Man - Original Album Series (2014) [5CD BoxSet] {Parlophone}

The 5CD set comes in replica card LPp sleeves which some hate but I really like I because storage is so easy - each to their own I suppose. They are: "Man" (1971), "Do You Like It Here Now, Are You Settling In?" (1971), "Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day" (1972), "Rhinos, Winos & Lunatics" (1974) and "Slow Motion" (1974). The track listing is the same as the original LPs so you may need to get out the magnifying glass to read them! Originally I said "BUT the good news is that "Man","Do You Like It Here Now, Are You Settling In?" , and "Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day have all been remastered which may mean that people who already have a couple of the Cds may be tempted to get the improved sound and at this price it's a great buy."

But lo and behold Mr W (Bill) Pratt has informed me–– wait for round of drums and trumpet fanfare he says after buying the set
"Actually I just purchased this set. If you look at the CDs themselves you'll see they are ALL, the 5 of them, mid 2000 remasters.:-) Amazon got it wrong. "

Brilliant this set is a steal at this price.

However I think the label missed a trick by not including some extra tracks which is what other groups have had done with their 5 original albums sets.

On the other hand if you have then on vinyl and they are worn out or scratched then you really are on to a winner.

Of interest is that the 3rd CD is produced by Wale's Dave Edmunds and the cover of "Slow Motion" (1974) is not the original sleeve it is in fact a blow up detail focusing on the fish and not the character holding it.
It was originally a wonderful cover of a Rick Griffin painting depicting Mad's 'Alfred E Neuman holding the fish.
They slipped up, Mad magazine complained and the cover was changed and we lost a really outstanding piece of LP art.

The group Man evolved from the Bystanders, a mid-'60s Welsh combo whose blend of Beatlesque harmonies and blue-eyed soul yielded a number of well-received singles, most notably the progressive and poppy "Royal Blue Summer Sunshine Day." That side was indicative of the direction they would take after changing their name to Man. Perhaps due to the eponymous moniker, this album has long been mistaken as a debut effort. However, prior to this title, they had already released a pair of LPs, Revelation (1969) and the somewhat more centered and ambitious follow-up 2 Ozs. of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle (1969). By the time of this platter, Clive John (organ/piano/electric guitar/harpsichord/vocals), Deke Leonard (guitar/vocals), Martin Ace (acoustic guitar/bass guitar/vocals), Terry Williams (percussion/drums), Roger Leonard (acoustic guitar/piano/electric guitar/steel guitar/vocals), and Micky Jones (acoustic guitar/electric guitar/vocals) had settled into what most enthusiasts consider to be a seminal aggregate. In addition to their exceptional improvisational skills, Man would display a more aggressive sound. The opening track, "Romain," instantly gels into driving blues behind Leonard's woozy steel guitar interjections. "Country Girl" is reminiscent of the New Riders of the Purple Sage, complete with a distinct West Coast county-rock lilt. Both of the extended pieces, "Would the Christians Wait Five Minutes?…The Lions Are Having a Draw" and "Alchemist" are pastiches of well-developed instrumentals, although at times they come off as somewhat dated. There is plenty of inspired interaction, however, especially on the latter song as they unleash some definitive heavy metal licks that could easily be mistaken for seminal Black Sabbath. "Daughter of the Fireplace" is another highlight as a compact and attitude-heavy rocker.

Long a fan favorite, Man's fourth studio album was recorded in 1971 during a harried one-week studio session that found the group having to write nearly the entire album, barring the tight and rocking "Angel Easy" and the group's multi-part masterwork "Many Are Called but Few Get Up." Frankly, the album sounds like a record that was largely jammed in the studio; the eight-minute-plus jams that close each side, "We're Only Children" and "Love Your Life," are particularly tiresome, good instrumental and lyrical ideas stretched well past their breaking points. However, besides the superior "Angel Easy" and "Many Are Called but Few Get Up," the album does include the rather wonderful "All Good Clean Fun," a showcase for pianist Clive John and lead guitarist Deke Leonard that has a delightful prog pop playfulness akin to some of Genesis' more lighthearted early moments or the daffiness of the later band Hatfield & the North. The album may be only half good, but that half is among Man's very best work.

The only Man album recorded without Deke Leonard is something of a curiosity, a view of the band without the frontman who wrote most of their material. As might be expected, the vocals on this album are less accomplished and further back in the mix, but that is actually an asset in this case. Lacking their lead singer, Man proceeded to assemble their best instrumental set ever, and then to add sparing vocals more for texture than communication. The group interplay here is remarkable, with musical themes and ideas tossed from instrument to instrument with considerable creativity. The side with "C'mon" and "Keep on Crinting" is one long and intricate jam, and unlike most progressive marathons from the period, one doesn't wish for it to end even a second earlier than it does. The first cut on the next side, "Bananas," became a concert favorite for obvious reasons: it consists of four lines of silly poetry followed by nine minutes of inspired playing, then a repetition of the four lines of poetry. Tracks like that might almost be taken as a sneer at the idea that this band needed a singer at all, though the relationship with Deke Leonard was obviously cordial. After all, he contributed a "family jungle" of the band to the liner notes and was back for their next album.

An excellent set of material energized by the return of the pleasingly abrasive vocals of Deke Leonard; it charted nearly as well as Back Into the Future, and its tighter composition means that in many ways it's held up better over the years. The second half may be the band's artistic high point – bookended by the pomp-wah instrumentals, "Intro" and "Exit," it contains the unusually sultry "Kerosene" and the epic "Scotch Corner," which builds up from rattling snare and picked guitar verses to beautiful choruses of harmonized vocals.

Boasting an eye-catching cover straight from Mad magazine, this is a less successful follow-up to Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics, with almost the same personnel. While this album has the same California-via-Wales guitar twang and spit as its predecessor, evidenced by the laconically witty "You Don't Like Us," it somehow lacks ambition. Perhaps it's the absence of keyboardist Malcolm Morley. The pensive "Grasshopper" rises to the occasion, though, with a percussive piano part and weeping strings overlaid by gentle strummed guitar.