Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-Watch (1978)

In 1978, Manfred Mann's Earth Band were at the height of their success and worldwide recognition; however, creatively they seemed to have stagnated, if anything, regressing towards a more commercial sound. That said, they were still producing excellent progressive rock albums. "Watch" is undoubtedly Earth Band's last great album, a stunning progressive rock record that gradually morphed into a commercial regression. Although it closely resembles their most commercially successful songs to date, such as "Blinded By The Light" from their previous album, "The Roaring Silence" (1976), they even achieved significant commercial success with the single "Davy's On The Road Again". Despite this, it remains a certified minor masterpiece of the progressive rock genre. This is underscored by the superb mellotron sounds, the addictive choruses, and the catchy acoustic and electric guitars that permeate the entire album. "Watch" is undoubtedly the last great Earth Band album, thanks to its stunning mellotron work, addictive choruses, and infectious acoustic and electric guitars. Tracks like the brilliant “Circles” or the brilliant “Drowning on Dry Land/ Fish Soup”, “Chicago Institute” and “Mighty Quinn” demonstrate the potential of an album of abundant quality, a product of the unquestionable talent of one of the greatest British progressive bands of the 70s.

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-The Roaring Silence (1976)

Fueled by a hugely successful single with their rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded by the Light", Manfred Mann's Earth Band produced one of their best albums in the mid-seventies with "The Roaring Silence". However, by this point, vocalist and guitarist Mick Rogers had left the band after the release of the previous and epic album, "Nightingales & Bombers". This was a mutual decision, the result of his almost obsessive interest in the music of Frank Zappa and his desire to take the band in an avant-rock jazz direction. In Rogers' place, the band expanded to a quintet, recruiting vocalist Chris Thompson and guitarist Dave Flett. The rest of the lineup remained the same, having left behind such widely acclaimed albums as the outstanding "Messin'" (1973), "Solar Fire" (1973), "The Good Earth" (1974), and the aforementioned "Nightingales & Bombers" (1975). These musicians were Manfred Mann (keyboards), Chris Slade (drums), and Colin Pattenden (bass). In addition, a dozen more musicians contributed to the recording process, including saxophonist Barbara Thompson and a large group of backing vocalists. Among those featured were Chris Hamlet Thompson, Irene Chanter, Suzanne Lynch, and Mick Rogers. The album opens with a cover of "Blinded by the Light", featuring a magnificent keyboard solo by Manfred Mann. While the song clearly has a pop-rock foundation, it differs significantly from the original with a lengthy middle section that reinforces the group's progressive credentials and became a true avant-garde hit. This is followed by "Singing the Dolphin Through", a fine piece of melodic progressive rock, and the atmospheric and chaotic "Waiter There's A Yawn in My Ear". The B-side features "Road to Babylon" and "This Side of Paradise", two tracks with a leisurely progressive rhythm, strong melodies, and complex instrumental work. The album closes with the simple yet beautiful "Questions", where Chris Thompson's distinctive voice showcases his talent as a superb vocalist. The album went on to achieve several gold and silver records, achieving great success in the North American market.

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-The Good Earth (1974)

Manfred Mann's Earth Band's fifth album, "The Good Earth", sits between their two masterpieces: "Solar Fire" (1973) and "Nightingales Bombers" (1975), which might have relegated it to the status of a mere media transitional album. However, on this new release, the group, led by Manfred Mann (organ and synthesizers) and supported by Mick Rogers (guitar and vocals), Colin Pattenden (bass), and Chris Slade (drums), created an ingenious blend of 70s guitar-driven heavy rock and the familiar patterns of progressive blues rock. Purely instrumental tracks like "Sky High" and "Earth Hymn" showcase that hard rock power, while the progressive "Give Me The Good Earth" (an excellent cover of Gary Wright's song) and "Launching Place" perfectly exemplify the triumphant interplay between Rogers' electric guitar and Mann's synthesizers, all under the cloak of cryptic and chaotic lyrics. On the more melodic side, there's the catchy cover of Mike Rudd's "I'll Be Gone" and the country/folk rock-tinged "Be Not Too Hard". Despite being somewhat hidden among the albums mentioned earlier, "The Good Earth" is another indelible mark left by the legendary Manfred Mann's Earth Band.

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-Manfred Mann´s Earth Band (1972)

Manfred Sepse Lubowitz, better known as Manfred Mann, began his career in the early 1960s, releasing a series of works focused on jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop, achieving several hits in the British market such as "Do What Diddy Diddy" and "Pretty Flamingo", among others. At the end of that decade, he formed Manfred Mann Chapter Three, a group that steered his style toward the experimental realm of jazz. After two noteworthy albums, the South African-born keyboardist created Manfred Mann's Earth Band, in which the restless musician sought to expand his sonic palette by exploring the progressive rock trends that were flourishing at the time. For this new lineup, he recruited drummer Chris Slade, guitarist Mick Rogers, and bassist Colin Pattenden, a lineup that would remain unchanged for the next five albums. The first album of this new venture, released in 1972 on the Polydor label, was met with great acclaim in the British and American markets thanks to its eclectic progressive style. Tracks like the midstream rock of "California Coastline", the progressive blues-gospel of "Captain Bobby Stout", the jazzy "Jump Sturdy", and the experimental psychedelic "Sloth", contrasted with the progressive folk melodies of "Part Time Man" and "I'm Up and I'm Leaving". From then on, a series of excellent examples of the talent and creativity of Manfred Mann's Earth Band followed, with highly acclaimed albums that achieved enormous commercial success.

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-Glorified Magnified (1972)

Released the same year as their debut but several months later, Manfred Mann's Earth Band's second album is a clear indication of the sound that would become the group's signature. It showcases a brilliant variety of styles, which the band performs with considerable fluency and confidence. In fact, on their subsequent albums, these sounds become even more pronounced and progressively more expansive. The lineup remains the same as on the first album: Manfred Mann (organ, synthesizers, and vocals), Mick Rogers (guitar and vocals), Colin Pattenden (bass), and Chris Slade (drums). Those eclectic sounds we mentioned earlier are present in the colorful and picturesque rock of "Meat", the intense hard rock of "Look Around", with its outstanding and enormous guitar solo by Rogers, the semi-acoustic "One Way Glass", the emotive "Ashes to the Wind", and a nod to 60s rock with their cover of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue". The album delves into the roots of country blues with "Down Home" and the dense mid-tempo "Our Friend George". Finally, the album closes with more experimental approaches in the hypnotic instrumental "Wind" and the progressive "Glorified Magnified".

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-Messin´ (1973)

In 1973, Manfred Mann's Earth Band released their third album, "Messin' ", a record that followed the stylistic path of their first two works, with its blues and R&B influences interwoven with their burgeoning progressive rock sound. The lineup of Mick Rogers (vocals and guitar), Manfred Mann (keyboards), Colin Pattenden (bass), and Chris Slade (drums) was beginning to solidify, and some time later they would create one of their best albums, "Solar Fire". But focusing on "Messin' ", they began to showcase characteristics that would establish them as one of the best progressive rock bands, such as the expansive tracks, an almost hard rock rhythm in many passages, and the interplay between guitars, Hammond organ, and synthesizers. The swampy "Mardi Gras Day", the bluesy "Black and Blue", the jazzy "Messin'", the emotive "Cloudy Eyes" or the energetic "Pretty Good", make up a solid work that little by little approached the sound that would make them world famous in the years to come.

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-Angel Station (1979)

As we've mentioned before, the 1980s marked a turning point for all those bands that had achieved creative and commercial success during the 1970s. Manfred Mann's Earth Band was no exception, adapting to the changing times while preserving their original musical philosophy. It was in this context that the band, led by keyboardist Manfred Mann, released their ninth album, "Angel Station" (a title referencing a London Underground station). Mann, along with Chris Thompson (vocals), Geoff Britton (drums), Pat King (bass), and Steve Waller (guitar), created a solid work that displayed certain new wave influences and commercial sounds within their usual progressive framework. That commercial appeal is evident in the opening track, "Don't Kill It Carol", a thunderous classic rock song driven by bass, guitar, and keyboards. Another rock classic appears in their version of Bob Dylan's "You Angel You", which showcases the band's knack for performing such successful covers. On the other hand, the hypnotic and sublime "Angels at My Gate", the bluesy "Belle of the Earth", the sarcastic "Resurrection", the epic and iconic "Waiting for the Rain", and the somber "Hollywood Town" complete an album that is as enjoyable as it is commendable, at a time in history when artists had to tread carefully to avoid musical bankruptcy.

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-Solar Fire (1973)

Solar Fire is one of the best albums that Manfred Mann's Earth Band published and perhaps is probably his most rock-oriented album. Manfred Mann's keyboards stand as undisputed protagonists in this album, in addition to guitars and instrumental arrangements, some of them inspired by Gustav Holst classic suite, The Planets. It is hard to believe that 'Father of day, Father of night' is a version of Bob Dylan. It is a long theme that perfectly illustrates the sound I like about this band, a kind of progressive hard rock with a predominance of keyboards and electric guitars. Also present in this album are female choirs that give it a classic and gloomy look. Possibly the best track on the album.

'In The Beginning, Darkness' follows in the wake of the previous theme, a little closer to progressive hard rock and in which the best parts are still the improvisations of keyboards and guitar, the rhythm of 'Pluto the Dog', reminiscent of Sometimes to Pink Floyd, I don't know if the dog's barking loaders. 'Solar Fire' is also a good song, but that does not contribute anything different to what we have been hearing so far, except to continue enjoying the peculiar sound of organs and synthesizers. 'Saturn, Lord of the Ring / Mercury the Winged Messenger' is another good theme, divided into three parts, one more rhythmic, one slow and one last improvised. Finally 'Earth the Circle' parts 1 and 2 are improvisations and variations for the leader of the band, showing more interesting part 1.

Manfred Mann´s Earth Band-Nightingales and Bombers (1975)

“Nightingales and Bombers” was one of the most progressive works by the British band Manfred Mann's Earth Band, and a high point in the group's musical career, coming just before their most commercially acclaimed album, “The Roaring Silence”. It was also the second album that did not include any Bob Dylan covers, unlike their first four albums. “Nightingales and Bombers”. along with “Solar Fire” and “The Good Earth", is considered part of Manfred Mann's Earth Band's progressive trilogy, featuring virtuosity, sophisticated and highly elaborate rock, incorporating influences ranging from jazz to subtle hints of hard rock, all infused with the electronic sounds of keyboardist Manfred Mann's synthesizers. 

However, “Nightingales and Bombers” is the most melodic of the three, with an excellent balance between keyboards and guitars, featuring catchy tracks alongside impressive progressive arrangements. The energetic “Spirits In The Night”, a Bruce Springsteen cover, kicks off an album that at times becomes vibrant and very exciting. The fast-paced rock track “Countdown” gives way to the more virtuosic “Time Is Right” and “Visionary Mountains”, while “Crossfade” is a masterfully achieved space rock song. For its part, “Fat Nelly”, along with the title track, represents the most melodic moments of this magnificent work crafted by one of the best British rock bands of the seventies.