British music icon Bryan Ferry has unveiled plans for a huge, comprehensive solo collection.

Incoming release ‘Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023’ has been in the works for some time, and it aims to bring together some seminal hits, some incredible deep cuts, and the odd surprise, too.

Out on October 25th, the project is split into five discs, each representing a different aspect of Bryan Ferry’s solo career. It begins, aptly enough, with ‘Disc One: The Best Of Bryan Ferry’ gathering 20 essential tracks.

The second disc – ‘Disco Two: Compositions’ – examines the 1977-2014 period, and how Ferry’s craft has evolved. ‘Disc Three: Interpretations’ focusses on Bryan Ferry’s gifts as a vocalist and arranger, reinterpreting material by other artists by interpolating it into his own aura.

‘Disc Four: The Bryan Ferry Orchestra’ probes his fondness for jazz, in particular a decade-long run of work with full swing orchestras. The final disc opens the vaults – ‘Disc Five: Rare and Unreleased’ contains a version of Roxy Music’s ‘Mother Of Pearl’ recorded in the early-1990s with Ronnie Spector on backing vocals; a take on ‘Don’t Be Cruel’ bolstered by Elvis’s original rockabilly bandmates Scotty Moore and DJ Fontana; and a version of John Lennon’s knockabout smash ‘Whatever Gets You Thru The Night’.

In all, the project contains some 81 tracks – including ‘Star’, the first original Bryan Ferry song to be released in over a decade.

Available to pre-order now, it’s led by a 2024 re-imagining of Bob Dylan’s ‘She Belongs To Me’ – Dylan is a recurring touchstone in his work, and this emotive take is pristine Ferry.

The release is part of a new five track EP titled ‘Retrospective: She Belongs To Me’ – the first of three digital EP releases that will accompany ‘Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023’ over the coming months.