Genre: rock
Rating: 2 stars ***
Title:  Man 1970
Company: Sunset
Catalog: SLS 50380
Year: 1976
Country/State: Swamsea, Wales
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG+
Comments: name 'George Webb' written on front and back covers
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 6248
Price: $15.00

One quick look at the original British album cover for 1970's cleverly-titled "Man" should have made it clear why the artwork had to be modified before it could be released in the States ... Yeah, for some reason in 1970 full frontal male nudity simply didn't play well with American retailers.

I'm not quite sure what the marketing logic was behind the decision to reissue the album in 1976. Released by Liberty's Sunset subsidiary, the album was repackaged as "Man 1970" - same track listing; different cover. Given the band's extensive catalog (this was actually their third studio set), you had to wonder why they decided to release this one, as opposed to say one of the band's two 1969 releases ... Regardless of the logic, what you got here was a totally strange mixture of boogie rock, one country-rock track, and a pair of strange experimental outings.

- The band-penned 'Romain' opened the album with a decent slice of country-blues. At least to my ears the highlight came in the form of Deke Leonard's acoustic steel guitar. There wasn't a single original note on this one, but it still sounded pretty good, especially considering you were listening to a band hailing from Wales playing country-blues. rating: *** stars
- The country-rocker 'Country Girl' struck me as being unlistenable. Why would a band from Wales want to play something like this? Was their anything worthwhile here? Not really ... okay maybe the background mandolin. rating: * star
- I'll give it a star for having one of the strangest titles I've ever heard and a second star for the warmed over space rock feel. Imagine a Hawkwind vibe, but with a more mainstream and tuneful melody. That melody was pretty, through it kind of dragged over the course of the lengthy song. Other than that 'Would the Christians Wait Five Minutes? The Lions are Having a Draw' was largely a waste of twelve minutes of your life. rating: *** stars
- Frankly, Leonard's 'Daughter of the Fireplace' was a rather forgettable slice of bar band boogie. The least memorable performance on the album ... Makes you wonder why it was tapped as the single. rating: ** stars
- Man never struck me as being a particularly progressive, or experimental outfit which only served to make 'Alchemist' more of a surprise not necessarily a good surprise). Clocking in at over twenty minutes, the group composition started out as a lengthy sound collage. Absent anything remotely close of a melody or rhythm what you got was a seemingly endless series of human moans, including what sounded like a bit of Gregorian chanting, along with bizarre sound effects. A couple of minutes into the performance the song abruptly shifted into a molten hard rock pattern that sounded a bit like a throwaway Black Sabbath track. And then back to more in-studio weirdness including what sounded like a sick Wookie, someone trying to start a fire with sticks, and lots of deep sighs. It then slid into the only really enjoyable segment; a slightly lysergic-tinged segment complete with harpsichord, organ, and backward guitars. Perhaps admirable from an artistic standpoint (or a warning that band's shouldn't go into a studio totally stoned), but not exactly something you'd want to listen to on a regular basis. rating: ** stars

The album spun off a UK single:



- 1971's 'Daughter of the Fireplace' b/w 'Country Girl' (Liberty catalog number LBF 15448)
About all I can say is that if you've heard anything else in the Man catalog this one's going to strike you as odd.

"Man 1970" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Romain (Martin Ace - Clive John - Michael Jones - Deke Leonard - Terry Williams) - 6:11
2.) Country Girl (Martin Ace - Deke Leonard) - 3:08
3.) Would the Christians Wait Five Minutes? The Lions are Having a Draw (Martin Ace - Michael Jones) - 12:52

(side 2)
1.) Daughter of the Fireplace (Deke Leonard) - 5:11
2.) Alchemist (instrumental) (Martin Ace - Clive John - Michael Jones - Deke Leonard - Terry Williams) - 20:41