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Kevin Ayers - Yes We Have No Maņanas - So Get Your Maņanas Today CD (album) cover

YES WE HAVE NO MAŅANAS - SO GET YOUR MAŅANAS TODAY

Kevin Ayers

 

Canterbury Scene

2.73 | 32 ratings

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febus
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
3 stars A RATHER PLEASANT LISTENING.

This is now 1976 and the hopes for a great successful career have evaporated for good by now.The contract of KEVIN AYERS with Island records has ended and has sadly not been renewed. Nevertheless, his old company HARVEST opened the door back to him and Kevin was back in a familiar setting he has frequented for quite a few years, earlier in his career.

Kevin back in his element offered us a new album perfectly in his image YES WE HAVE NO MANANAS.....GET YOUR MANANAS TODAY! You can't find a more KEVIN AYERS-like name, do you? Also, the design of the cover is admirably suited to his personality as we have a tropical setting with sandy beaches, bright sun, fresh fruits and gentle waves. Nothing to remind you of the collapse of the British economy in its grey brick suburbs happening at this time.

Does it mean we are going to listen to more calypso or reggae muisc?? Thanks god, no! This is still a KEVIN AYERS album, but surprisingly relatively coherent. We still have funny ditties like MR COOL or THE BALLAD OF MR SNAKE, but they are not destroying the flow of the album, but are rather pieces to enjoy, at least for me. There is absolutely nothing groundbreaking ON YES WE HAVE NO MANANAS, but a good pop/rock album with some really good numbers.

I guess KEVIN AYERS was more at peace by now, not feelling the pression he surely had to endure at Island records, trying to reach this problematic stardom that would never come.This is a relax album (Kevin has always been relax, maybe too much!!) . There are some good rockers ( a la AYERS of course) like the opener STAR or the sweet sugared ballad FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN.

However, KEVIN AYERS would prove us, he was still capable of composing absolute great songs like the last 2 from this album YES I DO and the gorgeous BLUE. These 2 songs can be seen as one as YES I DO is the perfect introduction to BLUE, a perfect piano-led BALLAD with tender vocals. You remember that the best musical moments of AYERS came when he was collaborating in the past with keyboardist/arranger DAVID BEDFORD like, for example, on THERE IS LOVING/AMONG US or LADY RACHEL.

Guess what? David is back on this track and it feels like it! The old magic is back!! BLUE is one of AYERS best ever composition with a nice athmospherique build-up, a great guitar solo and a very ''symphonique'' final with orchestra and grandiose choirs. Over 6 mns of pleasure guaranteed! That's too bad that those 2 souls didn't decide to do more music together as BEDFORD was the perfect remedy to all AYERS excesses and knew how to elevate his songs to a level Kevin couldn't reach alone.

YES WE HAVE NO MANANAS is not necessary listening, especially from a prog standpoint but nevertheless a good album to enjoy, surprisingly well balanced for an AYERS recording. I like it!! 3.5 stars......rounded to

3 STARS.

febus | 3/5 |

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