Bryan Ferry talks Roxy's highlights

For Bryan Ferry, listening to Roxy Music is more labour than love these days.

"You don't want to just sit around listening to your old stuff all the time," explains the suave singer. "The only time I really listen to any of the records anymore is when I'm putting together rehearsals for a tour -- when you're thinking, 'How does this song go? Should we do it again? Should we do it like this or like that?' That's the only time I hear it -- unless I'm caught by surprise somewhere and it's on the radio or something, and then hopefully it's a pleasant surprise. It's not always. You tend to think, 'I should have done that faster or more like this or like that.' "

The eternally suave 66-year-old frontman has had plenty of opportunities to second-guess his work this year -- he helped assemble the new box set Roxy Music: The Complete Studio Recordings 1972-1982, which collects the influential art-rock ensemble's eight-album discography, along with two CDs of singles, B-sides and alternate mixes.

During a break in the action at his London studio, Ferry rewound Roxy's highlights, pondered the band's future and shared the secret to his legendary success with the ladies.

How does the old material hold up to your ears?

The first two albums (1972's Roxy Music and 1973's For Your Pleasure) are still quite interesting to me. And funny enough, when we were touring last year, both with Roxy and with my solo band, we were doing a lot of early material. The early Roxy stuff, it's surprisingly great that it doesn't sound too dated. They're two very different albums, of course. The first album pointed in lots of different directions. We were exploring different styles, so it doesn't have any particular style of its own. It was a collage of musical genres. We were trying to test the waters of where we wanted to go. And the second album was a bit darker and more assured. We knew more about the recording process by that time. And it's still one of my favourites.

Did the eclectic nature of the music reflect the diversity of the musicians?

Well, I was very fortunate to meet some great people who were all like-minded individuals and very unique. I am quite careful about who I work with. I like to choose the right people. So it was a slow process. (Saxophonist) Andy Mackay brought a classical element, because he had studied music at university. And he was an oboe player, which was unusual. (Keyboard player) Brian Eno brought an interest in contemporary art music -- John Cage and so on. That brought a great individuality to the band. Phil Manzanera could play in any style, so he was a great person to have in the guitar department. Paul Thompson was a very solid and passionate drummer, a John Bonham figure. And my roots were very much in black American music, all the way back to the beginning of the blues. I'd consumed so much music by the time I made the first Roxy album that I was bursting with different influences. All together, it was a strange group, but it worked.

You always seemed ahead of your time, which could explain your lack of Grammy Awards and membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. How do you feel about those oversights?

I'm not bothered, really. All those things are ... I don't know. I watch TV on Oscar night, but that's the only awards ceremony I'm aware of particularly. It's interesting; we never received any accolades like that, though we have a great and diverse fan base which has built up gradually over the years. But I suppose it's nice to feel a bit underground and alternative.

What state is Roxy in now?

It's dormant at the moment. I enjoyed doing the performances we did at the beginning of last year -- we did a tour of Britain and then Australia.that went great -- but then I decided I wanted to promote my Olympia album and go out solo, which is what I honestly enjoy the most.

Will there ever be another Roxy album, or are you concerned about tainting the legacy?

There is a bit of that. You don't want to spoil what is a good thing. And sometimes the chemistry doesn't work anymore because people grow apart. They don't necessarily fall out, but they get married and they move on. It's not like when you were living with a few guys in a garage somewhere. We had a really good long run together without too many changes in the lineup. And since the Avalon album in 1982, we've done a couple of tours that went well. But being in the studio again? I don't know; as I said, I like doing my own thing more.

This is off-topic, but I have to ask on behalf of men everywhere: What's your secret with the ladies?

Oh dear. I think it's probably because I'm so shy with them, actually. I'm always reactive rather than proactive, really. But honestly I've never really thought of myself as a ladies' man. It's more of a myth really -- though it's nice to hear it.