Boys and Girls

by Bryan Ferry

Overview

Having at last laid Roxy to bed with its final, intoxicatingly elegant albums, Ferry continued its end-days spirit with his own return to solo work. Dedicated to Ferry's father, Boys and Girls is deservedly most famous for its smash single "Slave to Love." With a gentle samba-derived rhythm leading into the steadier rock pace of the song, it's '80s Ferry at his finest, easy listening without being hopelessly soporific. As a whole, Boys and Girls fully established the clean, cool vision of Ferry on his own to the general public. Instead of ragged rock explosions, emotional extremes, and all that made his '70s work so compelling in and out of Roxy, Ferry here is the suave, debonair if secretly moody and melancholic lover, with music to match. Co-producer Rhett Davies, continuing his role from the latter Roxy albums, picks up where Avalon left off right from the slinky opening grooves of "Sensation." The range of people on the album is an intriguing mix, from latterday Roxy members like Andy Newmark and Alan Spenner to avid Roxy disciples like Chic's Nile Rodgers. Everyone is subordinated to Ferry's overall vision, and as a result there's not as much full variety on Boys and Girls as might be thought or hoped. The album's biggest flaw is indeed that it's almost too smooth, with not even the hint of threat or edge that Ferry once readily made his own. As something that's a high cut above the usual mid-'80s yuppie smarm music, though, Boys and Girls remains an enjoyable keeper that has aged well. ~ Ned Raggett

Product Details

Release Date:	07/30/2021
Label:	Umc / Virgin
UPC:	0602508750687

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bryan Ferry   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Harmonica,Keyboards,Lead Vocals
David Gilmore   Guest Artist
David Sanborn   Guest Artist,Saxophone
Marcus Miller   Guest Artist
Nile Rodgers   Guest Artist,Lead Guitar
Tony Levin   Guest Artist,Bass
Mark Knopfler   Guest Artist,Guitar
Keith Scott   Lead Guitar
Neil Jason   Bass
Neil Hubbard   Guitar,Lead Guitar
Omar Hakim   Drums
David Gilmour   Lead Guitar
Alan Spenner   Guitar
Guy Fletcher   Keyboards
Alfa Anderson   Vocals
Andy Newmark   Drums

Technical Credits

Neil Dorfsman   Audio Engineer,Engineer
Bryan Ferry   Audio Production,Composer,Musician,Producer,Art Direction
Rhett Davies   Audio Production,Composer,Engineer,Musician,Producer
Bob Clearmountain   Audio Engineer,Mixing,Engineer
Keith Scott   Musician
Anne Stephenson   Musician
Steve Churchyard   Assistant
Benji Armbrister   Assistant
Femi Jiya   Engineer
Fonzi Thornton   Musician
Ednah Holt   Musician
Mark Knopfler   Musician
Neil Jason   Musician
Antony Price   Photography
Andy Lydon   Engineer
Cream   Artwork
Andy Newmark   Musician
Kendal Stubbs   Assistant
Bob Ludwig   Mastering,Remastering
Kevin Killen   Assistant
Jimmy Maelen   Musician
Chester Kamen   Musician
Ruby Turner   Musician
Martin McCarrick   Musician
Neil Hubbard   Musician
Randy Ezratty   Assistant
Nile Rodgers   Musician
Mike Krowiak   Assistant
Omar Hakim   Musician
Brian McGee   Engineer
Heff Moraes   Assistant
David Gilmour   Musician
Alan Spenner   Musician
Bruce Lampcov   Assistant
Guy Fletcher   Musician
Virginia Hewes   Musician
Yanick Etienne   Musician
Peter Revill   Assistant
Alfa Anderson   Musician
Tony Levin   Musician
Simon Puxley   Art Direction
Dominick Maita   Engineer
David Sanborn   Musician
Dave Greenberg   Assistant
Colleen Fitz-Charles   Musician
Michelle Cobbs   Musician
Marcus Miller   Musician