Album: Country Life
Year: 1974
. . .
So while “Editions of You” is always going to be my favorite Roxy Music song, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that “The Thrill of It All” is the greatest Roxy Music song, and I’m not sure it’s even particularly close. If ever a song lived up to its name, it’s this one.
After putting out three albums in about 18 months, Roxy Music took their time with the fourth, the band line-up having solidified with Eddie Jobson on synths and electric violin and John Gustafon on bass, Country Life was incredibly focused, and the ensemble playing was out of this world.
I mean, check out the beginning of “The Thrill of It All” — the fourth straight monster track to open a Roxy Music album — because it’s a master class on how to hook people before a single verse is even sung.
First up is an ominous Bryan Ferry piano riff, which is shadowed by Jobson’s synth. Then Phil Manzanera swirls his guitar in along with Gustafon’s bass. Finally, drummer Paul Thompson pummels his way in locking into one of his trademark double-times, as Manzanera launches a guitar solo towards the stratosphere, which is where Ferry’s vocals already are, as he’s screaming “ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh” like his life depends on it. Which it just might.
The sky is dark
The wind is cold
The night is young
Before it’s old and grey
We will know
The thrill of it all
The time has comeIt’s getting late
It’s now or never
Don’t hesitate or stall
When I call
Don’t spoil
The thrill of it all
When “The Thrill of It All” is operating at full speed, it’s all fucking skyrockets and bombs away, a seemingly unstoppable eternal downward rollercoaster ride to the bowels of hell. Which is why its utter genius that they break it up a couple of times with a slower part where Thompson lets up from the gas pedal, Manzanera disappears as Andy Mackay’s sax appears, and everybody can take a breath.
And before you go to sleep at night
(Calling you calling you calling calling you calling you calling youu)
Preying shadows – do they ask you why?
(Calling you calling you calling calling you calling you calling youu)
And in the morning through the afternoon
(Calling you calling you calling calling you calling you calling youu)
Do you wonder where you’re going to?
But, of course, it’s only ever a temporary respite, especially because you don’t really wanna think about who is calling you (calling you calling you), especially given how spooky those vocals even are. Also, that temporary respite made the oblivion of the fast parts seem ever more alluring when they returned.
So if you’re feeling fraught
With mental strain
Too much thinking’s got you down again
Well let your senses skip
Stay hip
Keep cool
To the thrill of it all
The “Thrill of It All” is one of those songs which is so utterly dense, so chock full of stuff that you expect it to crash and burn at any give time, but instead, it just keeps rolling and rolling and rolling for over six glorious minutes to the point where you might not even realize that they stopped doing the quieter parts about halfway through, focusing instead on — well — thrilling the ever-living fuck out of you.
That said, while “The Thrill of It All” wasn’t released as a single in the U.K, — Roxy was always pretty stingy with the singles in their early incarnations — it was released as a single in the U.S., where it didn’t even chart, because we’re idiots, I guess.
“The Thrill of It All”
“The Thrill of It All” live in Sweden, 1976
“The Thrill of It All” live in Germany, 1980
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