Another Time, Another Place in Bloomington, MN

Another Time, Another Place
isn't as immediately thrilling as
Ferry
's solo debut, but still is a great listen. The same core band that backed
up on the earlier record stays more or less in place here. If, like
Roxy
over the years, this collection is a touch less frenetic at points in comparison to
's earlier solo stab, the opening blast through
"The 'In' Crowd"
doesn't show it.
Porter
's guitar rips along as intensely as
Phil Manzanera
's can, and the whole thing makes
Dobie Gray's
original take seem pretty tame. Beyond that, things will be familiar to anyone who's heard
These Foolish Things
-- same general atmosphere, same overall approach of
taking classic originals and putting his own proto-lounge-lizard stamp on them, mixing energetic versions with far calmer ones. A very intriguing development is his inclusion of efforts from up-and-coming country writers and singers -- thus, a loud and groovy cover of
"Funny How Time Slips Away"
by
Willie Nelson
and another of
Kris Kristofferson
's
"Help Me Make It Through the Night."
Other country atmospheres slip in here and there via another nod to
Elvis
(
"Walk a Mile in My Shoes,"
originally by
Joe South
), while other classics get tapped with versions of
"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"
and
Sam Cooke
"(What A) Wonderful World."
The album as a whole feels a touch more formal than its predecessor, but
and company, plus various brass and string sections, turn on the showiness enough to make it all fun. A harbringer of solo albums to come appears at end -- the title track, a
original. ~ Ned Raggett