Bryan Ferry - As Time Goes By

Bryan Ferry invests considerable time and energy in cover albums (he should, considering that they compose a good portion of his solo catalog), treating them with as much care as a record of original material. He's always found ways to radically reinvent the songs he sings, so it's easy to expect that his collection of pop standards, As Time Goes By, would re-imagine the familiar. Instead, As Time Goes By is his first classicist album, containing non-ironic, neo-traditionalist arrangements of songs associated with the '30s. That doesn't mean it's a lavish affair, dripping with lush orchestras -- it's considerably more intimate than that. Even when strings surface, they're understated, part of a small live combo that supports Ferry throughout the record. He's made the music as faithful to its era as possible, yet instead of rigidly replicating the sounds of the '30s, he's blended Billie Holiday, cabaret pop, and movie musicals into an evocative pastiche. Ferry is at his best when he's exploring the possibilities within a specific theory or concept; with As Time Goes By, he eases into these standards and old-fashioned settings like an actor adopting a new persona. Since Ferry has always been a crooner, the transition is smooth and suave. He makes no attempt to alter his tremulous style, yet it rarely sounds incongruous -- he may sound a little vampirish on "You Do Something to Me," but that's the rare case where he doesn't seamlessly mesh with his romantic, sepia-toned surroundings. On the surface, it may seem like a departure for Ferry, but in the end, it's entirely of a piece with his body of work. True, it may not be a major album in the scheme of things, but it's easy to be seduced by its casual elegance. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Abraham Leborovich Violin Alan Barnes Clarinet, Sax (Tenor) Alice Retif Poetry Andy Newmark Drums Anthony Pike Clarinet (Bass) Anthony Pleeth Cello Bob Hunt Trombone Bob Ludwig Mastering Bogdan Zarkowski Artwork Boguslaw Kostecki Violin Bryan Ferry Producer, Art Direction, Arranger, Synthesizer Chris Dibble Assistant Engineer Chris Laurence Bass Colin Good Arranger, Musical Director, Piano Cynthia Millar Ondes Martenot Dave Woodcock Violin David White Clarinet Enrico Tomasso Trumpet Frank Ricotti Percussion Gavyn Wright Violin Hugh Webb Harp James Sanger Programming Jim Tomlinson Clarinet, Sax (Alto) John Sutton Drums Jose Libertella Bandoneon Luis Stazo Bandoneon Malcolm Earle Smith Trombone Mark Tucker Engineer Martin Wheatley Banjo Mike Owen Photography Nicholas Bucknail Clarinet Nicholas Deville Art Direction Nils Solberg Guitar Paul Clarvis Drums Peter Lale Viola Phil Manzanera Guitar Philip Dukes Viola Rhett Davies Producer Richard Jeffries Bass Robert Fowler Clarinet Robin Trower Associate Producer Simon Puxley Consultant Stephen Pelluet Assistant Engineer Sven Taits Assistant Engineer Timothy Lines Clarinet Tobias Tak Tape Wilfred Gibson Violin