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What are the odds? Two career-spanning box sets featuring solo material by members of Roxy Music – lead singer Bryan Ferry and guitarist Phil Manzanera – will be available this fall.

Ferry’s Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023 will be a 5CD overview divided into thematic collections of his work outside of Roxy Music. The first is a new 20-track collection of his best-loved singles, including the U.K. Top 10s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” “Let’s Stick Together” and “Slave to Love.” (This disc will also be available separately on CD, with a retail-exclusive clear double vinyl coming from Rough Trade.) The second disc, “Compositions,” dives into some of his original works as a soloist, while “Interpretations” covers a more familiar aspect of his solo career: his propensity for covers. From 1973 standards-heavy solo debut These Foolish Things to 2007’s Dylanesque, interpretations have been a major part of Ferry’s oeuvre; that school of thought continues to the fourth disc, selections of recent recordings by The Bryan Ferry Orchestra that run the gamut from new versions of Roxy Music and solo Ferry tracks to some latter-day covers of Amy Winehouse (“Back to Black”) and Lana Del Ray (“Young and Beautiful”). Finally, the fifth disc brings together an assortment of B-sides, compilation tracks and four unreleased recordings. Ferry himself oversaw the art direction for the package, which features a 100-page hardcover book alongside the discs in a 9″ x 9″ slipcase package. All formats of Retrospective will be available from BMG on October 25.

Manzanera, Roxy Music’s longtime guitarist, was just as eclectic as a solo artist – a fact borne out on the new box 50 Years of Music. This 11CD set, available from UMR on November 1, will offer remastered editions of 10 select studio albums spanning from Diamond Head (1975) to The Sound of Blue (2015). Many of them will feature bonus tracks included on previous reissues from Manzanera’s own label Expression Music, as well as some rarities unearthed during a Japanese reissue campaign in the mid-2010s. (No collaborative albums will be included, outside of 1977’s Listen Now, Manzanera’s sole release with the ensemble 801. This all-star collective included Brian Eno, rock drummer Simon Phillips, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme of 10cc, Split Enz’s Tim Finn and Eddie Rayner, saxophonist Mel Collins and others. Other key collaborators featured on these albums include Roxy Music bandmate Andy Mackay, schoolmate and Soft Machine founder Robert Wyatt and bassist John Wetton, who’d work with King Crimson and Roxy Music before founding Asia.)

In addition to those albums, the package will include Rare Two, a new collection of mostly unreleased demos and live cuts to complement the 2000 release Rare One. Among the disc’s more intriguing tracks is a demo that would become “One Slip,” a track Manzanera co-wrote with David Gilmour for Pink Floyd’s A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987). All audio has been remastered by Barry Grint of Alchemy Mastering, working out of AIR Studios in London. The discs will be housed in three oversize CD wallets that will be packaged in a 10″ x 10″ hard slipcase alongside a hardcover book filled with 100 pages of “photos, handwritten notes, tape boxes, scribbles, clippings, alternate artwork, lyrics, compositions, and thoughts” alongside the original album artwork.

Amazon pre-order links for Bryan Ferry (available October 25) are below, with links to come for Phil Manzanera (available November 1). As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Bryan Ferry, Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023 (BMG BMGCAT831BOX, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Disc 1: The Best of Bryan Ferry (available separately: CD Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
2. These Foolish Things
3. The “In” Crowd
4. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
5. Casanova
6. Let’s Stick Together
7. Sign of the Times
8. Slave to Love
9. Don’t Stop the Dance
10. Windswept
11. Kiss and Tell
12. As Time Goes By
13. Your Painted Smile
14. I Put a Spell on You
15. Which Way to Turn
16. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
17. Make You Feel My Love
18. You Can Dance
19. Love Letters
20. Johnny and Mary

Disc 2: Compositions

1. Can’t Let Go
2. Tokyo Joe
3. This Island Earth
4. Love Me Madly Again
5. Limbo
6. When She Walks in the Room
7. Boys and Girls
8. Zamba
9. Chain Reaction
10. Bete Noire
11. I Thought
12. The Only Face
13. Valentine
14. Loop de Li
15. Reason or Rhyme

Disc 3: Interpretations

1. The Price of Love
2. Shame Shame Shame
3. Hold On (I’m Coming)
4. Just One Look
5. The Girl of My Best Friend
6. What Goes On
7. That’s How Strong My Love Is
8. You Go to My Head
9. Where or When
10. The Way You Look Tonight
11. One Night
12. Simple Twist of Fate
13. Positively 4th Street
14. Song to the Siren
15. Fooled Around and Fell in Love

Disc 4: The Bryan Ferry Orchestra

1. Virginia Plain
2. Do the Strand
3. While My Heart is Still Beating
4. This Island Earth
5. Bitter-Sweet
6. Dance Away
7. Zamba
8. Reason or Rhyme
9. Avalon
10. Back to Black
11. Limbo
12. Young & Beautiful
13. Love is the Drug
14. Sign of the Times
15. Chance Meeting

Disc 5: Rare and Unreleased (* previously unreleased)

1. Feel the Need
2. Mother of Pearl
3. Don’t Be Cruel
4. I Don’t Want to Go On Without You
5. I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know
6. Crazy Love
7. Whatever Gets You Through the Night
8. Bob Dylan’s Dream
9. He’ll Have to Go
10. A Fool for Love *
11. Lowlands Low
12. Is Your Love Strong Enough
13. Sonnet 18
14. She Belongs to Me *
15. Oh Lonesome Me *
16. Star *

Disc 1, Tracks 1-2 from These Foolish Things – Island (U.K.)/Atlantic (U.S.), 1973
Disc 1, Tracks 3-4 from Another Time, Another Place – Island (U.K.)/Atlantic (U.S.), 1974
Disc 1, Tracks 5-6 and Disc 3, Tracks 1-2 and 8 from Let’s Stick Together – E.G. (U.K.)/Atlantic (U.S.), 1975
Disc 1, Track 7; Disc 2, Tracks 1, 3 and 6; and Disc 3, Tracks 4 and 6-7 from The Bride Stripped Bare – E.G. (U.K.)/Atlantic (U.S.), 1978
Disc 1, Tracks 8-10 and Disc 2, Tracks 7 and 13 from Boys and Girls – E.G. (U.K.)/Warner Bros. (U.S.), 1985
Disc 1, Track 11 and Disc 2, Tracks 5, 8 and 10 from Bête Noire – Virgin (U.K.)/Reprise (U.S.), 1987
Disc 1, Track 12 from As Time Goes By – Virgin, 1999
Disc 1, Tracks 13 and 15 and Disc 2, Tracks 9 and 12 from Mamouna – Virgin, 1994
Disc 1, Track 14 and Disc 3, Tracks 4-5 from Taxi – Virgin, 1993
Disc 1, Tracks 16-17 and Disc 3, Tracks 12-13 from Dylanesque – Virgin, 2007
Disc 1, Track 18; Disc 2, Track 15; and Disc 3, Track 14 from Olympia – Virgin, 2010
Disc 1, Track 19 and Disc 3, Track 15 from Love Letters – BMG, 2022
Disc 1, Track 20 and Disc 2, Track 14 from Avonmore – BMG, 2014
Disc 2, Tracks 2 and 4 from In Your Mind – E.G. (U.K.)/Atlantic (U.S.), 1977
Disc 2, Track 11 from Frantic – Virgin, 2002
Disc 3, Tracks 9-10 from As Time Goes By – Virgin, 1999
Disc 3, Track 14 and Disc 5, Track 7 from Olympia (Deluxe Edition) – Virgin, 2010
Disc 4, Tracks 1-2, 4, 8-9 and 13 from The Jazz Age – BMG, 2012
Disc 4, Tracks 3, 5-7, 11 and 15 from Bitter-Sweet – BMG, 2018
Disc 4, Tracks 10 and 12 from The Great Gatsby Jazz Recordings: A Selection of Yellow Cocktail Music – Sony Classical (U.K.)/WaterTower Music (U.S.), 2013
Disc 5, Tracks 1 and 6 from “Windswept” U.K. 12″ – E.G., 1985
Disc 5, Track 2 from “One Way Love” CD single – Virgin, 2002
Disc 5, Track 3 from Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records – Sire, 2001
Disc 5, Track 4 from The Best of Bryan Ferry – Virgin, 2009
Disc 5, Track 5 from Japanese pressings of Frantic – Virgin, 2002
Disc 5, Track 8 from Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan – Amnesty International, 2012
Disc 5, Track 9 from The Ultimate Collection – E.G., 1988
Disc 5, Track 11 from Rogue’s Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys – ANTI-, 2006
Disc 5, Track 12 from Legend (Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack) – MCA (U.S.), 1985
Disc 5, Track 13 from Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute – Columbia, 1997

Phil Manzanera, 50 Years of Music (UMR, 2024) (Amazon U.S. (TBD) / Amazon U.K. (TBD) / Amazon Canada (TBD))

Disc 1: Diamond Head (Expanded Edition)

1. Frontera
2. Diamond Head
3. Big Day
4. The Flex
5. Same Time Next Week
6. Miss Shapiro
7. East of Echo
8. Lagrima
9. Alma
10. Carhumba
11. Corazon y Alma

Tracks 1-9 released as Island ILPS 9315 (U.K.)/Atco SD 36-113 (U.S.), 1975
Tracks 10 released on “Flight 19” single – Polydor 2001 733 (U.K.), 1977
Track 11 released on Rare One – Expression Records EXPCD21, 2000

Disc 2: 801, Listen Now (Expanded Edition)

1. Listen Now
2. Flight 19
3. Island
4. Law and Order
5. Rude Awakening
6. Que?
7. City of Light
8. Initial Speed
9. Postcard Love
10. That Falling Feeling
11. Blue Gray Uniform (Demo @ PSL Studios)
12. Remote Control (Demo @ PSL Studios – Psychedelic Version)
13. Island (Secret Fingers Remix)
14. Listen Now (Velvet Season and The Hearts of Gold Remix)

Tracks 1-10 released as Polydor 2302 074 (U.K.)/PD-1-6147 (U.S.), 1977
Tracks 11-12 released on expanded edition of album – Expression EXPCD17, 2000
Tracks 13-14 released on Japanese expanded edition – Gen VSCD4299, 2015

Disc 3: K-Scope (Expanded Edition)

1. Remote Control
2. Cuban Crisis
3. Hot Spot
4. Numbers
5. Slow Motion TV
6. Gone Fishing
7. N-Shift
8. Walking Through Heavens Door
9. You Are Here
10. Remote Control (Live 801 Tour 1977)
11. It Don’t Matter to Me (Demo @ PSL Studios)
12. Out of the Blue (Live 801 Tour 1977)
13. Walking Through Heaven’s Door (ZSOU Remix)

Tracks 1-9 released as Polydor POLD 5011 (U.K.)/E.G. PD-1-6178 (U.S.), 1978
Tracks 10-12 released on expanded edition of album – Expression EXPCD18, 2000
Track 13 released on Japanese expanded edition – Gen VSCD4300, 2015

Disc 4: Primitive Guitars (Expanded Edition)

1. Criollo
2. Caracus
3. La Nueva Ola
4. Botaga
5. Ritmo de Los Angeles
6. Europe 701
7. Impossible Guitar
8. Big Dome
9. Europe 80-1
10. Impossible Guitars (Theo Parrish feat. Duminie Deporres Remix)
11. Caracas (Daniele Baldelli and Marco Dionigi Mental Remix)
12. Criollo (Kenji Takimi and Tomoki Kanda “Being Boring” Remix) (previously only available on 2019 Japanese re-issue)
13. Big Dome (Cos_Mes Remix)

Tracks 1-9 released as Editions EG EGED14, 1982
Tracks 10-11 and 13 released on Japanese expanded edition – Gen VSCD4301, 2015
Track 12 released on Japanese expanded edition – Belle Antique 193108, 2019

Disc 5: Southern Cross (Expanded Edition)

1. Million Reason Why
2. Tambor
3. The Great Leveller
4. Astrud
5. Southern Cross (Instrumental)
6. Blood Brothers
7. Guantanamera
8. The Rich and the Poor
9. Dance Break This Trance
10. Verde
11. Fridel
12. Vanceremos
13. Southern Cross (Live @ The Karl Marx Theatre, Havana, Cuba – 1992) (with Grupo Moncada)
14. Astrud (Live @ The Karl Marx Theatre, Havana, Cuba – 1992) (with Grupo Moncada)

Tracks 1-12 released as Expression EXPCD 1, 1990
Tracks 13-14 released on Live At The Karl Marx – Expression EXVP4CD, 1992

Disc 6: Vozero (released as Expression EXVP12CD, 1999)

1. Mystic Moon
2. Verdadero
3. Tuesday
4. Rayo de Bala
5. The Art of Conversation
6. Vida
7. Golden Sun
8. Mundo con Paz
9. Hymn
10. La Vida Moderna
11. Tropical

Disc 7: 6PM (Expanded Edition)

1. Broken Dreams
2. Green Spikey Cactus
3. Love Devotion
4. Wish You Well
5. 6PM
6. Waiting for the Sun to Shine
7. Manzra
8. Cissbury Ring
9. Porlock
10. Shoreline
11. Always You
12. Sacred Days
13. For You

Tracks 1-12 released as Hannibal HNCD1471, 2004
Track 13 released on Japanese expanded edition – Gen VSCD4335, 2016

Disc 8: 50 Minutes Later (released as Hannibal HNCD 1503, 2004)

1. Revolution
2. Technicolor UFO
3. That’s All I know
4. 50 Minutos Mas Trade
5. Desaparecido
6. Dusza
7. One Step
8. Swimming
9. Bible Black
10. Til the End of the Line
11. Enotonik Bible Black (Mainstream Version)

Disc 9: Firebird V11 (Expanded Edition)

1. Fortunately I Had One with Me
2. Cartagena
3. Firebird
4. Mexican Hat
5. Firebird V11
6. A Few Minutes
7. After Magritte
8. Cartagena (Live @ Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London, England – 2/8-11/2009)

Tracks 1-7 released as Expression EXPCD29, 2009
Track 8 previously unreleased

Disc 10: The Sound of Blue (Expanded Edition)

1. Magdelena
2. 1960 Caracas (feat. Sónia Bernado)
3. The Sound of Blue
4. Rose Mullion Head
5. Halmstad
6. Tramuntana
7. High Atlas
8. Mi Casa
9. In Conversation with Andy Mackay
10. No Church in the Wild (feat. Sónia Bernado)
11. High Atlas (Live in Tokyo – 2017) (with Hotei)

Tracks 1-10 released as Expression/UMC 4720381, 2016
Track 11 released on Live in Japan – Expression EXPCD39, 2017

Disc 11: The Manzanera Archives – Rare Two (previously unreleased except where noted)

1. Que Fera Fera (Demo) (with Nfaly Kouyarte)
2. Spanish
3. The Unknown Zone
4. Demo PM 1 (One Slip)
5. Tre Amore
6. Chan Chan
7. Otra Vuelta
8. All the While (Live @ Hospital Club, London, England)
9. Impossible Guitar (Live @ Arènes de Frejus, France – 8/27/1982) – Roxy Music
10. Bala de Plata (Live @ Centro Cultural Kirchner, Buenos Aires, Argentina – 11/4/2017)
11. East of Asteroid (Live @ Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London, England – 2/8-11/2009)
12. El Vlaje (Demo)

Track 3 released as a free download from Manzanera’s website, 2009
Track 6 released on Live in Japan – Expression EXPCD39, 2017
Track 9 released on Heart Still Beating – E.G. EGLP 79 (U.K.)/E.G./Reprise 26402 (U.S.), 1990