"Avalon" is the eighth and final studio album by English rock band Roxy Music. Released in May 1982, the album was a significant commercial success, peaking at number one in the UK and going on to be certified Platinum. It is notable for its lush, sophisticated production - a landmark of the early 1980s sophisticated pop genre.
The album marked the end of Roxy Music's most significant period of activity after their 1972 eponymous debut album, with the band not releasing another studio album after "Avalon." Much of the album was written and recorded in Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas. Over the years, it has come to be recognized as the band's most fully realized and accomplished studio album, epitomizing the smoother, more adult-oriented sound the band had been exploring since their return in 1979.
The hit single "More Than This," the title track, and the sensual "To Turn You On" were signature tracks. Other notable singles from the album include "Take a Chance with Me" and "The Main Thing."
The album's artwork featured lead vocalist Bryan Ferry's then-girlfriend and eventual wife, Lucy Helmore, portraying the figure of the Lady of the Lake, adding to the album's mystique.
The critical and commercial success of the album further cemented Roxy Music's place in rock history. Despite this being their last studio album, the legacy of "Avalon" has continued to grow in the subsequent years, with critics and fans considering it a defining album of the 1980s.
