Bête Noire [180g Purple LP]

by Bryan Ferry

Overview

Hooking up with regular Madonna collaborator Patrick Leonard as the co-producer of this album proved to be just the trick for Ferry. Bete Noire sparkles as the highlight of Ferry's post-Roxy solo career, adding enough energy to make it more than Boys and Girls part two. Here, his trademark well-polished heartache strikes a fine balance between mysterious moodiness and dancefloor energy, and Leonard adds more than a few tricks that keep the pep up. Five out of the nine songs are Ferry/Leonard collaborations; all succeed, from "Limbo"'s opening punch and flow to the cinematic (and unsurprisingly French-tinged) feeling of the title track. The atmospheric, almost chilling "Zamba"'s minimal, buried drums, soft synths and doomy piano, make it the best of that bunch. Ferry's best moment here is all his own, though -- the great single "Kiss and Tell," with a steady, bold bassline leading the way for his slightly dissolute portrayal of mating rituals and all they entail. Like Boys and Girls, the album's supporting cast mixes a lengthy list of session pros with a few guest stars. David Gilmour returns, but even more interesting is the appearance of another guitar hero -- none other than Johnny Marr, hot on the heels of the Smiths' dissolution. He took the music of a Smiths instrumental, "Money Changes Everything," and made it the basis of a full collaboration, "The Right Stuff." Marr shows a little more fluidity than usual, likely thanks to the rhythm section's smooth, effortless groove, while Ferry steps to the fore with gusto. In sum, a great listen from start to finish. ~ Ned Raggett

Product Details

Release Date:	11/14/2025
Label:	Bmg Rights Managemen
UPC:	4099964185133

Tracks

1. Limbo
2. Kiss And Tell
3. New Town
4. Day For Night
5. Zamba
6. The Right Stuff
7. Seven Deadly Sins
8. The Name Of The Game
9. Bête Noire

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bryan Ferry   Primary Artist,Vocals,Piano,Keyboards,Harmonica,Director
Marcus Miller   Guest Artist
Courtney Pine   Guest Artist
David Gilmour   Guest Artist
Neil Hubbard   Guest Artist
Johnny Marr   Guest Artist
Paulinho Da Costa   Guest Artist
Siedah Garrett   Guest Artist
Vinnie Colaiuta   Guest Artist
Andy Newmark   Drums
Dan Wilensky   Saxophone

Technical Credits

Kevin Killen   Engineer
Bob Ludwig   Remastering,Mastering
Simon Puxley   Executive Producer,Producer
Steve Jackson   Engineer
Patrick Leonard   Producer,Composer
Johnny Marr   Composer
Chester Kamen   Composer,Producer
Ian Eales   Engineer
Bruce Lampcov   Mixing
Alan Meyerson   Mixing
Guy Pratt   Composer
Bryan Ferry   Producer,Composer