1973's "For Your Pleasure" is the second and final album Roxy Music performed with Brian Eno, who left the British band over what seemed to be creative differences. As far as this reviewer is concerned, just about every Roxy Music album of the 1970s is a must-own, but "For Your Pleasure" is a standout in its own particular way. After their excellent self-titled debut, these guys could have played it safe, but they instead pick up where they left off and venture intro uncharted territory. Brilliant glimpses of bold avant garde rock highlight key tracks such as the brash and confident opener "Do the Strand," the elegant "Beauty Queen," and the signature cut "Editions of You." As any great band would, Roxy Music isn't afraid to get a little weird on us and test our patience; case in point is "Bogus Man," an instrumental that takes its sweet time during its 9 minute running time. But another distinguishing feature is Bryan Ferry, who succeeds in equal parts as both a suave singer and clever lyricist. In "Beauty Queen," he sings, "All of my hope and my inspiration/I drew from you/our life's pattern drawn in sand/but the winds could not erase/the memory of your face." While they were revered and wildly successful in Europe, Roxy Music never got the American recognition its colleagues Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin earned in the 1970s. Still, "For Your Pleasure" is a smashing record whose occasional strokes of genius must be acknowledged.
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