MAN

Make a review just listening to the music and alienated by the history moment, band background, etc., can be like trying to fit together a jigsaw puzzle but missing many links. In the 70's I only had the chance to know the "Back into the future" MAN album; my friend sold me some years ago this 1971 "s/t" British classic, recently I got a DVD by MAN recorded at Marquee in 1983 (with John Weathers pos GG with his yellow sports shirt on drums), good show, but where are the keyboards ? That's all I know about the band MAN so far, anyway I'll write about their 3rd 1971 (or 1970?) "s/t" album- the "Repertoire" CD says it was released originally as UK-Liberty P 1971.

1970 or 1971, this prog innovation boom year affected many rock rooted bands as example, THE WHO was taken for good luck in "Next"(1971) and "Quadrophenia". This MAN "s/t" with its most amusing fold open cover I ever seen, expanded also pretty well to prog territories. Side 1 is fantastic worth 4 stars, tracks 1 and 4 are rocking prog and track 3 totally floydish nice prog. These tracks 3 and 4 (and maybe 5) played in the seventies legendary Rio de Janeiro FM prog radio station ELDO POP as far as after 32 years I can remember (for more details about ELDO POP, please see my SATIN WHALE review). Only the 2nd track is an usual style American country rock (but good). Side 1 is great.

Side 2 is a side long "empty space" or "blank" 20 minutes ala "Umagumma" floydish psychodelic voyage with early 70's noise experiments, nothing like the structured (classic music influence) 1969 side long "Valentine Suite" by COLOSSEUM or EGG 1970 "s/t" which are GREAT. I'm not fan of these long psychedelic "blank" experiments, so I'll give only 2 stars to MAN "alchemist" 20 minutes suite; on the other hand I deeply recognize that these experiments were fundamental to the German movement develop space music which culminated with KRAFTWERCK, TANGERINE DREAM and KLAUS SCHULZE electronic and meditative music invents (that are in fashion even nowadays).

Reviewing only listening to the music, not reading the history and band background can be a trap; I can imagine a 15 yo PROG METAL fan used to heavy guitars, who never heard about Genesis feeling strange discovering "Selling England" after reading at P A that it is one of the best prog albuns ever. The young guy is probably not used to symphonic or "vegetarian" prog! Anyway only the music by itself can be enough to blow us away, or grow on after repeated listening. This "s/t" MAN is authentic, original, vivid, and only this is enough to get me very happy, I will read and listen more about MAN to discover more the band ! Probably it's difficult to classification MAN in a genre, this back cover naked woman draw album is not only psychedelic, it has its hard peak and innovative moments too.