GEOFF MANN

The late Geoff Mann was the legendary and charismatic singer of Twelfth Night in its glory days.

Historical background: Geoff had a religious experience which set him on the road towards becoming a pastor, and during his theology studies, where he also had to run his household, while his wife was earning the money, he didn't see much of the outside world and made some albums in those days which were, in retrospect, and in his own words, a bit like "navel - gazing".

This album is his comeback - album, though, in several ways. Not only did he find contact again with the outside world, and did he form a real live band again, but also, for the first time since his Twelfth Night days, he made some steps towards progressive rock.

That is not to say that the whole album is progressive. No, the first five songs are just pop / rock, though with intelligent lyrics. For example, "Bashan Beef" is about materialism and "What's In A Name" is about the value of a name and the way in which you use it.

The real gem on this cd is "The Waking Dawn", an epic with different segments, about a city which lived in the dark. Geoff's christian belief's come to the surface quite clearly in this cd, but not in a way that it would irritate people. Geoff said that he didn't want to converse people with his music, but every artist sings about what is important to him / her. But Geoff does it very imaginatively, especially in "The Waking Dawn".

Don't expect "The Waking Dawn" to be an epic like some epics you heard before. Geoff was really beginning to think progressive again, and the last thing he wanted was (and now I quote from Geoff Mann himself) "songs about hobbits on drugs, in some weird time signature". "The Waking Dawn" almost sounds like industrial prog in some places, a very modern sound, because Geoff really wanted to create something new. It is therefore that "The Waking Dawn" doesn't even resemble great Twelfth Night epics like "We Are Sane" and "The Collector".

This cd was an important move back towards progressive rock, and that would even get more in the latest phase of his life, where he made the amazing full prog - album Casino with Clive Nolan, continued with some very artistic music with Marc Catley, and where he made a stunning avant -garde solo cd called Second Chants . But Ministry Of The Interior is his comeback - album, in a way.

The late great Geoff Mann's dark album Second's Chants is a pure study in itself and not for the young at heart. This album has some serious issues and although a tad on the bizarre still has an overall vibe of greatness. There is a fiar chunk of "talking" on this album so it may not appeal to all prog heads. The hlf of the album that is music is awesome.....and without a question "Apathetic and here I" is one of my personal favourite prog songs of all time. On this album he sings with IQ's Peter Nicholls. If you can find this gem get it !

As i suppose before write this no previous reviews about this great artist (writer, singer, painter, priest...), he still be a bit unknow but this man was (he died of cancer in 1993) one of the best voices of 80´s and first 90's Geoff is most know for his work in U.K´s prog band TWELFTH NIGHT, also after leaving T.N. he started a solo career with other musicians, like Peter Nicholls, Clive Nolan (CASINO), Marc Catley, THE BOND, A GEOFF MANN BAND.... but maybe this album is his most complete solo work till he died the musical style can be described like a pop-prog or simple pop, most of the lyrics are about god or religion but in fact this question doesn´t matter at all, don´t expect boring slow songs with acoustic guitar singing how happy i´m with me or this kind of things... for me the best of Geoff MANN is what you fell with the voice, maybe not the best voice of the world, but very personal and honest and if we sit down and think about this is exactly what a song have to do: makes you feelas a curiosity several years after Geoff´s death a tribute album was recorded by a lot of friends and bands who knows Geoff or work with him, this album was called "Mannerisms" (A Celebration Of The Music Of Geoff MANN) and includes covers of Geoff songs performed by EH!, PALLAS, IQ, GALAHAD, Marc CATLEY & PALEY´S WATCH, FLAP, EDEN BURNING, PENDRAGON, JADIS, TWELFTH NIGHT and Clive NOLAN & Alan REED R.I.P.