Slavin' away

If Roxy Music didn't close the curtain on enough of an Armani note, then Bryan Ferry took things to an even tighter level of sophisti-pop (or cheezy soundtracking of '80s romantic montages, depending on your perspective) in his solo work. As usual, my perspective shifts pretty regularly on the matter. One thing that's beyond question — it's good music for sous-chef tasks.

Bryan Ferry - Slave To Love

Cruising altitude

I know I rocked some Roxy Music not long ago, but this one is really a different animal. The kind of animal that wears white pants and aviators that reflect the dreamy last sparkles of the setting sun. You can almost hear the private jet pulling up the runway.

People talk about the Avalon album ushering in the age of yuppie make-out music. Maybe, but you can't blame the furniture for things people do in the room. And even if it does bear some responsibility, is it so bad for people to inject an imagined grandeur into their days? What if your life was as exquisitely put together as this song? I'd settle for a version of myself as graceful as Manzanera's guitar part.

Roxy Music - Take A Chance With Me

Silicon soul

Still under the weather, still a little sideways, still out of step with time's usual way of passing. So when I hear a song with such an elegant arc, it almost sets me right. This is some sexy synthetic struttin' soul. Minimal music for maximum joy. You really need to let this slow cooker do its thing. By song's end, it's like you've been walking down the road with your mind pleasantly misplaced, only vaguely noticing that a beautiful scene has grown up all around you. It's also like being seduced by a weeping vocoder, if you're into that kind of thing.

Junior Boys - Parallel Lines