Reviews
REVIEW OF - NUMBER TEN"
Jason Bermiller (PROGBASE)
Manning:
Number 10
Tracks:
1. Ships
2. The Final Chapter
3. An Ordinary Day
4. Bloody Holiday!
5. Valentine’s Night
6. A Road Less Travelled
7. Another Lazy Sunday
8. The House on the Hill
The Troubadour of Prog consistently delivers high quality, and, despite
this release being his tenth album, Guy Manning's prolific repertoire
does not suffer the rigors of quantity causing a drop in quality.
“Number Ten” opens with an electrifying song that features Guy’s
“favourite topics”: “I write about ships, water and death,” says Mr.
Manning. While a somewhat oversimplification, “Ships” is an opener that
crackles and vibrates quite urgently, grabbing and sending the listener
off on yet another journey through a Manning masterwork. Especially fun
is Guy’s bouncy lament “Bloody Holiday!”, a song that slips in 10 cc’s
“I’m Mandy, Fly Me.” The illustrious members of 10CC gave Guy the
go-ahead to use their song with kudos to Guy for his skilled
interpolation.
For the uninitiated, this disc will be a fine intro to Guy’s song
crafting and style. To fans, this CD presents Guy having, more than
ever, fun. From the opening strident “Ships” to the closing of the
mini-epic, The House on the Hill, Number Ten, Manning’s album sparkles
with Guy’s delight in his craft. Engaging the listener into quizzical,
mysterious lyrics, so0metimes foreboding, The Final Chapter, sometimes
humorous, Bloody Holiday!, Manning’s CD is another triumph for possibly
the most prolific artist gracing progressive music today.
Special listens? Well, the whole disc stands strong, but, if pressed to
the wall with a threat of injury, I would confess that my favourite cut
on this disc is A Road Less Travelled. Maybe because it’s quintessential
Manning in its topic, maybe because the song demonstrates how an artist
can maintain elegance and sensibility simultaneously while still
engaging a listener to “take the trip.”
Highly recommended and once again, a probable pick of the year.
Review by Jason Bermiller, ProgDog, ProgDog, every week on 92.5 FM the
X, thex.ca
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