Customer Reviews

Mamouna

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A lot of artists sing ABOUT dreams, but Mamouna was Bryan Ferry's attempt at creating the aural equivalent of dreams THEMSELVES. This is not an album that jumps out and punches you in the nose, but rather envelops you slowly with understated, trance-like rhythms, subdued solos, falling minor key chord progressions and haunting vocals. In lesser hands, this material would sound homogenized and dull, but Ferry's distinct voice and persistent grooves keep the record percolating along. U2 producer and former bandmate Brian Eno is back on board as well, bringing an element of "mannered chaos" that threatens to break through the placid surface at any moment. Of course, like all pleasant dreams it ends way too soon. Highly recommended to people who like an elegant, luxurious sound tempered with menacing undetones. Stand out tracks: "Mamouna", "Gemini Moon", "The Only Face"

Bryan Ferry is loved all over the world, but in the United States, you say his name and usually what you get is "Bryan, who?" He has been making music for over thirty years, and he still is timeless. Of all solo albums since he left Roxy Music, "Mamouna" is my favorite. Bryan Ferry music is the epitome of make out music, and on "Mamouna" he has reached a new height. There is not a bad track and to narrow it down to my five favorite is hard. But here is my best shot. 1)"Chain Reaction". The music is the star on this song. Blast it and surrender. 2)"Mamouna" The way the title song starts is enough to make you a fan for life. Just awesome. 3)"The 39 Steps". One for your feet, and erotic nature. 4)"Don't Want To Know". The album opens with a winner, and draws you into Bryan's erotic world effortlessly. 5)"Your Painted Smile" A song to play while the afterglow is still shining. Bryan Ferry music is an oasis in the desert that is called music nowadays, and if you are fortunate enough to find it, dive in and enjoy the swim.

With such a great list of musicans on this album (Nile Rodgers and Brian Eno are just two) it dissapoints greatly. Though similar in sound to the excellnt Avalon, Ferry just doesn't have the same well crafted songs as he did in 1982. What results is an empty, souless albums which at its best (Mamouna) washes over pleasantly and at its worst (N.Y.C.) can be embarassing. While the production is pleasant and often innovative (thanks to Eno) it can't cover up the fact that the album is actually incredibly dull.

Bryan Ferry once sang in a band called Roxy Music, a 1970s British group whose stylish brand of art pop influenced a whole wave of musical acts from Duran Duran to Maxwell. He is an undisputed master of cool, crafting elegantly-written pop songs that are as finely crafted and meticulously conceived as the suits he often wears onstage. "Mamouma," the only solo album of new material he released in the 1990s, is as close to a perfect record Ferry has ever made. The songs--often a hybrid of pop, soul, jazz, and some world rhythms--have a hypnotic power revealing skilled production, topnotch musicianship, and a stern attention to detail. A read of the credits that list the musicians shows that Ferry has exceptional taste: Steve Ferrone (drums), Nile Rogers (guitar), Any McKay (sax) to name a few. Vocally, Ferry has never sounded so together, as evidenced on the pained "Which Way to Turn," the funky guitars and bass of "N.Y.C." and the ethereal and sonically gorgeous "The Only Face." Not a dull moment or a recycled cliche on any of these tracks. For a while, I thought "Boys and Girls" was as good as Ferry was gonna get as a solo artist, but on "Mamouna" he tops himself. It's an album that flirts with perfection, and it hits all the right notes.

Bete Noire & Boys & Girls are my favorites from Bryan. Mamouna is far better than I expected when I got it and in my opinion, it my third favorite album by Ferry to date. Because of this, I feel that Mamouna deserves a second review. Released in 1994, it unfortunately didn't recieve much notice when it was released. A shame it didn't because Mamouna is one of Ferrys strongest works in his catalog. What makes this CD great is that the music is rich and depth and it has a sort of warmth and punch that 1993s 5 star album Taxi sometimes lacks IMO. The only thing that dogs this record down is that Ferrys singing sounds a bit tired and even a bit sloppy especially the last track Chain Reaction. Other than that Mamouna still ranks as one of Bryans most consistent albums in his catalog. My favorites are Your Painted Smile with it's dreamy rhythms, The 39 Steps with it's driving rhythms and the ambient technoish Wildcat Days.

DON'T WANT TO KNOW-8/10 This track kicks off Mamouna with a dark cloudlike atmosphere and funky guitars laced with ambient dreaminess. This track could fit on Boys & Girls.

NYC-7/10 NYC is another good track with a bluesier sound. This track could've fit well on Taxi especially with it's wobbly sounds.

YOUR PAINTED SMILE- 10/10 Beautiful! This track is one of the best songs Mamouna offers. It's an eerie track with a jazzy vibe. I love the part of the track that runs from 1:32 to the around the 2 minute mark as the rhythm flows very well.

MAMOUNA-10/10 Another beautiful track. The title track is a haunting track with wobbly guitars. This track is one to hear to know how it sounds like.

THE ONLY FACE-6/10 This track needs time to grow on you. It's a mellow and eerie track with a slightly creepy feel to it and minor note melodies.

THE 39 STEPS-10/10 This is one of my favorite songs off Mamouna. It's a very upbeat yet moody track with driving rhythms and a Bete Noireish feel. This track to me kind of continues the punch that the masterpiece Bete Noire has. Definately one of the best songs on here.

WHICH WAY TO TURN-8/10 This is a mellower track with electronic sound effects laced with slightly late 80s sounding keyboards and guitars. A gorgeous song.

WILDCAT DAYS-11/10 YES! This is the winner on Mamouna. WD is an aggressive techno influenced number with ambient guitar aways and very stormy atmosphere sort of like severe thunderstorms. To me, this song sort of reminds me of the enigmatic New Town off Bete Noire as it has the sort of bizarre sounds. This song in my opinion is Ferrys strongest song since Bete Noire.

GEMINI MOON-8/10 Did Ferry take All Tommorrows Parties and move it to Mamouna? No offense but this track is almost dead identical to ATP with very similar bass hooks, the same chords, and the right kind of feel except that this track has less ambience and more bluesier sounds. A great track though. Just sounds almost too much like All Tommorrows Parties and I like that song too. Don't get me wrong.

CHAIN REACTION-9/10 Can we say SPOOKY! This final track from Mamouna is a hook laden track with strange percussion and a very eerie and haunting feel. The only thing that dogs down this track is that Ferrys singing on Chain Reaction often gets a bit sloppy and tired and it can be a bit grating(To me anyway). Brushing the cons aside though Chain Reaction closes Mamouna on a great note. The last 40 seconds are spooky especially with the echoing pianos at the last fifteen seconds.

Mamouna is highly recommended for the Bryan Ferry fanbase! :) Enjoy! And so begins the eight year wait between this and the invigorating Frantic.

Mamouna in my opinion is one of Ferrys finest albums he has ever recorded. The songs are artistically creative, imaginative, emotional and colorful. Your Painted Smile has a romantic, eerie groovy sound that makes a perfect theme for a night out at a city bar or being alone on a cloudy evening. Wildcat Days is unlike the other songs on this CD. It's a very upbeat yet dark, stormy track with a heavy almost clubby beat and ambient guitar sways. These two tracks are the best songs on Mamouna and showcase some of te best of Ferrys more recent works. A must have for Roxy Music anf solo Bryan Ferry fans alike. Enjoy the ten compositions on Mamouna.

"Mamouna," released in the mid-90's, remains one of my all-time favorite Bryan Ferry albums. His unique arrangements and poetic song-writing are displayed beautifully on this album. The title cut, a ballad, is Ferry at his smoothest and most elegant. Another favorite cut, "The 39 Steps," is slightly more pop-py, but with a darker edge. For fans of Roxy Music, or Ferry as a solo artist, this is a must-have.

By this stage of the game (early 90s) it's increasingly obvious that Bryan Ferry was lapsing into stylistic self parody, and "Mamouna" would have to be a contender for the most perfectly produced piece of easy listening fluff in the history of recorded music. That's really not enough, though, because Ferry's songs have grown increasingly solipsistic and insubstantial with the years. "Mamouna" can float by without notice, practically hook-free. With the exception of the single "Your Painted Smile", and to a lesser extent the title track, "Mamouna" offers the aural equivalent of being slowly suffocated with a scented pillow.

Or, I should say, take a chance with this CD, even if you are not familiar with Brian Ferry or Roxy Music. The Latin beats, the cool sax, the soaring sythesizers: no one can turn it on like Ferry and the Roxies, and listening to this disc, as with so many of their others, you'll be transported to a dark mysterious night club where the men are always soave and the women are always sexy. I am confounded that the likes of Sting have become so popular while Ferry has had to remain in comparative obscurity. Though he would never admit it, this is the type of album that Sting wishes he could record: as a whole, it is flawless, but if any songs stand out, I would have to say that NYC and the title track are particularly terrific. Mamouna is almost as timelessly perfect as "Avalon." Don't miss it.

I thought Ferry couldn't top 'Boys and Girls' but he has done so with Mamouna. '39 Steps', with it's relentless, mesmerizing beat is the high point of the work. If there is a 'perfect' cd recording, this would be a candidate.