The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs
There’s a scene in the music documentary Depeche Mode 101 where frontman David Gahan is singing gleefully to Roxy Music’s “Love is the Drug” while playing pinball. It would be easy to gloss over that scene because, on the surface, it seems meaningless. An extra shot thrown in to show the band unwinding behind stage. But it’s actually much more than that. It’s a poignant reminder that Roxy Music is an important band that went beyond glam rock and impeccable style. They are inspiration to many new wave bands and the genre’s various iterations. The influences can be heard throughout the Siren album, including the track “Both Ends Burning”.
While David Gahan’s vocals sound eerily similar to Bryan Ferry’s approach in “Love is the Drug”, you can make the argument that Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon sings like Ferry does in “Both Ends Burning”. In fact, the song sounds like a foreshadowing of early Duran Duran. The rhythm section, in particular, sounds like an early glimpse of John Taylor’s bass hooks and Roger Taylor’s drumbeats. The shimmery synth interludes have Nick Rhodes written all over them and the guitar riff finds the right moments to shine just like Andy Taylor did in the 80’s. Hearing back “Both Ends Burning” today, it’s a marvel to know Roxy Music created this a good 7 years before Duran Duran made their big entry into new wave. “Both Ends Burning” and the entire Siren album were a launch pad for many great bands to follow.
“Both ends burning and I can't control the fires raging in my soul tonight.”