Record Reviews

MANFRED MANN ~ RADIO DAYS VOL. 2: THE MIKE D`ABO ERA EAST CENTRAL ONE 2 (Barcode: 5060051334474) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1966 - 1969 Released: 2019 This is the second volume of an archive series collecting the BBC radio recordings by the various groups led by British keyboardist / composer / bandleader Manfred MannFind albums by this artist. This volume, recorded between 1966 and 1969 includes the recordings by the quintet lineup of Manfred Mann (the group not to be confused with the leader), which consisted of Mann on keyboards, Tom McGuinnessFind albums by this artist on guitar, Klaus VoormanFind albums by this artist on bass, Mike HuggFind albums by this artist on drums and vibraphone and finally the lead singer Mike d`AboFind albums by this artist. The album presents forty five tracks, which include songs, original announcements and interviews, altogether a superb historical glance at British Pop / Rock at its best. By early 1969 the group Manfred Mann fell apart and Mann and Hugg continued with the newly founded Manfred Mann Chapter ThreeFind albums by this artist, which is featured on the next volume of this series. In contrast to most British Pop / Rock groups at the time, Manfred Mann had a very strong Jazz / Blues background and outstanding instrumental competence, which was clearly heard in everything they played. To a trained ear it was pretty obvious that the group would rather play a more Jazz oriented material, which the constraints of the Pop idiom did not allow them to do at the time, but they did record many instrumental pieces (included here) which were bona fide Jazz material. With the explosion of the Progressive Rock, it was no surprise that Manfred Mann would follow that way full-heartedly. The music included here is a fabulous proof that they don´t make music like this any more. The melodies, the playing and the superb BBC sound are all exactly right on the money and the joy of listening to this music goes way beyond a nostalgic glimpse at the past. Overall this is an absolute must for all Manfred Mann fans and connoisseurs of British Pop / Rock of the mid to late 1960s period and a stunning historical document of the period, which should not be missed! The music was compiled by Greg RussoFind albums by this artist, who also wrote the informative booklet accompanying this album – great job mate!

Updated: 12/07/2019Posted: 10/07/2019

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