OK as I've said I like what I refer to as pop music and I've also defined what I mean by pop. To me this album is a great example of all that I've talked about.
Roxy Music put out 7 studio albums before Avalon. I've not listened to them all but Siren (1975), Country Life (1974), and For Your Pleasure (1973) are all part of the top 500 countdown. They are heavy with art rock and are lacking any real sense of pop value except for the occasional taste. After Siren they took 4 years off and did solo projects. After returning they moved in more of a pop direction focusing more on Bryan Ferry's vocals and more concise songs. They incorporated disco and soul into their art rock sound and they put out 3 albums in 4 years the final album being Avalon, the bands final studio album.
I think this album is a fantastic blend of everything that makes for good pop. The bands old art rock sound is still there, but it is so finely blended with pop beats and soulful singing that it turns into a colorful and unique background that brings all the songs brilliantly together as one solid piece of work.
I heard Avalon for the first time in 1988 and it was my first intro to Roxy Music. I enjoyed it so much I quickly went out and bought Siren and was terribly disappointed. In case it hasn't been made clear this album is unique among Roxy Music albums and to me represents why true musical artists should never be afraid of creating pop music and why fans should never look down on pop music. The album has aged extremely well and will because it offers such a simple and yet complex and unique sound that is not tied to any real trend or time.
