Manfred Mann Chapter Three (Melody Maker Dec 6 1969)

This article first appeared in Platform End No 6, Spring 1995

"This is the first time for years that I've been able to go on stage holding my head high and not come off embarrassed"

Audiences who go to hear Manfred Mann Chapter Three had better be prepared for anything - including formless, themeless, chordless, tempoless freak-outs.

But in the jungle of widely varying sounds created by the band there is almost certain to be something for everyone to enjoy, because that's one result of the very liberal policy Manfred and Mike Hugg have towards their new band.

"I like to think that what we're doing sounds different and original," says Manfred, at the same time explaining that he didn't want the statement to sound pompous or egocentric.

Chapter Three have already been described, with some justification, as typical of the new synthesis of jazz and rock. How does Manfred feel about the jazz tag?

Dancing.

"I don't think of it as a jazz outfit. We've all got past trying to prove to everybody that we can play. The sort of musicians we have in our band don't think of themselves as jazz or pop musicians anymore. The beautiful thing is that the guys come out of the Archie Shepp side of jazz, rather than the Ben Webster side. They're not playing 1950's jazz any more, and Bernie Living, our altoist, says that he doesn't even want to play in a jazz group again. His record collection contains albums by people like Pink Floyd and the Mothers, and Mike and I are the same. We dig Ornette and so forth, but then we might also dig pretty pop songs - after all we've been writing and recording them for years."

"We're trying to put it all together and just play it. In rehearsal today we got into an Albert Ayler-ish thing, with everybody clapping along, and at Bath University recently, where the audience were in tuxedos and long dresses, we played a number on which the whole band freaked out, with no chords or rhythm - just noise."

"And the people dug it - because it didn't last too long and it was just a section of a set which also included rather more conventional songs. If we freaked out for half an hour and then walked off they wouldn't have dug it at all, but as part of the set it was fine."

"At the Roundhouse last weekend we even got people dancing to it! That's what I like about the album - it has a lot of contrast, and songs like 'Ain't It Sad' and 'Sometimes' are cute little numbers which take the edge off the rest. Out of context they'd probably be ridiculous, but in the album they're right."

Embarrassed.

Is he happy with the way the album turned out? "Obviously there are things one would change or leave out, but overall it reflects what we wanted it to be. We're trying to go in and play without preconceptions."

After five years of pop stardom, is he bothered about the sales of the album? "Well, obviously one is concerned to a certain extent - and Philips seem to be happy about it, so I am too. You know this is the first time for years that I've been able to go on stage holding my head high and not come off embarrassed. For years I've been lying on stage."

How does he feel about being back 'on the road' again? "Well it's funny, but for a long time we waited for the moment we could stop touring. Now Mike and I find ourselves sitting in a little cafe at four in the morning eating eggs and chips and really digging it."

Chapter Three's early gigs were not, however without their hang-ups. Manfred reports:

"We had a lot of problems with the sound to start with. The trouble with amplifying the brass, and Mike sings very softly anyway. In fact to start with the response we got varied according to how good the sound was, but we seem to have it sorted out."

Happy.

"And that's what it's all about, now playing live."

From the tone of his voice, Manfred sounded happy to be back in musical harness. And judging by the way the album is selling, the world seems ready to greet its wailing infant - Manfred Mann Chapter Three.

Manfred Mann "Chapter Three: Volume Two" (Vertigo) - Album Review

Mike Hugg blossoms out - even further. On the second Chapter Three album, he dominates with his strange, plaintive Dylanesque vocals and stone lyrics.

The material is no less heavy and anarchistic than before, but there is some respite from the mood of menace with songs like 'I Ain't Laughing.'

There is angry discord and modern jazz type freaking-out with the horns in the best Albert Von Slipperbath tradition, for example during 'Poor Sad Sue' when the violin and horns cry and bleat like harshly treated orphans piglets - a most stimulating sound incidently.

'Jump Before You Think' is percussive and Steve York grumbles impatiently on bass. 'It's Good To Be Alive' is a typical Chapter Three feel - slow, moody and some what despondent. Side two has a long track, 'Happy Being Me' which achieves nice backing vocals passages and grooves along with some intimation of hope.

Plenty of room for stomping and Hot Rats type blowing. But it's not as interesting or satisfying as that album. The horn solos here are particularly aimless and often irritating, and simply serve to prove jazzers can play more crap than any happy guitar picker bashing out the blues.

On 'It's Good To Be Alive' Manfred plays some energetic organ and fades out with some indecisive piano.

Much hard work has gone into producing an ambitious project and more power to the elbows of Manfred and Mike Hugg. But one feels they could produce tighter, more satisfying sounds with a smaller line-up and tougher rhythm section.

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