Roxy Music – Manifesto

It's not the best Roxy album but by 1979 Ferry was after releasing four solo albums and Manifesto was the first Roxy album since Siren in 1975. It's the start of what would become 80s Roxy although by 1983 they had split up never to record a studio album again but they did tour over the last 30 years. Ferry got on with a high profile solo career after Avalon in 1982.
Manifest does two or three things, or tried to anyway. First there's the menacing and droning title track which tries to hark back to their early days and then the New Wave rockers that sound awkward and clunky, the finally the "Disco" tracks such as Angel Eyes and Dance Away. But Angel Eyes sounds more punky on the original album leaving the single to step onto the dance floor. It's nothing that would fit on Saturday Night Fever but there's a good song in there somewhere. Dance Away another single, a brilliant one at that is Roxy at their finest. The UK pressing has a different mix. Early CD issues have the Angel Eyes single version but the 1999 remasters fixed that. There is one track that points to the future and that is Spin Me Round. It's moody, slow and the very blueprint to Bryan Ferry solo.

One of those records where you have to own two copies. When this was first released on CD the album versions of both Dance Away and Angel Eyes were replaced by their single versions, which meant in the case of Angel Eyes that the original 'rock' version was substituted by a re-recorded 'disco' version. Only in 1999 when remasters of all the albums were released, was Angel Eyes restored to it's original version. i've only ever known the album the way it first came out on CD, which led me to buy it that way here on Discogs, but since i also like the 'rock' version of the song, i will be buying a 1999 remaster at some point. Manifesto may not be anywhere near Roxy Music's best work, but there's something to be said for nostalgia and the singles from this particular period ('78 - '83) speak for themselves and are pretty hard to beat.

The guy who cut the master forgot to put visible spaces between the tracks. So good luck if you want to find your favorite track. Sound wise this one is superb 10/10!

Anyone else think that INXS ripped off 'My Little Girl' for half of their catalogue?

Very good pressing. Sound is full and clean. Can recommend.

great sounding pressing with good punch and clean analog sound

VERY nice UK pressing of Manifesto. Angel Eyes on this version is the "Disco/Dance" version with the harp...I love both versions of Angel Eyes but prefer the dance version maybe because I heard it before I heard the more rockin' version when I got the CD back in 1999 or so...

Dance away the criticisms! Sounds pretty great for it’s time.

This German pressing of Manifesto sounds good as all of Roxy Music albums. Here we have nice analog recording and open and crisp sound from very late 70's. The music is somehow a litle bit psychodelic for me.

This pressing has the 'rock' version of 'Angel Eyes' which clocks in at 3.32, not the disco-style single version of 'Angel Eyes' which clocks in at 3.06 and appears on my UK copy (Polydor – POLH 001 2335 201). Both are great but I actually prefer the frustratingly short single version, the extended dance re-mix of which appeared on 12" and is heavenly!