There are two headlines for Olympia, Bryan Ferry’s 13th solo album.
The first is that it’s Ferry’s first collection of primarily original material since 1994’s Mamouna -- of the ten songs only Tim Buckley's “Song to the Siren” and Traffic's "No Face, No Name, No Number" are from another author -- the second is that among the many collaborators here are Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, and Andy MacKay, all original members of Roxy Music, their presence suggesting a return to the chilly art of Roxy’s earliest records.
Neither headline tells the real story: Olympia is Ferry’s most seductive album since Avalon, a luxurious collection of softly stylized sophistication.
Instead of pushing into new territory, Ferry focuses on refinement, polishing his signatures -- primarily songs so slow they seem to float, and also the occasional high-end piece of pristine pop-funk -- until they’re seamless, the textures shifting so subtly that when the chorus of “Heartache by Numbers” turns eerie, the change in atmosphere is almost subliminal.
Such command of mood is a tell-tale sign of a quiet perfectionist, but Olympia doesn’t feel fussy; it’s unruffled and casually elegant, its pleasing familiarity reflecting the persistence of an old master honing his craft.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | You Can Dance | Bryan Ferry | Play | 04:28 | 10 MB | 30 MB |
| 2 | Shameless | Bryan Ferry | Play | 04:35 | 10 MB | 32 MB |
| 9 mins | 20 MB | |||||
| 9 mins | 63 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seweuse Abwa | Choir/Chorus |
| 2 | Babydaddy | Additional Production, Bass, Guest Artist, Guitar, Keyboards |
| 3 | Andy Cato | Bass, Guest Artist |
| 4 | Chris Mullings | Electronics, Guest Artist |
| 5 | Bob Clearmountain | Mixing |
| 6 | Emily Dolan Davies | Drums, Guest Artist |
| 7 | Rhett Davies | Producer |
| 8 | Brian Eno | Guest Artist, Synthesizer |
| 9 | Bryan Ferry | Art Direction, Keyboards, Piano, Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals |
| 10 | Merlin Ferry | Guest Artist, Guitar |
| 11 | Tara Ferry | Drums |
| 12 | Thomas Fetherstonhaugh | Guest Artist, Treble |
| 13 | Flea | Bass, Guest Artist |
| 14 | John Galliano | Costume Design |
| 15 | David Gilmour | Guest Artist, Guitar |
| 16 | Colin Good | Guest Artist, Keyboards, Synthesizer |
| 17 | Aleysha Gordon | Choir/Chorus |
| 18 | Mary Greenwell | Make-Up |
| 19 | Jonny Greenwood | Guest Artist, Guitar |
| 20 | Groove Armada | Additional Production |
| 21 | Paul Hanlon | Hair Stylist |
| 22 | Tallulah Harlech | Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 23 | Ash Howes | Engineer |
| 24 | Neil Hubbard | Guest Artist, Guitar |
| 25 | Isaac Ferry | Management, Producer |
| 26 | Jamie Johnson | Engineer |
| 27 | Hannah Khemoh | Choir/Chorus |
| 28 | Bob Ludwig | Mastering |
| 29 | Andy Mackay | Guest Artist, Oboe |
| 30 | Phil Manzanera | Additional Production, Guest Artist, Guitar |
| 31 | Me'sha Bryan | Choir/Chorus |
| 32 | Marcus Miller | Bass |
| 33 | John Monkman | Additional Production, Electronics, Engineer |
| 34 | Perry Montague-Mason | Guest Artist, Violin |
| 35 | Kate Moss | Cover Model |
| 36 | Gary Mounfield | Bass, Guest Artist |
| 37 | Andy Newmark | Drums |
| 38 | Steve Nieve | Guest Artist, Piano |
| 39 | Alistair Norbury | Management |
| 40 | Jono Patrick | Digital Art |
| 41 | Chris Peyton | Layout |
| 42 | Anthony Pleeth | Cello, Guest Artist |
| 43 | Gideon Ponte | Set Design |
| 44 | Alice Retif | Choir/Chorus, Guest Artist |
| 45 | Frank Ricotti | Percussion |
| 46 | Nile Rodgers | Guitar |
| 47 | Tim Roe | Engineer |
| 48 | Jake Shears | Additional Production |
| 49 | Emlyn Singleton | Guest Artist, Violin |
| 50 | Johnson Somerset | Producer |
| 51 | Chris Spedding | Guest Artist, Guitar |
| 52 | Dave Stewart | Additional Production, Guest Artist, Guitar |
| 53 | Sven Taits | Engineer |
| 54 | Oliver Thompson | Guitar |
| 55 | Katie Turner | Choir/Chorus, Guest Artist |
| 56 | Ruby Turner | Choir/Chorus |
| 57 | Vicci Wardman | Guest Artist, Viola |
| 58 | Shar White | Choir/Chorus, Guest Artist |
| 59 | Adam Whitehead | Photography |
| 60 | Gillian Wilkins | Stylist |
| 61 | Simon Willey | Engineer |
| 62 | David Williams | Guitar |
| 63 | Richard Williams | Liner Notes |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |