THE BRIDE STRIPPED BARE
Bryan Ferry - 1 September 1978
Released in 1978 shortly before Roxy Music reconvened following a three-year hiatus, Bryan Ferry's fifth solo album was made up from a batch of masterful self-penned songs such as 'Sign of the Times' and the centrepiece seven-minute 'When She Walks in the Room' and cover versions of classics from the likes of Sam & Dave ('Hold On, I'm Coming'), Lou Reed ('What Goes On') and Al Green ('Take Me To The River').
Tracklist
- Sign Of The Times
- Can’t Let Go
- Hold On (I’m Coming)
- The Same Old Blues
- When She Walks in the Room
- Take Me to the River
- What Goes On
- Carrickfergus
- That’s How Strong My Love Is
- This Island Earth
DEEP DIVE
Explore additional content related to The Bride Stripped Bare, including writing from Hal Normal, musician credits and more!
Hal Norman Essay
There’s no winning over some people. Criticised in many quarters of the rock press during the reign of sincere Californian troubadours for the aloof, detached persona he had cultivated with Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry delivered his most emotionally unfettered album only to find himself derided by the same faces, now in thrall to safety pins and brash attitudes.
Mature, urbane, intellectual and vulnerable, this iteration of the Ferry persona was simply not compliant with the mainstream narrative of the time: young, loud and snotty. As a result, The Bride Stripped Bare easily qualifies as the most underrated LP in the Ferry canon, and is certainly ripe for a fresh appraisal by modern ears.
The album itself was the product of a difficult personal period for the singer. After his high-profile relationship with Jerry Hall came to an end at the end of 1977, Ferry decamped to Montreux, Switzerland to begin work on his fifth solo album. Ferry eschewed most of his regular session associates, instead using a fixed core consisting of new faces (Waddy Wachtel, Alan Spenner and Rick Marotta) with a few of his In Your Mind touring group (Ann Odell, Nei Hubbard); Bass legend Herbie Flowers even drops by to add a sumptuous heft to the magnificently morose ‘When She Walks In The Room’.
The result is a dark, wonderful album that departs from the warm productions of previous releases to create a stark and lovelorn suite of songs in which Bryan Ferry lets the mask of languor slip to reveal his unfettered emotional truth. In this environment, even the refrain in the Sam & Dave barnstormer ‘Hold On (I’m Coming)’ is twisted into a sombre paean filled with pathos.
A late night classic, The Bride Stripped Bare is a crepuscular treat for the ears and is an absolute must for Bryan Ferry fans old and new.
-Hal Norman, 2010
Musician Credits
Bryan Ferry– vocals, keyboards
Ann Odell– keyboards, string arrangements
Steve Nye– electric piano
Neil Hubbard– guitar
Waddy Wachtel– guitar, backing vocals
Alan Spenner– bass
Herbie Flowers– string bass
John Wetton– bass
Rick Marotta– drums
Preston Heyman– drums
Mel Collins –saxophones
Martin Drover– trumpet
