MAN

The second album by Welsh Psych-Prog band Man, 2 Ozs. of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle (a simple, yet clever title), was also the second of their albums to be released in 1969 following their debut, Revelation. Many recognize this year as a major turning point for progressive music, signaling the slow departure from the Avant-garde-inspired Art Music explosion within the Psychedelic movement from '66-'68, toward the longform Romantic-Classical stylings of what we now know as early (Symphonic) Progressive Rock. With the establishment of this latter compositional form, from bands like The Moody Blues and The Nice, more and more eclectic combinations occurred, resulting in such important, groundbreaking albums like In the Court of the Crimson King, Uncle Meat (The Mothers of Invention), Hot Rats (Frank Zappa), Abbey Road, The Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago), Tommy (The Who), Trout Mask Replica (Captain Beefheart), Monster Movie (Can), Phallus Dei (Amon Duul II), Valentyne Suite (Colosseum), Volume Two (Soft Machine), Mercator Projected (East of Eden), Sea Shanties (High Tide), Family Entertainment (Family), Deep Purple, Songs for a Tailor (Jack Bruce), blah blah blah, so on and so forth... Anyhow, I'll get off my weird, history-obsessed soapbox and onto the actual review haha.

And even in 1969, what a remarkable thing to not only start off one's album with a 12 minute song, but then filling out the remainder of side A with an 8 minute song to follow! In this first track, "Prelude / The Storm" , instrumental piano balladry is married with shimmering guitars, which frankly sounds surprisingly modern! When you know how Paul McCartney did it in '66, you have to wonder if they found new ways to resemble echoing seagulls haha. Psychedelia certainly shan't be damned here. Wondrous, lovely music. In the fourth minute, we crescendo to heavenly heights. A little Progressive Folk Rock perhaps? It really grooves! So much to love. Nothing in this stormy prelude could prepare us exactly for the very contemporary Blues Psych bombast that is "It Is As It Must Be", and really, can't we just all agree on this one thing? /s. What a turn! And here we also get the equally of-the-time vocals of... someone... and the beautiful, clear-as-mud fuzz tone from lead guitarist Micky Jones (no, not guitarist Mick Jones of The Clash, nor guitarist Mick Jones of Foreigner). Even in this very timely Blues Rock, we have just plain excellent performances all 'round! The rhythm section is ablaze and all the lead performances are exemplary; I really enjoyed the track, yet I must acknowledge the lack of proggings [and in this, it is certainly not alone].

Onto side B! We now have "Spunk Box", and with this title my mind goes places, but with the lyrics... Is he horned up and ready to go, or is this guy severely suicidal, or just going to off himself because of...? The results, I can imagine, could vary [picture a toothsome, though cringing emoji here; thanks]. Either way, weird, if not straight-up not good lyrics. Fun, though, somewhat reminiscent of Led Zep early on, and then after minute 3 we get a shocking lot more (not sure how to describe it other than 'lilting')! I mean, it's not not Prog haha. "My Name is Jesus Smith" is up next, which feels like yet another contemporary sentiment. These folk seem to share distinct fondness for American musical idioms as John and George Beatle (of the infamous Beatle Family Band). A spruced up Rock 'n Roll is here, matched nicely with close Pop Rock vocal harmonies and a beefed up rhythm section (one definite consistency here). Still in these Americas, as we approach the end, we get more or less some Appalachia, with Country-Western affectations and... ok, I'll stop talking out of my ass haha. I'm on to something with that, though.

As we approach the end, we get the Baroque-flavor interlude(?), "Parchment and Candles", which once again lilts, this time to the sound of soft, right-panned harpsicord. Love it! These are the sort of tracks I love to randomly happen upon in a shuffle of songs. Understated, perfectly short. This is followed by "Brother Arnold's Red and White Striped Tent", a second moment of admittedly harsh juxtaposition; gritty Blues Rock with ringing lead guitar and a marching backbeat. The title doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it? All falls away to a really fantastic solo section of Hammond and electric guitar, the latter sometimes resembling what we might identify with Tony Iommi later on. It was good, but another [in fact the weakest] lull in everything this album could have been.

I'm giving it an awfully optimistic True Rate of 3.5/5.0. Its high points were awfully high, despite it not fitting within the Progressive idioms discoverable in those great, momentous albums listed above. I regret nothing haha.

This is the last Man-studioalbum so far. Their future seems to be uncertain, because they haven´t got any gigs after Progfeast, that is next week here in Finland. Of course it´s possible they´re going to record another album. Anyway this is third album with same line-up, except keyboard player Phil Ryan left the band before recordings. Not sure was it recorded a lot before 2019, because according to wikipedia for their 50th Anniversary tour in 2018 new drummer Shane Dixon and also old keyboardplayer Malcolm Morley joined the band. Let´s see what´s the line-up in the Progfeast!

"Too Much Too Soon" opens the album in a very americana way. There are rough sounding guitars, acoustic guitar and straightforward tango drumbeat. Good song! "Still In Love and Trembling" is faster, but other way continues in a same style as the previous one. Good slide guitar in it. Some kind of tango rhythm comes back in the begin of "Manor Farm", but it changes soon to country rock ballad. But in the solo there are again those "tango hits" and it´s lasting the rest of the song. "Manor Farm" continues in the begin of "The Holy Flame Of Freedom" but soon it changes to very dark ballad. Lots of intensity in it! But we go back to the very positive atmosphere in "Walking a Tightrope With Nowhere To Fall". Very good song again!

"Isaac Newton´s Gravitational Shuffle" is almost rock´a´billy track. They have played this on their latest gigs, so really like to see faces of the progfans during this! "To Sing Rave On" adds little bit country into previous billy-vibe! Also this has been played in recent Man-concerts. "Half Way Up the Hill" goes back to the previous direction in it´s slow tempo rock. "Chains Of Sleep" is beautiful acoustic ballad reminding a lot The Byrds. "Special Education" is also very Byrds-like piece and ends this record in a very great way!

In this album Man continues the direction chosen in previous "Reanimated Memories". Before these albums they had a mix of different styles from stadium rock to country rock, but these last ones are wholly americana albums. It ´s not bad thing because also production has changed really natural sounding. All the way I like the most of these two last records from their after seventies albums. But there will be quite contrast in Progfeast between Man and the Soft Machine/Colosseum. On the other hand they will play also their old, psychedelic classic pieces. All the way there are coming great music evening!

It´s not uncommon in rock music world, that band meet big musical or personal difficulties when recording an album. That happened to Man in 2008 and recently recorded album never mixed and band splitted. After that new- born Man wiped off the parts of old members recordings and recorded new ones instead except old drummer Bob Richards parts, because they didn´t use click track into old recordings. So this album become some kind of hybrid, but still it´s quite good. New members were James Beck in guitar and Rene Robrahn in drums. According to Discogs Beck is not playing in this album, so they just seemed to wipe off old guitarist George Jones parts. Robrahn plays drums in two tracks.

"Shadow Of Hand" starts album in country rock way, that has very good, rhythmic vibe in it! "Steal the World" goes into stadiumrock direction, but sounds are quite rough, to me it´s sounds there is no bass in this track or at least it has mixed really low. I really like this song, because it has some kind of early morning atmosphere. "Iceflower" changes direction back to country rock, but it has really great melodies in it. "Russian Roulette" puts big gear on and rocks quite well with it´s brass and hammond sounding synths! In the end song goes little bit experimental direction. Instead of noise rock the title piece is old jazz track. Really enjoyable anyhow. Lyrics seem to tell about difficulties to make this record with digital equipment. "Standing In the Rain" is again straighforward rocker. In "Speak" tempo slows, but this song goes into more difficult and melodic structure. Absolutely one of the highlights! In "Chuffin` Like Muffin" we get country rock back. Cheerful piece! "Dissolve Into Despair" is most surprising song: this great melody song ends the album into bossanova rhythm!

Not sure what this albums name means, because there really is any noise in this album. Maybe it has chosen to describe the conditions of making this record. But it´s much more same kind of easy listening album as every album has been after Man´s reunion. Even band members come and go, the music seems to stay same. Anyway this is the best album after Man´s reunion so far. It started my morning in a very cheerful way! Still it´s three stars album. There is even lesser prog in this album than previous ones.

I started to listen Welsh band Man albums from the beginning this year, because they're coming into Finland to Progfeast-happening next week together with Soft Machine and Colosseum. Before I had heard only their song 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' that came from the radio in the eighties. It didn't wake my interest towards them then. Anyway I think they were quite popular in Finland at seventies, they even made 12 gig tour in Finland at 1976. The members of the group have changed a lot during the years. This was the first album without any original members. Micky Jones son George took his place, when Micky fell seriously ill and died in 2010. Also original member Deke Leonard left and his place was taken by Martin Ace's son Josh. At the moment Martin Ace is only longtime member, he become into band in it's third album.

The title song is boogie that starts album in a very cheerful and bright way. Very great guitar melodies in it! The song carries it's over 8 minutes length fully. 'All Alone' continues into very straight rock direction, but it's much more mediocre than starting song. 'Freedom Fries' is again longer and also more interesting song. It has some sixties instrumental guitar music feeling in it, but also acoustic guitar in the back. 'Twistin the Knife' is very boring stadiumrock piece. Reminds Bryan Adams. Luckily direction changes in 'Man Of Misery'. It starts with acoustic guitar, but grows slowly into sad ballad. Maybe little bit Bon Jovi into this. 'Welsh Girl' is quite typical country rock song, not bad, but maybe repeating too much it's title. Country rock direction continues in 'Thank God It's Not Miss Cathy'. 'Teddy Boys Picnic' is short rock`a`billy piece. 'When You Got Someone To Hold' is very beautiful ending to this album with it's interesting chord changes.

Man seems to be quite typical sixties/seventies band, that made it's best albums in 1971-1974. But these all their after reunion albums have been good with relaxing feeling, quite easy listening albums. I believe Man is those bands to whom people discuss endlessly 'is it prog or not'. I think they're been from the beginning connected to roots music much more than progbands like Pink Floyd, Genesis or Yes. I believe they have been soul mates to the bands like Hawkwind or Pink Fairies. I don't believe they will become my big favorites, but anyway I am going to listen rest of their albums, maybe I will surprise with some album, who knows?

Just a quickie, babe!

The Welsh band MAN released their debut album Revelation in 1969. It's mostly blues rock with a psychedelic and proggy edge. Both songs on this single come from the album. 'Sudden Life', is a very stomping and gritty blues song featuring some harmonica. I generally don't much like blues or blues rock, and the sweaty and monotonous basic nature of this song is not any exception for my disliking. However, there is a hilarious side to this performance which reminds me a bit of FAMILY's debut album Music from a Doll's House (1968).

The funky blues instrumental 'Erotica' was a minor hit in Europe, and it was banned in England (according to Alucard's album review). The music is more interesting than on 'Sudden life', slightly reminiscent of The DOORS at their bluesiest. The detail that catches the listener's attention is the sound of a woman having (= simulating) sex. Eventually a long, noisy orgasm is achieved in the end. Functions as a joke but doesn't really feel erotic. More like amateurish pornography. The music however is quite nice.

MAN, Oh Man! Where do we begin with such a prolific band of Welsh boyos whose long history stretches back over half a century in the vast kingdom of prog? Well, let's begin by travelling back in time to 1968 and the early Dawn of MAN in the lovely mining town of Merthyr Tydfil, deep in the heart of South Wales. MAN's remarkably long career has had more ups and downs than a whore's drawers and amazingly, they're still going strong well into the 21st Century with seventeen studio albums to their credit and with their latest album released as recently as 2019. MAN blasted off into orbit with their first Space Rock album "Revelation" in early 1969, which caused more controversy than a pregnant nun by featuring a simulated orgasm on the song "Erotica" (which was subsequently banned in the UK), long before Madonna struck a pose in her conical bra over two decades later with her sultry song and album of the same name. The Ascent of MAN continued with their second album, the comically-titled "2 Ozs Of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle", released in late 1969. That was followed by a string of seven back- to-back studio albums recorded during the 1970's, up until the release of "The Welsh Connection" in 1976, when MAN disconnected shortly afterwards and went their separate ways due to the age-old band problem of "artistic differences". The band reformed with a new line-up in the 1980's and released their comeback album "The Twang Dynasty" in 1992, with a further seven albums and an ever-revolving door of line-up changes taking us right up to the present day with the release of "Anachronism Tango" in 2019. MAN are arguably one of the best bands ever to emerge from Wales and they've endured almost as long as Doctor Who's TARDIS, so let's travel back through Time and Relative Dimension in Space now to the genesis of MAN-kind and delve into the secrets of "Revelation".

BOOM!! Apocalypse Now! "And in the Beginning" opens ominously to the apocalyptic sound of an atomic explosion, followed by a distant lonely organist, playing what sounds like a feeble budget-priced Bontempi organ. The haunting music conjures up a stark and forbidding image of an irradiated desolate landscape - similar to a typical day during the coronavirus lockdown - where the chances of coming across another living person are about as remote as finding a moderate member of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Mullah Lite, perhaps? It's not all doom and gloom though, as there's some Man-sized prog on the way. Forget the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. These are the Five Welshmen of Man, and they're charging right at you with all guns blazing. Take a look at the powerful message contained within these portentous lyrics:- "The ageless face of time, Smiles carefree and is gone, And in its wake leaves nothing, Save future yet to come, And out of fire and time, A world is born and lives, A world still young and virgin, Its face yet to be scarred, And they created man." ..... This Psychedelic/Space Rock extravaganza is a real blast! The music features a triumphal marching rhythm with some hippyish Good Vibrations from the spaced-out psychedelic guitarist. There's also a sombre organ and spoken word passage thrown in for good measure too, giving the music a sense of added drama and gravitas - just like the newsreader back in 1969 who had to keep a seriously straight face when he announced that the Vietnamese villages of Phuoc Me and Ban Me Tuat had just been bombed by the American airforce. Maybe the newsreader had a few choice words of his own for his news-team after being given that particular story to read out.

Bursting onto the scene now is "Sudden Life", a quite extraordinary two-part song that opens as a basic British Blues number with a pounding rhythmic 4/4 beat, but then goes completely off the rails - a bit like this album review - and descends into a Crazy Train acid trip to hell and back. The music's crazier than rats in the attic nibbling on a diet of Bananas, Fruitcake and Nuts, not to mention the maniacal singer who sounds like he's away with the fairies in a straitjacket. The men in white coats are coming to take him away, Ha-haaa! Next, we hear the long-drawn-out echoing cry of H-E-L-L-O-O-O from a man in an "Empty Room", which just happens to be the title of the third song on the album, appropriately enough. On the contrary though, it turns out "Empty Room" is a fabulous Full House of scintillating Psychedelic Rock in the style of Jefferson Airplane and Big Brother & the Holding Company, with the male vocalist sounding remarkably like a curious cross between Janis Joplin and Grace Slick on this tripping flower-power song. Maybe he was wearing an extra-tight pair of trousers on that particular day to help him reach those really high notes. The band have come up trumps again with straight Aces in this psychedelic freak-out. It's time now for some gloriously pompous prog with the anthemic sound of "Puella! Puella!" (Latin for "Girl! Girl!"). There are no lyrics as such, but there's some wonderful choral harmonising to be heard from the five-piece Welsh choir of Man. Wow, Oh Wow! They're so incredible! This band of boyos have enough awesome vocal power between them to fill an entire cathedral. This tremendous album of classic Proto-Prog is turning out to be just as reliable and dependable as a 200- year-old Volkswagen Beetle that starts up first time after being found abandoned in a sea cave. Remember Woody Allen's "Sleeper" movie?

Turn the lights down low now, because we're getting in a smoochy lovey-dovey mood for some deep and meaningful "Love", a lilting melancholic refrain with the lovelorn heart-broken singer in full romantic balladeer mode, so get those Man-sized tissues at the ready. Listen out again for the very occasional, helium-induced, high-pitched vocals, which brings to mind the Hee Bee Gee Bees classic, "Meaningless Songs in Very High Voices". And now we come to the positively orgasmic and orgiastic "Erotica", a song with more gasps and groans than an Emmanuelle movie, or a Wimbledon tennis tournament. It's steamier than a Joan Collins movie, or a bodice-ripping Jackie Collins novel. It's easy to see why "Erotica" was banned in Britain in the not so permissive sixties, although having a song banned in the U.K never did the Sex Pistols or Frankie Goes to Hollywood any harm. This rather racy and risque tune is hotter than Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin's lustful "Je T'Aime" and Donna Summer's extended 12-inch "Love to Love You Baby" put together. The manic musical Viagra of "Erotica" is an unrestrained psychedelic organ and guitar jamboree from beginning to end, although it doesn't quite reach the zany level of insanity of Aphrodite's Child's "Infinity", which has to be a good thing. And so, after that hot and steamy love-fest of amorous fun and frolics, it's time for a cold shower now.

Onto Side Two now and the "Blind Man" is leading the way. It's a two-part song, beginning with a rabble-rousing burst of boogie-woogie piano, but then plunging into a dark mournful tale of loneliness and despair with these plaintive, emotionally- wrought lyrics:- "From my window in the alley I see life, Passing below, So very far away, And it doesn't really matter much to me, I've nothing to think of, No words to say, And the only answer seems to be that life, Is lying there waiting, To take my life away." ..... This impassioned song is a real tearjerker with the powerfully-emotive singer pouring out his heart and soul in this suicidal tale, that's even sadder than being a member of an N-SYNC tribute band. Onto a real album highlight now with "And Castles Rise in Children's Eyes", a classically-inspired prog-tastic spectacular - featuring some heavenly harmonisation - that's built around the grandiose majesty and splendour of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, and it doesn't come much grander than that! It's time for some heavy Heavy Prog, as storming into view right now is "Don't Just Stand There (Come in Out of the Rain)", a non-stop artillery barrage of sonic nirvana and pounding machine-gun percussion. This tremendously-rousing Top Gun music is as awe-inspiring as a screaming F-14 Tom-Cat - piloted by Tom Cruise - swooping down on Biggles down below in his sputtering Sopwith Camel. And now for something completely different: "Missing Pieces", a manic melange of chaotic noises that sounds crazier than a Monty Python sketch, or as mad as a March Hare at the Mad Hatter's tea party. It's probably best to skip this wacky "song" altogether and move onto "The Future Hides It's Face" which brings us right back to where we started from with the tinny sound of the Bontempi organ featured in the introduction again. We're at Mission Control in Houston in 1969 for this spectacular out-of-this-world Space Rock extravaganza as we blast off into orbit with actual recordings from the Apollo missions. The Eagle Has Landed!

In the beginning, God created Man, and Man created Prog, and it was Good..... Man have blasted off into Space Rock heaven with their dazzling debut album of psychedelic Proto-Prog. It's one small step for Man, one giant leap for Prog-kind!

I understand this group being on here but I'd say this is more mainstream rock than pure prog. I like the description hippie prog I read in one of the reviews and they really remind me of the songs I've heard from the somewhat contemporary band Phish. I really like this album and I think this is the first of four good listening records from this Welsh product. These guys are creative and really don't sound like anyone out there during their heyday. Angel Easy and Many are Called but Few Get Up are highlights for me.

I can pull this out every year or so and be entertained

Not my favorite from Man, in fact it's my least favorite. I don't know what happened, but this came out just six months after Rhinos, Whinos and Lunatic, and that was a rather good album, so I really felt Slow Motion was a letdown. I dig the Mad Magazine spoof (you can see a bit of Alfred E. Neuman's face on the upper left hand corner). Seems that Rick Griffin did the artwork, same guy responsible for the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service at the Fillmore West posters, and naturally, the Dead's Aoxomoxoa. He also designed the Neutrons band logo (as they were a Man spinoff), and even the Man logo for Maximum Darkness. I really found much of the material on Slow Motion didn't do much for me. The psychedelic and prog elements seemed to have evaporated, and same for any decent jams, so what on earth went wrong? Not one song left an impression on me, unlike the much superior Rhinos album. Call me strange, but I found their next studio album (and their last for some time), The Welsh Connection a much more enjoyable album, even if it has a reputation as being one of their worst 1970s albums (which I can't agree on). The following album to Slow Motion, Maximum Darkness was also a giant improvement, but to be fair it was live, which had them performing previously released material, plus a cover of a Buffy Ste. Marie song. To me, I give Slow Motion a pass. Love the Mad Magazine spoof, that's about it

I know that Man was frequently of a divided personality, and I can generally lay blame on the band members who appear to have conflicting tastes, it's little wonder it's a miracle if they keep the same lineup for more than one album, kinda like Hawkwind (who also happened to share the same label, and even billing with them at one time). At least Hawkwind has been pretty consistent in what they done, you know what to expect. With Man, it's obvious that they're divided by blues, country, and '50s favored rock and rollers, and extended proggy and psychedelic piece, on the same album, no less, so it does make for a jarring experience, and nothing shows that more than their third album, a self-entitled album from 1971 on Liberty. This album was the first to bring in drummer Terry Williams, who, in the 1980s, found his fame and fortune in Dire Straits (he joined in 1982 just right after Love Over Gold came out). The album starts with "Romain", which apparently death with police treatment in Belgium, it's a blues-oriented rocker. This doesn't sound too encouraging. Worst is the next song, "Country Girl". Here they go all country on us, complete with pedal steel guitar, from Deke Leonard. What were they trying to do here? Get on the Grand Ole Opry? But then they take a drastic turn in direction, to my relief, for the next song, "Would the Christians Wait Five Minutes? The Lions are Having a Draw", much more in the psychedelic vein. How was this done by the same band? "Daughter of the Fireplace" is by far the best rocker on this album, I especially like that use of "liberty bell" in the middle. "Alchemist" clocks in at 20 minutes, and it's a really strange piece, it's as if Man was going all Krautrock on us. There's some nice use of glissando guitar (I'm sure was Deke Leonard using his pedal steel guitar in a similar manner that Daevid Allen did with his standard guitar). Pretty strange and ominous, might not be to everyone's liking. It's really obvious just how uneven this album is, it wouldn't be the first choice for the uninitiated (try Be Good To Yourself At Least Once a Day first), so it's one of those approach with caution albums.

- The First Review Of This Album -

The Welsh legend MAN have made a new 60½-minute album. On ground of hearing a couple of their 90's works that were oriented to "let's have a good time" rock 'n' roll, my expectations were not high. Not that MAN has ever meant that much to me anyway. But I recognize a pleasant album even if the band in question, or the style they represent, wasn't among my favourites, and Reanimated Memories is fairly good for most of the time. The line-up is Josh Ace (g, voc), Martin Ace (b, voc), Phil Ryan (org, p, voc), James beck (g, voc) and René Robrahn (dr). I'm not a connoisseur of this band but I'm especially glad of Phil Ryan who participated in my favourite MAN era (e.g. Be Good To Yourself At Least Once a Day, 1972) and together with another MAN man, bassist Will Youatt, formed a relatively short-lived and criminally forgotten band NEUTRONS in mid-70's.

From the brief liner notes: "The songs are about time, love, the absence of God and all the other rock 'n' roll subjects". The Martin Ace -penned opener 'The Ballad of Billy Lee' tells a story of a man who fought in the US Civil War. Finished with B.J.Cole's pedal steel, the song is quite country-ish but nicely moody. 'No Solution' is a pretty harmless mid-tempo rock song coloured by the presence of piano. The obvious highlight - for me at least - is Phil Ryan's 10½-minute composition 'In Time'. Starting and ending in a more lively tempo with fuller lyrics and slowing down in the middle to a very dreamy and spacey soundscape with just the words "in time" repeated over and over, this piano-centred track is enjoyable like a foam bath.

B.J. Cole's pedal steel adds the country flavour again on the next two songs that are listenable but not really my cup of tea at all. 'Ordinary Man' is credited to Phil Ryan and his long-time collaborator Pete Brown. The song per se is pretty harmless in its slight tongue-in-cheek attitude, but a good amount of piano and the very balanced production (concerning the whole album) make it a nice one.

The second best track is Martin Ace's final track 'All the Birds' which is slowish, relaxed and emotional. All in all this surely isn't a spectacular album from prog's point of view, it may include too much of the American country-rock flavour and too little echoes of the band's better Space Rock days, but it's a very satisfying and dignified work from a greying group who don't need to convince anyone anymore.