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GUY MANNING: TALL STORIES FOR SMALL CHILDRENManningEclectic Prog3.54 | 39 ratings |
From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website
| DinoL like |
Guy Manning, perhaps familiar to some listeners due to the work he has done with UK
based progressive rock band Parallel Or 90 Degrees has now produced a fine solo
album, a little bit in the Roger Waters (Amused to Death) tradition. No less than
three "Epic" pieces can be found on this album! The album focuses attention on
carefully crafted lyrics, emotional vocals and clever musical arrangement with sound
effects mixed in to bring the 'stories' to life. The first track "The Last Psalm", opens
atmospherically and can best be described as quite intense, with Hammond work by
PO90 musician Andy Tillison and a focus on Mannings' vocals. The guitar work here is
also very fine. All in all from this first epic, it is clear that Manning knows how to find
balance between all the instruments. Next up, "The Voyager" has a very Middle Eastern
feel to it. Pav Chana provides Tablas on this track which also features excellent
keyboard work. A little rest point comes with "White Waters", sounding like a modern
Peter Gabriel/Yes. The "Candyman" is probably my favourite track, very intense and
melancholic. It starts with hardly any rhythm, only the acoustic guitar chords and vocal
and it really grabs you by the throat. Subtle keyboards later layer a tapestry in the
background. The next Epic is "The Fall And Rise of Abel Mann?" made up of five
sections The first of which ("Grand Fanfare") is a sort of male Kate Bush song, one of
those floating piano pieces. "Waiting On a Ledge" follows with simple guitar and vocals
against Gospel-like Hammond organ playing. The "Post-Mortem" piece starts similar to
Waters' Amused to Death album with sound effects and great guitar improvising over
keyboard chords. The second part, "In My Life" features the strongest chorus of all,
with a melody that really sticks in ones mind. Now time for a quiet moment again
with "Castaways" with its seagulls and a laid back melody. The album closes with the
third epic, "Holy Ireland". This epic, especially "A Soldier's Story" (being a letter from a
frightened soldier to God) is very strong. It has almost the feel of a Bob Dylan protest
song about it. This song moves into the quiet "The Widow's Tale", which is beautiful in
its simplicity. "Priest's Song" opens with a bombastic march/parade but transforms into a
very powerful chorus where Irish influences mix with classic rock. The album closes
with "The Land (reprise)". Very positive words for this beautiful album which fans of well
orchestrated mainly acoustic music with Folk, World and Progressive influences will
certainly relish.
DinoL |
5/5 |
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