Roaring Silence (UK review - Sounds 1976)
Manfred roars into your skull
You can't keep a good Mann down and after a series of interesting but often inconsistent albums, the Manfred Mann Earth Band have come up trumps with their latest album, "The Roaring
Silence". If the inconsistent element hasn't been completely buried, there's enough positive thinking and style in evidence to quell any latent discontent. Since the last album "Nightingales and Bombers", the band have lost
guitarist and singer Mick Rogers and have replaced him with Dave Flett on lead guitar and Chris Thompson on guitar and lead vocals. The addition of these two have given the band a much sharper, more aggressive edge and nowhere is this better
shown than on the opening track, Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded By The Light", the single choice from the album which is deservedly climbing the charts. Their previous album also included a Springsteen song - "Spirits In The
Night" - and the difference in approach between the two sums up the character of the new band. Manfred has always been at his best as an interpreter (remember his interpretations in the Sixties of that other great "future of rock and
roll', Bob Dylan?) and he certainly gives Springsteen's song the works, hammering at the central riff to fix it firmly in your skull and offering the rest of the song dressed in style but never obscuring its purpose. And just before the song
drives to its climax, Manfred comes out with the simplest piano solo you ever heard in your life, the tune that every kid who ever went near a piano learnt to play - chopsticks. The cheek of it. As an opening number it's a killer. And to
show that it's no fluke the band carry on with Mike Heron's "Singing The Dolphin Through", one of that gentleman's finest compositions. Again the group adheres to the moral that it's not enough to take a song, you must give something
to it as well. The haunting chorus line is taken up by some sweet female voices and Flett offers some fine guitar work before Manfred moves into a sonorous chord sequence which is topped off by an adventurous saxophone solo from Barbara
Thompson. The last track on the first side is an instrumental recorded 'live' at the Marquee which revolves around a four chord riff but gives Mann and Flett plenty of room to spin a yarn or two before moving to a fast but slick conclusion.
All the tracks on side two are written within the band and the first of them, "On The Road to Babylon, is definitely the pick of the bunch. I was a bit hesitant at first about the heavenly choir used on this track, but my reservations
subsided after three or four listens. In any case the melody line is strong enough to carry the song by itself and there's also some more good guitar work from Flett who bites harshly over some brass arrangements. The next track, "This
Side of Paradise", rather pales in comparison both melodically and lyrically but is kept afloat by instrumental teamwork, as is the following song "Starbird", with its Gregorian sounding introduction. The piano introduction to
the final track. "Questions", sounds like a rip off of something, but I can't remember what. Anyway the song itself is something nearer full strength and the treatment is well thought out. What the album really lacks is one more
outstanding track on the second side. I happen to know that the band does a superb updated rendition of their sixties hit "Mighty Quinn" on stage and it's a pity Manfred couldn't have been induced to include it on this album. Still,
there's plenty to be getting on with and it improves with every play which is perhaps the best sign of all. Hugh Fielder
|
|||||||||||||
