Girls, un disco donde cada ritmo secuenciado, teclado y línea de guitarra se mezclan en un atractivo pulso urbano. Ferry no está corriendo tanto para revivir una edición más joven de sí mismo como para reclamar esta particular línea de pop sofisticado, que resulta ser más rico ahora cuando lo hace un artista cuyo cansancio del mundo se ha asentado en su médula pero que aún no lo entristece. Esto es evidente en las últimas portadas de Avonmore, una extraña pareja de "Send in the Clowns" de Stephen Sondheim y "Johnny & Mary" de Robert Palmer, que son maquilladas electrónicamente con suavidad, pero gran parte del disco explora el otro extremo del espectro de Ferry, donde está haciendo música para bailar y aliviar el dolor. Ya no está en el suelo, prefiriendo mirar con un poco de desconcierto, pero este romanticismo reservado le sienta perfectamente, sobre todo porque Ferry y su coproductor Rhett Davies -- un colaborador constante desde el disco estándar de 1999 "As Time Goes By" -- ponen énfasis en el estado de ánimo pero no a expensas de las canciones. Naturalmente, lo primero que atrae de Avonmore es su sentimiento, que está pensado para ser seductor, pero las canciones son lo que hace que este disco sea algo más que una aventura.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/avonmore-mw0002757654
Tracks:
1 - Loop De Li - 4:18
2 - Midnight Train - 3:49
3 - Soldier Of Fortune - 4:25
4 - Driving Me Wild - 3:37
5 - A Special Kind Of Guy - 3:14
6 - Avonmore - 5:13
7 - Lost - 2:47
8 - One Night Stand - 5:05
9 - Send In The Clowns - 4:02
10 - Johnny And Mary - 6:50
Credits:
Artwork [Digital] – Jono Patrick
Design – Michael Knight (13)
Engineer – Chris Mullings, Pete Wells, Simon Willey (tracks: 1-10)
Engineer [Additional] – Tim Roe
Engineer [Assistant] – Mark Knight (8)
Executive-Producer – Isaac Ferry, Tara Ferry
Liner Notes – Richard Williams (5)
Management – Alistair Norbury
Mastered By – Adam Ayan
Mixed By – Craig Silvey
Mixed By [Assistant] – Eduardo Paz*
Photography By [Cover] – Johnny Dewe Mathews
Photography By [Inner Sleeve] – Neil Kirk
Producer – Bryan Ferry, Rhett Davies
Notes:
Recorded at Studio One Olympia London.
Additional recording at 4th Street Recordings Santa Monica.
1 - Loop De Li - 4:18
2 - Midnight Train - 3:49
3 - Soldier Of Fortune - 4:25
4 - Driving Me Wild - 3:37
5 - A Special Kind Of Guy - 3:14
6 - Avonmore - 5:13
7 - Lost - 2:47
8 - One Night Stand - 5:05
9 - Send In The Clowns - 4:02
10 - Johnny And Mary - 6:50
Credits:
Artwork [Digital] – Jono Patrick
Design – Michael Knight (13)
Engineer – Chris Mullings, Pete Wells, Simon Willey (tracks: 1-10)
Engineer [Additional] – Tim Roe
Engineer [Assistant] – Mark Knight (8)
Executive-Producer – Isaac Ferry, Tara Ferry
Liner Notes – Richard Williams (5)
Management – Alistair Norbury
Mastered By – Adam Ayan
Mixed By – Craig Silvey
Mixed By [Assistant] – Eduardo Paz*
Photography By [Cover] – Johnny Dewe Mathews
Photography By [Inner Sleeve] – Neil Kirk
Producer – Bryan Ferry, Rhett Davies
Notes:
Recorded at Studio One Olympia London.
Additional recording at 4th Street Recordings Santa Monica.
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