Having just watched a documentary about Roxy Music on BBC4, and being reminded just what an innovative and ground-breaking band they were in their early days, I think now is the time to post this little collection. Neither side of either of their first two singles appeared on an album until reissues started to appear in the CD era, and while having one non-album single wasn't unheard of at the time, having two in a row was a statement of intent - Roxy Music weren't going to play by the rules. While most people cite the presence of Brian Eno as the reason that the band sounded so unique, in my opinion Andy Mackay was an unsung hero in shaping their sound - how many electric oboes had you heard before their first album came out. Adding Eno and Mackay's input to Bryan Ferry's idiosyncratic vocals, Phil Manzanera's under-stated guitar, and having the whole thing underpinned by the powerhouse rhythm section of Paul Thompson and Graham Simpson made for a band that confounded expectations. Even after they'd broken into the big-time they still looked after their fans by including exclusive songs on the b-sides of most of their singles, and this often gave them the chance to try something a bit different, so all the songs on this collection are well worth a listen. 
Track listing
01 Virginia Plain (single 1972)
02 The Numberer (b-side of 'Virginia Plain')
03 Pyjamarama (single 1973)
04 The Pride and the Pain (b-side of 'Pyjamarama')
05 Hula Kula (b-side of 'Street Life' 1973)
06 Your Application's Failed (b-side of 'All I Want Is You' 1974)
07 Sultanesque (b-side of 'Love Is the Drug' 1975)
08 Trash 2 (b-side of 'Trash' 1979)
09 Manifesto (Remake) (b-side of 'Over You' 1980)
10 South Downs (b-side of 'Oh Yeah' 1980)
11 Lover (b-side of 'Same Old Scene' 1980)
12 Always Unknowing (b-side of 'Avalon' 1982)
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