Having occupied the suave end of art-rock back in the ’70s, Bryan Ferry would find two following decades rather self-unsatisfying in terms of creative flight; as a result, ’80s and ’90s found the singer release only two, one per each ten years, platters of original material. Not for the lack of trying, though, especially in the case of 1994’s “Mamouna” which, nearing its 30th anniversary, will be celebrated with an expanded edition on November 17th.
Bookended by two sets of covers, this record had a torturous genesis: Ferry began working on what he envisioned as “Horoscope” soon after 1987’s “Bête Noire” had been out, but neither Dave Stewart nor Johnson Somerset could not bring out the best in Bryan who kept on cutting fresh versions of new songs and even tried to find new colors for “Mother Of Pearl” that ROXY MUSIC issued in 1973, and the facilitator the warbler needed turned out to be no other than the legendary Robim Trower. It was the guitarist’s suggestion to cleanse the palate by laying down classic pieces by such songwriters as Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Lou Reed before attempting to revert to Ferry’s own numbers – and the method worked just fine, with only a couple of previously approached tunes landing on “Mamouna” under Trower’s guidance. Later, some of the “Horoscope” landed here and there on subsequent Bryan’s works – yet the three CDs of the expanded edition will include both opuses in their remastered entirety, alongside various demos reflecting the process of their difficult birth. Fascinating, indeed.
Mamouna –
Deluxe
CD 1 – Mamouna:
1. Don’t Want To Know
2. N.Y.C.
3. Your Painted Smile
4. Mamouna
5. The Only Face
6. The 39 Steps
7. Which Way To Turn
8. Wildcat Days
9. Gemini Moon
10. Chain Reaction
CD 2 – Horoscope:
1. Where Do We Go From Here
2. The Only Face
3. Desdemona
4. S&M
5. Loop De Li
6. Gemini Moon
7. Raga
8. Mother Of Pearl
CD 3 – Mamouna Demos:
1. Mamouna (instrumental edit ’89/’94)
2. Your Painted Smile (instrumental – first draft ’89)
3. Your Painted Smile (with guide vocals – later Version ’89)
4. Your Painted Smile (piano and vocals ’93)
5. NYC/Desdemona (instrumental ’91)
6. Robot (instrumental – first draft ’89)
7. The Only Face (instrumental – first draft ’89)
8. The Only Face (piano and vocal ’93)
9. Loop De Li (instrumental – first draft ’89)
10. Horoscope Strings (instrumental ’90)
