180 gram vinyl. from the idiosyncratic art rock of their self titled debut to the seductive pop of albums like avalon, roxy music covered a lot of ground, but country life, which falls somewhere in between, synthesizes all of their strengths. singer bryan ferrys vision of sophisticated, gentleman rock emerges on this release, yet the strident, driving quality crucial to the bands early sound still looms large. the combination of textures is exhilarating, and the songwriting which draws on elements of r&b, cabaret music, and glam rock - is among the bands best. standouts include bitter sweet, a clear homage to the bombast and fading glory of german cabaret music, and the work of kurt weill in particular, and casanova, a dense funk track carried along on a complex bass line and a wavering synthesizer. the albums last track, prairie rose, leads off with a heavily echoed guitar solo, and features some of andrew mackays most expressive saxophone playing. everything from the famously controversial cover art (which depicts two very scantily clad models) to the varied, often spectacular music within, marks country life as unique. it is one of the finest moments in the bands impressive catalogue.