Man - Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day (1972) {Remaster Bonus Tracks}
Description Number of Discs: 1
Format: Deluxe Edition
Label: Esoteric
1. C'Mon
2. Keep On Crinting
3. Bananas
4. Life On The Road
5. Bananas
6. Rockfield Jam
Made in 1972 this album is rated, by many fans, as Man's finest. While the second song, "Keep on Crinting" is not so well remembered, the others, "C'mon", "Bananas" and "Life on the Road" are firm favourites with fans and even today, almost thirty years on, it is hard to imagine a live set without "C'mon and Bananas".
The mood is mellow, laid back and irreverent. The music always seems to be on the way somewhere progressing rather than repeating.
Throughout the album, the guitar of Micky Jones works well with the keyboards of Phil Ryan as they trade lead melodies. This was the latter's first album with the band and it is remarkable how well the whole group fits together.
"C'mon" and "Keep on Crinting" almost seem to be a single piece and they start the tradition of the band to perform a variety of extended versions of the former track. "Bananas" and "Life on the Road" are more distinct as songs but they fit well into the mood of the album. The lyrics are generally upbeat and light hearted with no attempt by the band to take themselves particularly seriously.
If you are new to the band, this album really should be your first purchase. If you are an established fan that this is an essential part of your collection.
Man were never a band to conquer the world. Hailing from Wales but with a San Francisco sound and with an ever-changing line-up, they failed unlike say, Hawkwind, to produce the one proverbial hit to propel them to national consciousness and, reputedly ever stoned, they were never going to get further than the 'B' list. Yet "Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day" recorded in 1972 remains a marvellous album that has worn its years remarkably well, whilst avoiding some of the excesses and indulgences of the time.
By 1972 British rock music was at something of a crossroads. It was the year the Stones released the darkly brilliant "Exile On Main Street", that Bowie put out "Ziggy Stardust" and Roxy Music's first camp offering emerged both heralding the glamour years. It was also the year that Yes and Emerson Lake and Palmer had some of their biggest hits and that the aforesaid Hawkwind discovered that they had a "Silver Machine". But which was the true path? Out and out degenerate rock and roll? Or higher musicianship and the enlightened highway to the triple concept album?
Probably without thinking about it, Man skilfully trod a middle way. They were one of the few bands next to the Allman Brothers to be able to sustain an extended jam in an intelligent yet spunky way. On "Be Good To Yourself" their pieces, although often based round simple little riffs, featuring the interlocking guitars of Micky Jones and Clive John, are also full of inventive musical touches (often thanks to keyboards player Phil Ryan). The rhythm section with drummer Terry Williams, who went on to work with Dire Straits and many others, is 100% rock solid and above this foundation they periodically create floating textures akin to Pink Floyd. What makes the four tracks on this album so satisfying is the organic way they develop, always rocking, but always just that little something round the corner (unlike less musicianly rockers like Status Quo) and yet all this without the overblown macrobiotic excesses of some bands of the period.
A tad short at 36 minutes, and lacking the wonderful fold-out cartoon map of Wales that the vinyl release memorably featured, "Be Good To Yourself" is nevertheless well worth a visit and the studio sound is greatly superior to the similar live album they put out later that year. Oh and check out the lyrics on "Bananas". As Mick Jagger himself might have said, "they're a first class gas".
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