Many Are Called But Few Get Up

 

When I got the news that Welsh rockers Man released a box-set of live recordings from almost 50 years ago I was going to pick them old records out of my collection and listening to them. Of course it is a retro sound, massive influenced by late 60's heavy blues and west-coast LA-sound but I have to admit that their abilities in improvisation is still a pleasure. I can't explain why they are great in Germany and less known in Great Britain, maybe because they were too individual and there were more bands like them playing the same at the time. But live they were far ahead of many other bands in this decade. For me it is always a pleasure to come back to them from time to time.

Man - Many Are Called, But Few Get Up (Peel Session 1975)

Monday's Long Song

45 years ago Welsh rockers released at the dawn of their career Maximum Darkness a live recording in collaboration with Quicksilver Messenger's guitarist John Cippolina. This record shows everything Man stood for. Guitar improvisations and long jams over a solid rock basement. Always played with verve and a straight pushing forward rhythm makes this record a classic of psychedelic rock.

Man - 7171-551

Long Song On Tuesday

In the late 60's Deke Leonard and and Micky Jones formed Man, a Welsh based band who played the best Westcoast, progressive and psychedelic sound in Great Britain (just for me). Man got a big name during their live adventures playing long improvisations and sessions of their songs. Many of them crossed the border of 10 minutes and I always had a big spot on them because their sound made me feel very happy in the early 70's before the great culture clash started with punk. Spunk Rock is one of Man's anthems during the last decades and I heard it many times during the last ages. This version might be one of their best. Sadly this Welsh rockers didn't got the acclaim they should have.

George

George shut down his blog yesterday. I am really sad about it but I respect his decision. It was always a pleasure to follow him - especially his ongoing posting the dates of birth/death of musicians. I will miss his regular postings of soul and gospel during the weekends that gave me often a real inspiration to this kind of music. I hope you are well and can enjoy more family life with Jo and your bunch of animals. Here are some songs, I suggest that they will hit your choice.

Keep on going, mate.

What Happened To Pub Rock # 16

Nearly two week ago George from Jim McLean's Rabbit posted a song by the Welsh Prog-Rock band Man. Because up to this time he knew nothing or only a little of this group I have promised more about this group to post. Here we go:

The band is based in South Wales and they played a very own mixture of West Coast psychedelia, Prog-Rock, Blues, Country and Pub-Rock. I feature them because the were an excellent live band and well known for the extended jams in their liver performances. You can read the whole story of this band here. I became aware on this group in the early 70s as Jörg Gülden in SOUNDS (one of the best music magazines at this time) swarmed about this group has. His euphoric criticism has made me to myself buy a record. And I was not disappointed. Only a few songs on each side showed the possibilities the band had. Based on a perfect and steady beat the guitars pushed the songs forward. Man were always a live-band and the best record for me is Maximum Darkness from 1975 featuring John Cipollina as special guest. He was the founder and famous lead guitarist from the West Coast band Quicksilver Messenger Service. He had his own style playing the guitar and this collaboration makes this record something special.

Man - 7171-551
Man - Codine
Man - Bananas