Roxy Music – Avalon (LP) (1982) – €10,00

by Record Facts

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Avalon is the eighth and final studio album by the English rock band Roxy Music, released in May 1982. It was recorded between 1981 and 1982 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, and is regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of the band’s later work.

The first single, “More Than This“, preceded the album and was a top-10 hit in Britain, Australia, and several European countries. “Avalon“, the second single, reached the top 20; “Take a Chance With Me” reached the top 30.

Flesh + Blood suggested that Roxy Music were at the end of the line, but they regrouped and recorded the lovely Avalon, one of their finest albums. Certainly, the lush, elegant soundscapes of Avalon are far removed from the edgy avant-pop of their early records, yet it represents another landmark in their career. With its stylish, romantic washes of synthesizers and Bryan Ferry‘s elegant, seductive croon, Avalon simultaneously functioned as sophisticated make-out music for yuppies and as the maturation of synth pop. Ferry was never this romantic or seductive, either with Roxy or as a solo artist, and Avalon shimmers with elegance in both its music and its lyrics. “More Than This,” “Take a Chance with Me,” “While My Heart Is Still Beating,” and the title track are immaculately crafted and subtle songs, where the shifting synthesizers and murmured vocals gradually reveal the melodies. It’s a rich, textured album and a graceful way to end the band’s career.

Avalon is Roxy Music’s most successful studio album.

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