Reviews

MANNING: ONE SMALL STEP…. (Stock # 505052)

The Moody Blues were the first band to come to me when I heard the opening track of this album – there’s a symphonic melodic orchestral prog quality to the instrumentation and arrangements, a wistful nature to the lead vocals, a kind of relaxed soaring quality to the harmonies and a pace that is solid yet sedate. The lyrics are clearly audible and sung with that sense of yearning that’s a pure Moodies trademark. Acoustic guitars, keyboards and strings providing the icing on the cake as a lead sax provides an almost Floydian feel and the four minute track flows to the end – if you like that sort of thing, then this will be manna from heaven for you. From there, the next track: ‘Night Voices’ goes into a much more Jethro Tull territory with an Anderson-esque lead vocal and interweaving flute, but still with the aforementioned vocal harmonies and strings as the rhythm section provides a mid-paced, solid foundation, with lead work this time from acoustic guitars bringing a prog-folk feeling to a six minute song makes you do a double take to realise that it’s not actually Tull themselves. ‘No Hiding Place’ initially provides a Floyd-like introduction from guitars, organ and rhythm section before setting into a more bouncy rhythm and backing, still with that full, sumptuous sound, and developing into a song that has more of a feel with something akin to a clash of Pink Floyd and Chris Deburgh with lavish harmonies and a huge-sounding backing that includes some stirring Mellotron work. Yet, as you half expect it to end around the four minute mark, instead the synths, strings, organ and guitar suddenly gather forces above the increasing pace of the rhythm section, and an electric guitar solo rings out above organ and strings to provide a high-flying mid-song instrumental passage that has elements of Floyd and hints of ‘Kashmir’-esque Led Zeppelin as it flies along to the seven minute point where the body of the song and a slowly flowing synth/organ finale take the track on to a nine and a half minute end point. ‘The Mexico Line’ emerges with the now familiar yearning vocals, lavish harmonies and this time takes on a Moody Blues-meets-Caravan-meets-Tull identity that takes it on to the seven minute mark with a tender yet solid proggy-folky love song with a whiff of AOR about it. The next thirty minutes are divided into 8 sub-sections of a suite called: ‘One Small Step….’ which plays as a continuous piece for all you long-track fans, embodying all the elements and influences that have gone into the album, ensuring that if you like what you’ve heard so far, you’re in no way going to be disappointed with what follows. So, it’s an album of quality Prog songs with good lyrics, infectious choruses and playing to match – Nice one Mr. Manning.

Track List:

     01.   In Swingtime (4:30)
02.   Night Voices (5:55)
03.   No Hiding Place (9:34)
04.   The Mexico Line (7:02)
05.   One Small Step… Parts I-VIII
   a)       Star Gazing (4:34)
   b)       For Example… (3:04)
   c)       Man Of God (2:05)
   d)       At The End Of My Rope (2:36)
   e)       A Blink Of The Eye (4.56)
   f)         God Of Man (2:31)
   g)       Black & Blue (7:26)
   h)       Upon Returning (3:29)

 

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