What’s Real And What’s Make Believe?

Roxy Music “Virginia Plain”

“Virginia Plain” is basically Bryan Ferry willing Roxy Music into existence. It’s all magical thinking – he states his desire for success, he imagines a glamorous life, and the song itself makes it all real. Or as real as it could be, anyway. Ferry’s vision of glamour is specific but also quite dream-like and surreal. The lyrics in the second half of the song are like a vision board of cool things and sexy aesthetics; he’s giving us a loose outline of a better world he wants to insinuate himself into or create from scratch.

The song still sounds incredibly stylish and fresh nearly 50 years after its release. I think that mostly comes down to how obviously excited these guys are to be playing the song. Brian Eno plays his synths with the playful glee of a kid breaking rules for the first time, and Phil Manzanera’s guitar parts are loose and gestural, scribbled out with the confidence of someone completely at ease with following their instinct. Ferry’s voice is somehow goofy AND debonair. Everything in “Virginia Plain” sounds like it’s just a bit faster than it should be, like they’re all too excited to get to the next part to take their time. And why shouldn’t they be? They’re all in a hurry to live in the new reality they’re inventing.

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