“They brought glamour to a nation descending into gloom”: Roxy Music and the invention of sci-fi rock, just when it was needed most
Roxy Music are portrayed as pioneers of sci-fi rock, bringing theatrical glamour and experimental sound to the unsettled cultural climate of the 1970s. The article revisits five of their most progressive tracks, selected in 2012 for a career-spanning box set covering 1972 to 1979.
– ‘The BoB (Medley)’ (1972): An unsettling debut-album piece blending Brian Eno’s skewed synthesiser, Bryan Ferry’s vocals, simulated wartime sounds, Andy Mackay’s horns and shifting tempos.
– The song’s title refers to the Battle of Britain, though its World War II imagery is used to create atmosphere rather than straightforward historical commentary.
- Roxy Music fused glamour, experimentation and sci-fi imagery in the 1970s.
- The article highlights five of the band’s most progressive songs.
- ‘The BoB (Medley)’ mixes wartime sound effects with avant-garde rock.