Manifesto

Released in 1979, after a nearly four year hiatus, Manifesto is the sixth studio album by Roxy Music. In the UK, it peaked at no. 7, and was somewhat of a set-back critically, but not commercially, although in the long-term, it’s eclipsed by the influence and legacy of their previous album, “Siren”), and the over-all success of that album’s primary hit single.

It was also a musical change in direction; it was far less rock (as in “roll ‘n roll”), and more smooth, slick, and exotically percussive. However, the sound could be construed as building on that of its predecessor, most analogous to that album’s influential hit single, “Love Is the Drug”, although “Manifesto” retains enough Roxy Music-centric eccentricity to please fans.

It’s reasonably or obviously a pre-cursor to the sound of their most successful album, 1982’s “[Avalon]”, and as usual did very well in the UK, with three hit singles. And peaking at #23 in the U.S., it’s the highest-charting album in the country, period (the U.S. platinum “Avalon” peaked at #52).

The first single, “Trash”, disappointingly bowed out at #40 (in the UK, of course). “Dance Away”, considered, to some degree, as having a disco sound, but without the stigma of the genre (especially in retrospect), managed hitting #2. “Angel Eyes”, as a single, was more disco-sounding (being re-recorded for the 45RPM-release, surprise, which also donned a 12" version, of course) and also did quite well, peaking at #4.

On the original vinyl release, side A is labelled “East Side” and side B is labelled “West Side”. It’s their first album to not feature live female(s) (whether drag queen, drawn, or actual model(s)), instead opting for mannequins, without hindering the style and artistry of any given Roxy album, arguably, but also a disappointment considering that of “Siren”’s.