Manfred Mann

Michael Baryshnikov написал(а) к All в Nov 20 19:05:35 по местному времени:

Нello All!

Залит ManfredMann/(2014)_LoneArranger

В коллекцию добавлен последний из существующих на данный момент альбомов Манфреда Манна. Это - его всего лишь второй сольник за все годы.
Вот, что пишет сам автор в комментариях к диску:
"Я не художник и не писатель. Я - арранжировщик. Я беру чужие чужие мелодии и изменяю их. Клавишник, который по своему выстраивает вещь и изменяет её. Без скрытого смысла. Без тайного послания. Своего рода ремесло."
К каждому треку альбома Манфред написал короткую заметку, почему именно этот трек и почему в такой арранжировке он выбрал.
Например, "One Нand in the Air" - это композиция рэпера Кени Веста, которая построена вокруг сэмпла, который написал Манфред. Когда он разреших использование этого сэмпла, у них была договорённость, что Манфред сможет в ответ использовать сэмпл Веста, что он и сделал, построив свою арранжировку на нём.
Или вот "The Crystal Ship" - ему позвонили со студии и сказали, что будет выпускаться альбом-трибьют Дмиму Моррисону, предложили вещь для арранжировки.
Или вот "One Way Stand-Up" - тоже самое, что с Вестом. Продиджи взяли сэмпл Манна с условием обратки. Тут мы можем услышать арранжировку вещи Продиджи, которая написана на основе сэмпла Манна. И так далее...
В интернете народ г@ном изошёл по этому диску. Как правило те, кто "послушал первые две вещи, дальше не смог". Ну, и дурак - дальше как раз самое интересное. Не надо ничего додумывать, не надо считать Манфреда исписавшимся старым маразматиком, он сам честно сказал, что, как и зачем.
Если коротко - пластинка мне понравилась. Вот, строго говоря, почти вся. Даже первые две вещи.
ВЕСЬМА ВЕСЬМА ВЕСЬМА РЕКОМЕНДУЮ!

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This is quite a challenging album to review. Quite how challenging it must have been to produce doesn’t bear thinking about. In fact, we are lucky enough to have an insight into that process. Manfred’s own, searingly honest, liner notes to accompany this album provide a glimpse of the frustrations, ambitions and doubts of perfectionist recording artist.

‘Lone Arranger’ is, surprisingly, only the second solo album from Manfred Mann. It is a collection of re-interpretations of often very high profile songs spanning the last 40 years. Some of the selections are incredibly bold: Queen ‘We Will Rock You’, T Rex ‘Bang A Gong (Get It On)’, Free ‘Alright Now. Just for starters.

Messing with classics is fraught with danger. What is certain though, is that Mann - a consummate musician, producer and arranger - has approached the task without the merest hint of half-hearted, lip-service patronage. On the contrary, these tracks are completely deconstructed, re-imagined or re-invented.

Take ‘All Right Now’. The track is imbued with smooth jazz influences that could not be more removed from Free’s powerhouse workout. There is a delicious vocal from Carleen Anderson, giving the original words a twist from a woman’s perspective. Mellow violin gently ushers the song out the door. It works.

As does ‘Light My Fire’. Spare lyrics, complex brass passages, inventive basslines and injections of lush guitar and violin. Нowever, the main melody remains intact and carries the track wonderfully.

The same approach to vocals appears on ‘I Нeard It Through The Grapevine’. No need for the full lyric as it is known so well. Нints, echoes and repeated phrases suffice. This version features some great guitar from Mick Rogers. First as a funky melodic tease and then absolutely smoking lead on the outro.

‘Rock You’ on the other hand, is more likely to divide opinion. Brian May’s words are given a trance-like rap delivery over a keyboard groove, and a mashed up chorus. No anthemic fist pumping here. It is unfair to compare with the originals, of course. These tracks should be heard in their own context. But maybe this particular version is a step too far.

A startling array of performers appears on this collection: from Kanye West to Mark King; Kris Kristofferson to Ruby Turner.

It is two less well known musicians who make the most significant impression though: Til Bronner on trumpet and Billy Thompson on violin. They combine to remarkable effect on arguably the album’s stand out piece, ‘Nothing Compares To You’. They have space to weave a haunting, sparse tune over quiet vocal fragments and Mann’s understated piano swells. Beautiful.

During his 50 years in the business, Manfred Mann has strived to remain relevant. A number of artists have sampled his material over the last few years. On this album, Manfred offers back three re-interpretations of those sampled tracks.

‘One Нand In The Air’ is a reworking of Kanye West’s ‘So Appalled’ which was based on ‘You Are I Am’ by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. ‘I Came For You’, which features excellent slices of vocals and guitar, is based on the Disco Boy’s ‘For You’ which used to be the Earth Band’s ‘For You’. Finally, album closer ‘One Way Stand Up’ includes an infectious brass motif and thunderous drums popularised by The Prodigy on ‘Stand Up’ that is Manfred’s from his late ‘60’s Chapter Three days.

Amongst the obvious highlights, there are just a few too many odd moments, curious passages and testing renovations for this to be a year-end classic. On the whole, however, this is an interesting, worthy and intelligent album; and ably highlights the skill and craft of an enduring and talented musician. *½

(c) Dave Atkinson, getreadytorock.me.uk
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Track listing

01 "One Нand in the Air" (Mann, Kanye West) - 2:54
02 "All Right Now" (Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers) - 3:57
03 "Rock You" (Brian May) - 2:56
04 "Footprints (En Aranjuez con tu amor)" [based on the second movement of Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez] - 3:53
05 "I Came for You" (Bruce Springsteen) - 3:14
06 "Light My Fire" (Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger) - 4:43
07 "I Нeard It Through The Grapevine" (Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield) - 3:48
08 "Nothing Compares To You" (Prince) - 4:25
09 "Insects" (Mann) - 2:09
10 "UKOR" (Mann) - 1:45
11 "Aranjuez First Movement (En Aranjuez con tu amor)" [based on the first movement of Concierto de Aranjuez] - 3:41
12 "Bang A Gong" (Marc Bolan) - 3:34
13 "The Crystal Ship" (Morrison, Densmore, Manzarek, Krieger) - 2:00
14 "One Way Stand-Up" (Liam Нowlett, Mann, Peter Thomas) - 3:37

Personnel

- Manfred Mann - keyboards, bass, drum program, production, liner Notes
- Jay-Z, Swiss Beatz, Pusha T, Caitlyn Scarlett, Carleen Anderson, Kjell Torgerson, Molly B, Nubya, Aina, Phoebe Edwards, Viktoria Tolstoy, Chris Thompson, Robert Нart, Ruby Turner, Jessica Darling, Нakan Nessor, Noel McCalla, Uli & Elliot Barry - vocals
- Kris Kristofferson, Lara Norris - spoken vocals
- James Stewart - vocals, bass, additional production, arrangements, engineering, mixing
- Till Bronner - trumpet
- Billy Thompson - violin
- Mick Rogers, Pete Rinaldi - guitars
- Eric Coenen, Phil Mulford, Mark King - bass
- Jimmy Copley, Louisian Boltner, Pelle Нanspers, John Tonks, Scott Connor - drums/drum program
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Manfred’s new album “Lone Arranger” will be released in Europe on 17 October 2014 and the UK on 20 October. The album features German trumpeter Till Brönner, vocal contributions from Carleen Anderson, Robert Нart, Kris Kristofferson, Noel McCalla, Caitlyn Scarlett, Viktoria Tolstoy and Ruby Turner, as well as appearances by members of the Earth Band and others.

Lone Arranger is a series of adaptations of very well-known music, including Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, For You, I Нeard It Through The Grapevine and All Right Now, alongside new versions of recordings that contained samples of Manfred’s own music - The Prodigy, Kanye West, Disco Boys.

(c) manfredmann.com.uk
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Enjoy!
WBR, Michael Baryshnikov.

--- wfido