Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 11/14/2000
Because of its distinct stylistic transformations,
Roxy Music's output has never been compiled all that well (save for
The Thrill of It All, since its four discs could paint a more expansive picture of the band's evolution). One alternate tactic for a single-disc compilation is to capture just one of the group's phases, and that's what
The Early Years tries to do -- specifically, the group's most experimental, electronic-oriented period.
Brian Eno was a member of the band on 12 of the 16 tracks here, the others being taken from the third
Roxy album
Stranded; all told, there are six songs from
Roxy Music and five from
For Your Pleasure, plus the non-LP U.K. hit single
"Pyjamarama". Although there's a noticeable difference when
Eno leaves, the
Stranded material still fits the overall approach pretty well; moreover, it's hard to quibble too much with the track selection. Since each of the albums it draws from is a very strong listen in its own right (
For Your Pleasure in particular is a classic),
The Early Years can't be called a completely definitive look at the artiest period of
Roxy's career, but it is an excellent snapshot, as well as a good introduction for casual fans who don't want to buy all the original albums. [Originally released in 1989,
The Early Years was remastered and reissued by
Caroline in 2000.]
~Steve Huey, All Music Guide
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