Just watched this documentary on Roxy Music (made in 2008). Was very good -- some very interesting footage from the early days and candid discussions with band members in the present day. Of all the (ex) members, Eno and Phil Manzanera came across as the most at peace with things; I found Eno's perspective in particular to be quite insightful (interesting that he rates the third album -- the first after he left the band -- as their best). Andy Mackay and Phil Thompson, in contrast, seemed to harbour some residual bitterness towards Bryan Ferry. Some of this seemed to be re the way the group's style evolved (from Manifesto onwards) in a more commercial direction -- with the other band members' role reduced to essentially that of a backing band for Ferry. Tellingly, I still regularly forget that "Dance Away" was a song from the Manifesto and not one of Ferry's solo albums. It is quite ironic that most of their most well-known songs came from the last 3 albums, which were actually quite uncharacteristic of most of their earlier work.
Conspicuously absent was any discussion of the band members' personal lives or solo careers. It would have been interesting to hear BF's take on Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger around the time of the Siren album, as well as Eno's first solo project "Here Come The Warm Jets".
As a side note: Kari-Ann Muller, the model from the cover of the first album, was featured briefly. She seems to have aged very well --- given that the cover dates back to 1972. Maybe she's been giving Mick Jagger some tips -- apparently she's been happily married to his brother Chris for the past 20 years (thanks to Wikipedia, I also know that she lives in Highgate and teaches yoga). Seems the Jagger brothers had a thing for Roxy Music cover models...
P.S. The show is on ABC2 iView for another 12 days or so:
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