MANFRED MANN '06: 2006

Well,when I read M.M. has a new album,my expectations were not that high,since his last REALLY good album was 30 years ago.But what the hell I have to listen here to?Nothing better than a fairly good commercial album.Tracks 1 to 4 I don't want to tell much about,the short appearence of this guy Thomas D. in the first track turned me off already.One fact is really irritating that each track is faded out.Track 5 is the first one which is rather good with some sax playing.Track 6 is starting well,but rather short and again.....faded out.It seams the intention is there to make really good music,but unfortunately not accomplished due to commercial demands.Track 7 again would be quite a good track and recalls a bit the "good old days",nice background choir and good keyboards,but altogether it remains the impression of listening to a sample (fading out!).Let's forget Track 8.Track 9 is a quite nice quiet one with more spoken lyrics (McCalla?) and nice acoustic guitar, but of course.....faded. Track 10 with Thompson on vocals could be a typical 80's Earthband song. Instead in Track 11 something more un-typical for Earthband, Gregorian choirs, one could say Enigma in a bit more rocking vein. Track 12 is the worst I heard from him since a long time. .Some cover version of a classical theme with really bad female vocals and once again Thomas D. The last track is not really a reward for the previous one.

As a summary I have to say apart from a few hopeful moments it's the worst album of M.M. I've heard since his poppy 60's era. I'm sorry for the really good musicians acting on this record, because they are really performing well but the final output is rather poor and quite commercial. 2 stars is really the maximum I can give.