Man-Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day (1972)

Man are undoubtedly the quintessential Welsh band. Despite their frequent lineup changes, they achieved legendary status thanks to a series of albums that resembled their American contemporaries, the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service, due to their long, improvised suites with riffs and extended guitar solos, their psychedelic style, and their influences from country rock and blues. In 1972, Man consisted of guitarists and vocalists Micky Jones and Clive John, keyboardist Phil Ryan, bassist Will Youatt, and drummer Terry Williams. With this lineup, they entered Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, to record their fifth album, "Be Good to Yourself at Least Once a Day". Featuring only four lengthy tracks ranging from eight to twelve minutes, this new release continues to showcase their experimental psychedelic side while achieving a greater balance between all the aforementioned styles. The relentless "C'Mon" opens this album, a true epic with doses of space rock, a shimmering Hammond organ, and explosive guitar improvisations. The instrumental "Keep on Crinting" moves between gentle country passages, the thick sounds of psychedelia, and subtle jazz touches. The astonishing acid rock track "Bananas" is another highlight, a classic from these Welsh musicians, straddling psychedelic rock and krautrock with a steady rhythm and excellent instrumental interplay. The album closes with the bluesy boogie "Life on the Road", where monumental instrumental passages and the two ingenious guitarists take center stage amidst the vocal sections.