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| The Entertainment Review |
| By: Michael Bracewell Publisher: Da Capo Press |
Michael Bracewell has broken the rules when it comes to rock band biographies. More often than not, rock stars are
only interesting once they are in a band. Only then the sex, drugs, breakups, breakdowns and deaths prime the
pump for a dirty tell all book for fans of the rock star to read. Bracewell ends his book, “Re-make/Re-model:
Becoming Roxy Music,” just as other rock biographies usually get started. Roxy Music is the only band that could
make this work.
In the early 1970s, Roxy Music arrived on the scene, fully formed and amazingly dressed, much like a lounge band
from outer space. Roxy was a type of art school for all of the kids who couldn’t afford go to go to an actual art
school. “Re-make/Re-model: Becoming Roxy Music ” is exactly what the title implies, Bracewell covers the early lives
and formation of Roxy Music from the very beginning.
Similar to the band itself, Bracewell's book combines rock and roll with pop art, fashion, and the art college culture of
England and New York City into a single snapshot of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Through a vast number of
interviews with a variety of different people associated with the band, Bracewell often steps back to let the individuals
tell their own story in their own words. The benefits of interviewing a bunch of art school dropouts are that they
manage to be both interesting and articulate at the same time, something that many readers would be very interested
to read.
Bracewell gives in to straight quotes over his own thoughts about the topic he is discussing. However, he is not
afraid to add is own often perceptive observations from time to time in the book. “Re-make/Re-model: Becoming
Roxy Music” focuses mainly on the two best known Roxy faces, Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno. Readers will also get a
variety of anecdotes and reflections on the artistic giants of the time including the Velvet Underground, Andy Warhol,
David Bowie and Thomas Pynchon to name only a few of the people readers will find in the book.
“Re-make/Re-model: Becoming Roxy Music” is more of a social history than a rock band biography. There is no
doubt that Roxy’s debut album was something special, but this book tells more about the influences that contributed
to the album rather than the band itself.
Roxy purists may not find any startling new revelations in this book about the band, but that doesn’t seem to be
Bracewell's goal. Part biography, part pop art appreciation, part late 1960s and early '70s cultural study, this book
equals more than the sum of its parts. Not everyone is going to enjoy this book, especially because of the fact that it
is on a topic that many people may have no previous knowledge in, and probably don’t really care whether or not
they learn about. However, those that are fans of Roxy Music are sure to want to pick up this book, even though they
won’t learn anything that they probably don’t already know.
only interesting once they are in a band. Only then the sex, drugs, breakups, breakdowns and deaths prime the
pump for a dirty tell all book for fans of the rock star to read. Bracewell ends his book, “Re-make/Re-model:
Becoming Roxy Music,” just as other rock biographies usually get started. Roxy Music is the only band that could
make this work.
In the early 1970s, Roxy Music arrived on the scene, fully formed and amazingly dressed, much like a lounge band
from outer space. Roxy was a type of art school for all of the kids who couldn’t afford go to go to an actual art
school. “Re-make/Re-model: Becoming Roxy Music ” is exactly what the title implies, Bracewell covers the early lives
and formation of Roxy Music from the very beginning.
Similar to the band itself, Bracewell's book combines rock and roll with pop art, fashion, and the art college culture of
England and New York City into a single snapshot of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Through a vast number of
interviews with a variety of different people associated with the band, Bracewell often steps back to let the individuals
tell their own story in their own words. The benefits of interviewing a bunch of art school dropouts are that they
manage to be both interesting and articulate at the same time, something that many readers would be very interested
to read.
Bracewell gives in to straight quotes over his own thoughts about the topic he is discussing. However, he is not
afraid to add is own often perceptive observations from time to time in the book. “Re-make/Re-model: Becoming
Roxy Music” focuses mainly on the two best known Roxy faces, Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno. Readers will also get a
variety of anecdotes and reflections on the artistic giants of the time including the Velvet Underground, Andy Warhol,
David Bowie and Thomas Pynchon to name only a few of the people readers will find in the book.
“Re-make/Re-model: Becoming Roxy Music” is more of a social history than a rock band biography. There is no
doubt that Roxy’s debut album was something special, but this book tells more about the influences that contributed
to the album rather than the band itself.
Roxy purists may not find any startling new revelations in this book about the band, but that doesn’t seem to be
Bracewell's goal. Part biography, part pop art appreciation, part late 1960s and early '70s cultural study, this book
equals more than the sum of its parts. Not everyone is going to enjoy this book, especially because of the fact that it
is on a topic that many people may have no previous knowledge in, and probably don’t really care whether or not
they learn about. However, those that are fans of Roxy Music are sure to want to pick up this book, even though they
won’t learn anything that they probably don’t already know.
