This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Bryan Ferry has never met a song he didn’t like — or want to cover.
From his unique takes on gems by Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones to classics like You Are My Sunshine, the erstwhile Roxy Music frontman always seems to appreciate a good tune even if he didn’t write it. As Time Goes By is his fourth all-covers solo outing (in addition to two that were mostly covers). It’s also his most ambitious and cohesive set to date, consisting of classic tunes from the ’30s and ’40s, rendered more or less authentically with plenty of strings and period-appropriate arrangements. Which is not to call it predictable — Ferry, as always, puts a fresh spin on the material, giving ballads like Lover Come Back To Me a ragtime bounce or turning I’m In The Mood For Love into a sweeping bossa nova. And of course, his icy-cool cabaret croon has a frail sophistication unlike any other vocalist in rock. Some of his cover discs have seemed like catch-as-catch-can stopgaps, but it’s clear he’s put plenty of effort, thought, and — yes — time into As Time Goes By. It’s worth yours.
