Search - Manfred Mann :: As Is

Amazing 1966 first Fontana LP - complete in mono and stereo

B. Margolis | Minneapolis, MN United States | 07/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1966, after losing their contract with UK HMV and US United Artists, and their lead singer, Paul Jones, they were really at the crossroads.



They recruited Mike D'Abo (lead singer) and Klaus Voorman (bass) and got a new contract with UK Fontana and US Mercury. This LP is their first album from what's usually called Manfred Mann, MK 2.



12 great songs produced by Shel Talmy, and contains the UK and European hit "Just Like A Woman". The single was issued in US on Mercury, bombed and those dopes didn't issue the album here.



This cool album, strangely issued in the UK with two different covers, contains:



TROUBLE AND TEA

A NOW AND THEN THING

EACH OTHER'S COMPANY

BOX OFFICE DRAW

DEALER DEALER

MORNING AFTER THE PARTY

ANOTHER KIND OF MUSIC

AS LONG AS I HAVE LOVIN'

AUTUMN LEAVES

SUPERSTITUOUS GUY

YOU'RE MY GIRL

JUST LIKE A WOMAN



Mostly original compositions (D'Abo was already a accomplished songwriter).



This is a great sounding CD and it's the best way to get these tracks. The entire 12 track album in mono is 1-12 and 13-24 is the same album in stereo.



Worth a listen."

An Uneven Affair!

Morten Vindberg | Denmark | 10/18/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Manfred Mann's first album with Mike dàbo in front is something of a mixed bag - you're never quite sure what direction they aiming at. It actually seems that one of the songs touches upon this dilemma - "Another Kind of Music" describes a person who enjoys his pop-success but at the same time wants to be a classical musician. In the same way it well-known that Manfred Mann and drummer Mike Hugg enjoyed playing jazz-music and that they never really took pop-music that seriously.



Nevertheless there are great examples of British 1960's pop at it's very best. Bob Dylan's "Just Like a Woman" secured the band immediate success in the charts - not really a surprise, since it's a great song and arranged a lot like their last single with Paul Jones, "Pretty Flamingo"



Mike d`Abo's "Box Office Draw" is also outstanding, with obviously hit-single qualities - great lyrics too.



DÁbo also wrote the fine opener "Trouble and Tea" - great vocals and a new variation over Beatle` "Day Tripper" theme.



Unfortunately dÀbo's third contribution to the album doesn't work as well. His bluesy "As Long as I Have Loving" would have suited a voice like Steve Winwood's much better.



Mike Hugg is the most dominant song-writer on the album, and his songwiting shows a great variety here. From the almost sirupy poppy ( Each Other's Company ), though music hall ( Morning After the Party ), psychedelia ( Superstitious Guy - quite charming this one ) and the more experimental Manfred Mann collaborations "Dealer Dealer" and "As Long as I Have Loving"



Guitarist Tom McGuinness contributes the sentimental "Now and Then Thing" which has a quite nice melody but the lyrics and the arrangement may be hard to stand for some.



The mainstream jazz instrumental is quite nice on its own rights but it seems out of place on a pop-rock album that already is in need of a clear direction.



All this may give an impression that I don't like this album, which is not at all the case. Songs like "Box Office Draw", "Just Like a Woman" and "Trouble and Tea" are great favourites - and also Hugg's "Each Other's Company" and "Superstitious Guy" help make the album worthwhile."