📰 Ultra Pulp Images – Feature: Apr. 1973
- Roxy Music
- Apr 28, 1973
- 3 min read
A dense, electric burst of early‑’70s music journalism: sharp monochrome photography, bold NME typography, and two pages of intellectual, provocative commentary on Roxy Music’s rise, philosophy, and artistic intent. The tone is urgent, stylish, and unmistakably 1973.
📰 Publication Details
Publication: New Musical Express (NME)
Date: April 28, 1973
Country: United Kingdom
Section / Page: Two‑Page Feature / Page 33 (visible)
Format: Feature Article
Provenance Notes: Verified by visible NME masthead style, page number, author credit (John Ingham), and Roxy Music headline.
The first page features a stylised “Roxy Music” headline with a large black‑and‑white band photograph positioned to the right. The article opens with a bold, declarative paragraph about the “first cosmic rock law of the seventies,” immediately framing Roxy Music as a band provoking debate, jealousy, and fascination.
The second page, titled “THE ROOTS,” continues the analysis, focusing on Bryan Ferry’s early ideas for the group, the band’s formation, and the conceptual framework behind their sound. The layout is classic early‑’70s NME: dense columns, minimal graphic interruption, and a strong emphasis on text.
This clipping matters because it captures Roxy Music at the moment they were redefining the boundaries between rock, art, and intellectual culture — and because NME’s coverage shaped how British audiences understood their significance.
📰 The Story Behind It
In 1973, Roxy Music were emerging as one of the most innovative and polarising bands in Britain. Their fusion of art‑school aesthetics, glam‑rock theatricality, and intellectual ambition challenged the conventions of mainstream rock. NME’s two‑page feature reflects this tension: part defence, part celebration, part cultural critique.
The first page confronts the criticism that Roxy Music were “coolly calculating intellectuals,” arguing instead that the hostility toward them stemmed from jealousy and anti‑intellectualism within rock culture. The article positions Roxy alongside David Bowie, noting that both artists shared an audience hungry for ideas, style, and conceptual depth.
The second page, “THE ROOTS,” traces Bryan Ferry’s long‑gestating vision for the band, dating back to his art‑school years. It highlights the group’s interest in synthesizers, pop‑culture absurdity, and the deliberate construction of a new kind of rock performance. The writing emphasises how Roxy Music’s early albums — particularly For Your Pleasure — were reshaping the possibilities of rock as an art form.
This feature sits at a pivotal moment in the band’s timeline: post‑debut, pre‑mainstream breakthrough, and at the height of their experimental power.
“The first cosmic rock law of the seventies is this — ‘Everybody is a star.’ To which the answer is, ‘So what?’”
“I’d been nursing the idea for Roxy — Ferry since 1964; when Bryan Ferry was studying art at Newcastle University.”
📰 Related Material
• NME feature: Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure Era Profile – 1973
• Chronicle entry: David Bowie – Bi‑Guy Bowie Scores – Review: Apr. 1972
• Chronicle entry: Roxy Music – Debut Album Press Coverage – 1972
Additional material connected to this entry is listed in the tag index at the foot of the page.
Two‑page NME feature on Roxy Music — April 28, 1973, including John Ingham’s cultural analysis and the “THE ROOTS” continuation page.
Additional visual notes:
Large monochrome band photo on the first page
Page 33 visible on the second page
Dense column layout typical of early‑’70s NME
Stylised “Roxy Music” headline and bold sub‑headers
📰 Closing Notes
This NME feature captures Roxy Music at their most daring — a band challenging the boundaries of rock, provoking debate, and reshaping the cultural conversation around art and music. As an archival piece, it preserves the intellectual energy and stylistic boldness that defined their early years and cemented their legacy.
📝 Copyright Notice
All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.
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