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A Yawn in your (new y)ear
Just days before Christmas, Ebenezer Scrooge, disguised ever so cunningly as me, got to see the ghosts of Manfred past and came ever so close to glimpsing a few ghosts from the future.
I wasn't planning to go to any of the 'Quo' gigs, for lots of different reasons. For a start, surprise, surprise, there was as usual,
no Liverpool gig or even a Manchester one, meaning I would have to travel to Birmingham or Sheffield. Then there was Status
Quo. Sorry Quo fans, please, please, please forgive me, but I have never been big on Quo, although I quite like their song and the way they vary
the words so much, is ever so clever. Sadly their presence offered absolutely no incentive, to travel such a long distances. The next reason
was our much loved MMEB. It is a long way to go for a fifty minute set and well for me, there was another tiny problem.
Let me go on by saying that MMEB have continued to be one of the best live rock bands out there. The trouble is, and this is only my opinion, but
when MMEB are at their very best, I actually think they are the best live rock band out there! Trouble is, for me they just have not been at their very best for a while now.
Before you all gang up and hunt me down, remember it's only my opinion and I know nothing. The audience certainly did not agree, the last time I
saw them play live, because they got a standing ovation for goodness sake. That was at The Stables in Milton Keynes.
There was one other huge, massive, humungous reason I planned to stay at home this time. I passionately hated the idea of my band (sorry, I
mean our band) playing support to any other band. I don't just mean Quo either. I saw Queen and Paul McCartney last year. Both were brilliant, no
they were bloody fantastic, but listen, if we are talking live rock music, MMEB playing at their very best would have effortlessly blown them both away.
You see when you have been lucky enough to see MMEB in any of its manifestations, playing at their very best, then you have the measurement
from which to judge any other rock band. Earth Band set the mark. Think I have finally gone mad? Well I am prepared to bet lots of you out there
do the same. You see, over the years we have been spoilt with good quality sound, good material and above all superb musicianship. Many more famous bands struggle to even get the sound right.
Of course I understood all the arguments for doing the gigs with 'Quo'. I actually know how wrong I am feeling the way I do. After all, the tour has
given MMEB invaluable exposure in the UK. I like to think I am a man of principles. However despite my moral high ground, it took very little arm
twisting to change my mind! My expectations of the gig remained extremely low, but I was excited about seeing everybody again. (I have made so
many fantastic friends, thanks to my involvement with MMEB.) So on Wednesday the 17th December, I boarded a train across the Pennines for Sheffield.
So let us first discover the ghosts of rock music past. MMEB came on stage and simply blew me and the rest of a packed Sheffield arena away.
This was MMEB at their absolute best; better than best, all the magic back and bucket loads more. The sound was crystal clear and absolutely perfect and they were louder too. The world's best live rock band was back.
As I mentioned before, the set was short, restricted to around fifty minutes, but it was perfectly structured. 'Captain Bobby Stout' is a brilliant
opener and I just love the new arrangement. Manfred's keyboard playing was as good as I've ever heard him play, (1968 to date!!!). He has a new
keyboard and told me later, that it has taken him a while to get the sound, as he wanted it. It may not be a Moog, but it was producing some wonderful Moog like sounds.
'Castles' came next and Mick was on fine form. He was obviously enjoying himself and played brilliantly. There is nobody else I know who can
make you smile, laugh out loud, or break your heart, in one short emotional roller coaster of a guitar solo. Then there is Steve on bass. He has just
got better and better over the years, and just when you think he's got so good, that it is impossible for him to get any better, somehow he does.
Noel has got to be one of the best vocalists in any rock band. Again his vocals were stunning and he charmed the huge audience. He handled the
sudden power cut, towards the end of 'Blinded', with a mix of good humour and professionalism. The band endeared themselves to an initially
disinterested Sheffield crowd with a blistering demonstration of classic rock. 'Castles' was quickly followed by 'Martha', 'Blinded', 'Redemption
Song', 'Davy' with a little 'Do Wah Diddy' thrown in, and of course 'Quinn. As a result of those fifty minutes, Sheffield gave Manfred Mann's Earth Band a standing ovation.
So why are they playing at the very top of their game again? Remember what I said before, I know nothing, but for me a lot of the reason, rests
firmly on the shoulders of Jimmy Copley, the band's new drummer. Earth Band has always been a demanding gig for any drummer (I remember
John Trotter explaining that to me one night, and Richard Marcangelo's hands bleeding after one of his first gigs.) There have been some bloody good drummers, over the years.
Jimmy in the engine room made everything sound sharp, new, fresh and exciting. Most importantly, the energy so vital to this band, is back. Jimmy
and Steve make up a partnership, as good as any from the band's illustrious past, freeing up Mick and Manfred to bounce off each other and play their socks off.
A couple of hardened Quo fans sat just behind me were obviously shocked at how good this band was. I suspect most of the people in Sheffield
arena that night were not expecting that. So if you thought this band might just be past its best, then you are oh so very wrong. If you didn't go to
one of the Quo gigs for any reason, you missed the best MMEB of the decade, so far and some of the best ever. Reports coming in, from other
concerts, tell a very similar story. There was a fantastic buzz backstage too. Even the band were pleased with their performance and that is saying something.
Now let's examine the ghost of Manfred's future. I am, as always, excited about his next project. We all look forward to the next album. I know he
is going into new territory with this one. On the Thursday morning, he offered to play me a few tracks, providing I promised to keep it all under my
hat, for just a little longer. Of course I gave my word and my lips are sealed. Still, it would be nice, if I could at least tell you how excited you should now be, only frustratingly I can't.
We sat down with Manfred's laptop. You can imagine how excited I was. I always am when there is something new to be heard. Every single
track came up, file not found! So I'm afraid the ghost of the future escaped me for now. I am also still unable to tell you when it will be released.
About six tracks claim to be finished, but I'm not convinced anything is ever quite finished.
'Watch' the DVD
Since I last wrote a Yawn, there have been two significant DVD releases. The first is 'Watch the DVD'. Older fans like me, may have seen poor
quality copies of the band miming to the 'Watch' album, presumably made to promote the album at the time. Despite the miming, this is a brilliant set
of tracks, now also with excellent quality sound and picture. 'Watch' was one of MMEB's best and biggest selling albums and the DVD adds
another dimension. Most of the album was filmed, although for some reason the classic 'Martha's Madman' which made its debut here was
omitted. The record company have gone to the trouble of adding 'Martha', using the famous, slightly blood thirsty cartoon from the live show as a
backdrop. 'Blinded by the Light' was included in the filmed set, although of course not from the 'Watch' album. As well as 'Blinded' you get
'Chicago', 'Davy', 'California', 'Circles' and 'Quinn'. The bonus is extracts from a live concert from 1979. The quality might not be quite as good as
the main feature, but it is a million times better than any of the bootleg versions I have seen over the years. It features an early appearance of
Steve Waller, in the band and shows of many of the cartoons, MMEB were famous for at that time.
The packaging is inspired. The cover is a picture of Manfred now, with the classic 'Watch' artwork reflected in his glasses. Inside you will find a
reproduction of the tour brochure from the 'Watch' tour, complete with some new sleeve notes from our very own Nigel Stanworth. Although
Steve, Nigel and Helen (who probably did most of the work) are kind enough to thank me on the cover, I had absolutely nothing to do with this
release, which means I can say without any bias that it is absolutely brilliant, by far the best DVD release yet. If you had told me a few years ago
we would have four brilliant DVDs available, I wouldn't have believed you. MMEB fans have never had it so good. Steve, Helen and Nigel have done a fantastic job and deserve our thanks.
The Manfreds
The other DVD is 'The Manfreds Live at the Fisher Theatre Sold Out'. I have not always been kind about the Manfreds in the past. I love sixties
Manfred Mann and have from time to time ranted on about it her,e in the hope of encouraging people to try it. The trouble with the Manfreds, is that
despite having far more and much better preserved original members than most sixties revival bands, the Manfreds have always persisted in
reviving something, which never quite existed. Manfred Mann even at the peak of their sixties success, played their hits reluctantly, jazz and blues with great relish.
Having said all that, you will be surprised when I tell you that this DVD is actually very good. True it is a wander into the nostalgic world of all the
old Manfred hits. It even finds the space for spin off hits from Paul Jones, McGuinness Flint and Mike Hugg. They play them really well here and
there is bags of atmosphere. Some familiar tunes have refreshingly new arrangements. Simon Currie on saxophone is a welcome addition and
despite the non-stop hits, individuals do get a chance to show off what fantastic musicians they all are.
We have the talented piano player Mike Hugg (he mostly played drums and vibes in the sixties), brilliant drummer Rob Townsend, who like Paul and
Tom is also in the Blues Band. Paul is still for me one of the best blues singers and harmonica players ever to come out of this small island. Tom
plays a mean blues guitar and D'Abo as well as being such a good songwriter, can rock with the best of them. Marcus Cliffe provides able support on bass.
With such a strong line-up it is inevitable that now and again there is a glimpse of just how great they were, when playing stuff like 'Watermelon
Man' and 'I'm Your Kingpin'. There is also the feeling of so many lost opportunities, represented by Mike D'Abo's wonderful 'Handbags and
Gladrags', made famous again recently by the Sterophonics and TV show, The Office. This song was never released by Manfred Mann, although
they did perform it on television and radio at the time. D'Abo sings it beautifully here. I can't help thinking that a combination of the name Manfred
Mann and that song, would have produced a huge hit, long before the Sterophonics excellent version.
As I grow older, I find I become more and more nostalgic, so it is good to hear the old hits again, sounding as fresh as ever. Manfred Mann were
good at finding hit records and as you will gather from this concert, they had lots and lots of them.
The packaging complete with booklet is very nice indeed. Once again Nigel provides some excellent and informative notes. This DVD is a very
enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. I can highly recommend it to anyone, even if you only have the tiniest interest in the sixties. The thing is
most of the old Manfred Mann music, sounds as fresh now, as it did forty plus odd years ago. If you don't believe me, buy a copy and see for yourself.
We continue to live in exciting times. Steve has another exciting DVD release lined up for 2009 with a brilliant bonus track and who knows,
Manfred may release his new album, sometime this year! The band are sounding fantastic. If that's not enough, I have heard whispers of other
exciting things for the future. The great thing is, I can still be surprised, even now in 2009. To everyone out there have a fantastic 2009. See you at a gig somewhere soon. Andy Taylor January 2009.
Manfreds Book of Short Stories
Don't miss the opportunity to get one of your pictures in Manfred's book of short stories - see the Competition Link. Nigel
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