Manfred Mann '2006' Now
Manfred Mann in interview with Andy Taylor
Lets talk about '2006'. This, of course, is the first studio album since 1996 and 'Soft Vengeance'. So why call it '2006' when it has in fact only taken eight years to make and not ten.
"It's just a stupid thing to do," Manfred explained. "It looks wrong and yet it's only slightly out." So with that now crystal clear I asked why it was Manfred Mann '2006' featuring
Manfred Mann's Earth Band "Some of the tracks reflect my personal taste and not that of the band." He told me. " Manfred wanted this to be his album and like other good albums over the years, it
very much is, his album. Some of the tracks were recorded live in the studio, without rehearsal, and this gives the album a very nice groove. The first thing you might notice is he has visited certain things again.
'Mars' for example gets a very different treatment. Many of you will have heard the live version of this. Then there is 'Sexual Jealousy' again.
"I always felt I hadn't done 'Jealousy' credit. I spent weeks and weeks trying to do a new version, but it didn't work so I threw it out.
Then just before we finished the album I did it again with Dean Heart and just got the right mood. It was good for me, my favourite
thing on the album. Barbara Thompson has a great sax solo on it. It's possible we might do a version of Jealousy live." So how did he set about making this album?
Manfred explained that they got together some very strong classical themes and wrote songs over them. They borrowed from composers such as
Rimsky Korsakov and Gustav Holst. Part of the thinking behind this was that Manfred does not consider himself to be a very good writer. He also
finds it more and more difficult to find new songs to interpret. By using the classical themes this gave him strong enough material to work with.
'Demons and Dragons' is two songs. One he heard on a Jimmy Nail TV series, which was once also part of the instrumental interlude, 'Marche
Slave'. The other part comes from The Super Furry Animals. There is also a very nice; 'Dragons' reprise, to finish the album on which Manfred plays a very nice organ solo. Manfred agrees enthusiastically;
"I learnt after 40 years that the volume control is not for volume it's for accent, DUH.'
'Monkmann' another track recorded early uses samples by a group of Russian Monks, who call themselves Art Chorale. They also appear on 'Mars'
and 'Get Me Out Of This'. 'Monkmann' has its origins in a Russian medieval folk song and was at one time eleven minutes long.
One of my favourite tracks on the album is 'Frog'. Like many good tracks over the years it is interesting how 'Frog' came about. "We had this Russian Orthodox theme which we called Easter Overture, over which I wrote a song."
"There is no time to stand and stare" (Manfred plays a bit on his keyboard rig and sings along. I'm afraid to say it sounded rather good too!
And the chorus went "I don't care about the future." We spent ages on it and it just didn't work. But I loved the theme and just
couldn't throw it away. So Dean tried singing the song and Noel also did it and it still didn't work. Then, I tried to speak the words
and that just sounded suicidal. So I thought why not tell my Frog joke. I made it all sound a bit ancient and mystical and used a
kind of James Bond style mix of Easter Overture . Mick plays a fantastic guitar solo in the middle. He plays really well on the whole album."
'Down in Mexico' started out as a pop song and once again there are many versions. I got the distinct impression however that much of the music
that ended up not considered good enough to be included on the album was what took the time. At one point Manfred told me he had wasted two
years with various producers, getting too far away from the original feel. Effectively he had to go back to earlier mixes and start again.
Talking about the difficulties in finishing the album, Manfred gave me a list of old chestnuts that clearly irritate him.
Old Chestnut 1: People say stuff is over produced. "Everyone who works with me knows I try to keep it as simple as possible. As little
as possible often works, it often sounds neater and cleaner, but sometimes when you put more on it sounds better. There is no simple rule"
Old Chestnut 2: You really ought to do it quickly. "Perhaps I'm just not that good. An album lasts for ever and I have to live with it."
Manfred does concede however, that some good stuff does get left off along the way. We talked briefly about a song called 'India', which he agrees had a nice theme. Once again a great deal of time was spent on in the studio.
"Somehow it wasn't quite good enough or perhaps it just didn't fit."
'Independent Woman' is perhaps one of the most unusual tracks to find on a Manfred Mann album. This is another track Manfred did lots of versions of. He has always loved the rap.
"Dean sang it to start with as a demo", Manfred explained. "It sounded good so we kept it. Almost by accident, it has a classical theme, this time Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto".
I told Manfred I liked 'Independent Woman' but wasn't sure why. "It has that universal pop quality," he explained. "which is hard to pin down. Some songs have it. Like 'Girls just want to have fun'
and 'Locomotion'. Anyway I like it and it's my album." I also told him I didn't quite understand it! "You don't need to understand it Andy," I was firmly told.
Manfred is working on a single version of 'Independent Woman' for the New Year. I asked about Thomas D's involvement on the album. Manfred went to Thomas D's studio in Cologne to record his contributions to the album. His
German rap has been included on the UK release, but some versions may not include it on 'Independent Woman' or even on 'Demons'. Thomas D will
not be on the single. There are apparently about three versions of '2006', the German release, Scandinavian and World versions. There is very little
difference between each version, other than the inclusion or exclusion of Thomas D, however it should keep the real collectors busy.
As I have already mentioned, some of the tracks were recorded live by MMEB. There is some great singing by Noel and the return of Chris on lead
vocals on 'Two Friends'. His familiar voice is also noticeable on other tracks. This for me then feels very much like a proper Earth Band album, in the
same way that 'Chance' and 'Afrika' did. The main songs, are interspersed with some nice short instrumental tracks, some of these taken from
earlier songs that didn't, for some reason, work. Perhaps because Manfred chose to go back to the unrehearsed takes for some of the tracks it has
a very live feel. Manfred argues strongly that I am wrong and very misguided, however I remain convinced that particularly on some of the more
recent albums, they were better about a year or two before they finally escaped. I mention 'Masque', 'Tango' and 'Vengeance' in my defence.
I do not get that feeling with '2006'. Despite the length of time it has taken Manfred to finish, it sounds to me to be fresh, modern and easy to listen to.
There are lots of interesting things going on, and although instantly likeable, the album becomes better and better the more you listen to it.
Whilst I am certain there is some good stuff lying about on the cutting room floor, (Something else Manfred vigorously denies) I would have been very
pleased with the finished album, if I had put the final track list together. For me it's also about the right length for a CD, I find that albums are often too
long these days, resulting in the listener losing the feel of an album and ending up with just a collection of songs. I am a great believer in bands
putting out the outtakes for the serious fans as a separate album instead. I will try my hardest to persuade Manfred to do this, but I wouldn't hold
your breath. The trouble is he doesn't believe a lot of the stuff that didn't make it, is good enough.
'Soft Vengeance' although there are some really good tracks on it, felt a little safe for my taste, whereas I feel a lot of experimentation has gone into
this album. Manfred seems to have found a good balance between a traditional MMEB album and something a bit new and different. That is one of
the biggest reasons no doubt why it has taken so long. As well as a live and spontaneous feel, the album uses drum machines and drum loops to great effect.
If I had one very minor criticism, one or two fades are a bit sudden to me. I asked Manfred if they would play more of it live. He said they had tried
'Demons and Dragons' and it just didn't work. Noel might however do an acoustic version of it live. I must admit I was disappointed about this. What
has happened to the days when the new album got featured a lot on tour? What makes it worse is that so much of this album is crying out to be
played live. 'Monkmann', would be a great opener. They could all come on stage in monk's habits. 'Down in Mexico', 'Jealousy', 'Demons', 'Get Me
Out Of Here', 'Mars' and 'Two Friends' all screaming to be given the live treatment.
'Marche Slave' could be a new intro to 'Blinded'. If I am allowed to dream just for a minute I imagine 'Frog' playing to a film of a man not unlike Manfred
to look at, rowing his old boat across an ancient lake with a cute cartoon frog for company. In short, to a fool like me, this album more than a lot of
others lends itself to being played live. It has that kind of atmosphere. Perhaps that is why I am so pleased with it. Even 'Independent Woman', not
an obvious live track, would sound great coming in on tape at the end of the show.
'2006' is likely to be the last album of its type from Manfred. He is finding it more and more difficult, he says, to make albums like this. If it isn't going to change the fortune of the band then he wonders what the point is.
"I'm a keyboard player, I don't sing, so the whole thing is a bit hit and miss" He has enjoyed working with Dean Hart though, so it is possible, if unlikely that he may have a change of heart.
For now he is working on some instrumental stuff. He played us a little bit of a very famous tune on the piano and it sounded really good. It did not
sound very much like the famous tune in question, which I think, is the whole idea. I am not sure how long this is going to take but at least we still have new stuff to look forward to.
Then there is a TV show coming up with Chris Thompson. The plan is to do 'Davy', but Manfred has two minutes to fill leading up to the main song.
So we watch him practice and build backing tracks around 'Do Wah Diddy' and 'Pretty Flamingo' with just a little hint of 'Quinn', over which he plays some serious keyboard solos.
I am going to regret telling everyone this next bit I just know I am. One of the high spots of our visit to the Waterworks was when he got one of the
old and more battered Mini Moogs out. Somehow as good as he had been sounding on other keyboards that afternoon, an extra little ingredient fell
back into place and we were treated to some serious Moog soloing. He explained for my son Thomas's benefit, because he is much brighter than
me, that the old Moog is very limiting. In laymen's terms I think you need three hands to get the best out of one of these things and only two on
modern keyboards. Anyway that makes no real sense to me because it sounded sublime and I have decided that the only reason it is hard to tell Manfred's newer keyboards, is because of his distinctive style.
So I left the Waterworks even more in love with the Moog and humming 'Do Wah Diddy'. Oh well, I suppose nothing changes that much. That's kind of where I came in.
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