Neither from the Eno-participating early chaos years nor the smoothly elegant universe of the later albums, Country Life almost seems a bit lost in the shuffle of Roxy Music’s history sometimes. But that’s a mistake and a half, because in ways this was the original run’s most consistently strong album, their genre experimentation in full flight, from medieval chanting to barrelhouse r’n’b to shimmering art rock and beyond, Bryan Ferry’s louche persona also its warmest and wittiest.

– Ned Raggett