Bryan Ferry’s work as a singer and songwriter, both as a solo artist and with Roxy Music, is legendary. ‘Lyrics’ collects the words written for music across seventeen albums, from the first iconic Roxy album of 1972 via the masterpiece of Avalon to 2014’s reflective Avonmore, introduced by the author, with an insightful essay by James Truman, and the cover features a previously unseen portrait of Ferry by Antony Price. All the classic Roxy anthems are here – ‘Virginia Plain’, ‘Do the Strand’, ‘Love is the Drug’, ‘The Thrill of it All’ – songs in which the real and the make-believe blend in a kaleidoscopic mix, shot through with cinematic allure. Also included are the evocative lyrics of romantic longing and lost illusions for which Ferry is rightly revered: ‘Slave to Love’, ‘Mother of Pearl’, ‘More Than This’. As he writes in his preface, “The low points in life so often produce the most keenly felt and best-loved songs.” And, it might be added, some of the best poetry. ‘Lyrics’ will be published on 5 May 2022, but is available to pre-order now. (Limited signed editions have now sold out.)
