explorers

After Roxy Music fell apart at the end of the 1983 USA tour Bryan Ferry embarked upon years of solo work, overdubbing slowly and painstakingly. 

His Roxy colleagues, Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay, preferred a more traditional band environment and stuck together as The Explorers. Recruiting a friend of Andy's, James Wraith, as a vocalist, the trio recorded their self-titled album during 1984 with the assistance of Phil and Andy's stellar musician friends - variously, Jerry Marotta or Steve Gadd on drums, Tony Levin or Alan Spenner on bass, and Guy Fletcher or Paul Carrack on keyboards.

The Explorers recorded just two albums; the debut was issued in 1985, but the follow up, recorded that year was not released until 1988 under the hugely underwhelming title Manzanera and Mackay.

Frankly these are not the greatest albums ever made. And they generally aren't a patch on the classic Roxy records. But approached with a fresh ear, and few expectations both albums reveal some truly excellent songs, beautifully played.

The first album is the best, with a number of tracks that are arguably equal to some great Roxy songs. The opening "Ship Of Fools" is a slowburning overture, with some characteristically robust guitar work from PM. The faster, pop songs which make up the rest of side one are perhaps a little weak, though all have some neat twists and are still leagues ahead of many other mid 1980s pop songs. It's side two that really cements this album's reputation. Beautiful oboe from Andy permeates "Prussian Blue", and imbues it with a passion and emotion that is quite unexpected. "Two Worlds Apart" and "Robert Louis Stevenson" are superb, very catchy, grown up, elegantly crafted songs. And the closing "You Go Up In Smoke" is a lovely late night ballad.

On the CD the dance version of "Falling For Nightlife" is a dubious bonus, containing some of the worst excesses of 1985 remix technology. Lots of stuttering and pretend scratching (see Paul Hardcastle's "N N N Nineteen" for the blueprint), some hugely amplified drums and some silly early attempts at sampled voices. However, despite all this it's actually terrific fun. (And it must be the only song to include Eddy Grant, Moody Blue Justin Hayward and 10cc's Eric Stewart all on backing vocals).

The second album begins strongly with the excellent "Black Gang Chine", which contains a lovely descending chiming guitar motif and some of James Wraith's best vocals - James was constantly accused of being a Ferry copyist. I simply cannot hear any evidence of this - sloppy and lazy journalists perpetuated this error however. His voice and mannerisms are closer to that of Andy Bell of Erasure in my opinion, though in general he's simply a competent but sadly unremarkable singer. He carries the songs well, but there's not quite enough emotional pull in his voice, in my opinion. No idea what he's doing now. Anyway the rest of the album is strong, but for the most part there are no other stand out tracks. Which is maybe why it took a few years to be released, not on Virgin like the first record, but on Manzanera's Expression label. A few out-takes from the second album sessions surfaced on the Complete Explorers compilation issued a few years ago - one is sung by Andy’s friend Dennis Waterman (a chugging version of "Not Fade Away"), and another by Leo Sayer, a friend of Phil’s since Leo got his first exposure as Roxy's support act in 1974. Thankfully neither are as dreadful as you might think. Sayer, in particular has an excellent voice; it's a pity he doesn't record better material.

Hmm, pondering the worth of Leo Sayer's songs, a rather bizarre note to end on…