01	The Dream						07:00
	02	Nobody's Fool						05:11
	03	Omens						05:26
	04	The River of Time						06:36
	05	Silent Man						04:13
	06	Falling Down? Rising Up!						07:56
	07	Life's Disguises						03:25
	08	Out of My Life						08:49
	09	Midnight Sail						05:18

REVIEW OF - "A MATTER OF LIFE & DEATH" DR D B SILLARS from Luton, Bedfordshire United Kingdom This album was my top choice of last year as best progressive rock album. So what makes this stand out from the competition, which last year was pretty good? Well, since 1999 Guy Manning has produced five albums for the British independent progressive rock label, Cyclops. Each album beautifully showcased his distinctive mixture of classic English progressive rock, with folk, jazz and other elements to produce song writing of such individual character and depth. But with this latest album, his song writing has reached astonishing new heights of quality and beauty. When Cyclops lacked the funds to release his latest album, he searched valiantly for another outlet. Having secured a deal with American label ProgRock, he could at last release "A Matter of Life and Death". And it was worth it. This is a perfect culmination of everything Guy is good at. Beautifully constructed songs, with rich, full melodies augmented with excellent playing from himself and all concerned. Guy is a superb multi-instrumentalist, tackling various guitar and keyboard duties as well as drums. Though to be clear Manning is a band venture. Guy is more than ably supported by Laura Fowles on sax , Gareth Harwood on guitars and Rick Ashton on bass. Guy has also employed other instrumentalists to add fiddle, melodica and cello, embellishing the rich musical tapestry on show here. The basis for the album is the story of Abel Mann a character first introduced in a song on an earlier album. As he sits at his desk reading his journals, each song represents his life experiences. There are many nautical references which pervade this album and water, rivers, sailing act as continuing themes throughout. The story is superbly illustrated by the gorgeous album artwork of Ed Unitsky who also produced the artwork for both Tangent albums, a project which Guy is also part of. The opening track, "The Dream" is a corker. What a way to open an album. This superbly rousing rocker has a chorus to die for. Excellent use of string synths to give a very full, symphonic feel and nice moog solo by Andy Tillison too. "The River of Time" has a haunting, dreamlike quality to it, made more so by Laura Fowles slightly creepy vocals. But the highlight is undoubtedly, "Out of My Life". This is a classic. With an excellent instrumental section, full of synths and Laura Fowles strident sax playing, this is so wonderfully arranged and developed. Superb! The album closes with "Midnight Sail", pure rock and roll! The song writing and performances on this album are so strong and consistent throughout. Not a weak track in sight. It is a true joy to listen to this. On the evidence on this and Guy's other albums, it's a complete mystery why Guy Manning is not more widely known and appreciated, not just within the prog rock community, but his appeal as a singer/songwriter is so much wider that anyone interested in carefully crafted, quality song writing will find lots to enjoy here. He has already started work on his next opus, "One Small Step..." Can't wait!
Submitted by DB SILLARS (Bedford, UK)

Manning – A Matter Of Life And Death
(The Journal Of Abel Mann)
Manning – A Matter Of Life And Death
(The Journal Of Abel Mann)
Country of Origin: UK
Format: CD
Record Label: ProgRock Records
Just For Kicks
Catalogue #: PRR138
Year of Release: 2004
Time: 53:54
Info: Burnside
Samples: Click here

Tracklist: The Dream (7:00), Nobody’s Fool (5:11), Omens (5:26), The River Of Time (6:36), Silent Man (4:13), Falling Down? Rising Up! (7:56), Life’s Disguises (3:25), Out Of My Life (8:49), Midnight Sail (5:18)

For his sixth CD, Guy Manning finds a new home on ProgRock Records, and Cyclops’ loss is their gain as Manning’s winning blend of assured storytelling Singer-Songwriter material, blended with a healthy portion of prog rock dynamics and instrumental textures finds a new level of depth and maturity on this, his most consistent and enjoyable disc so far.

All five of his previous CD’s have been reviewed by DPRP, with no less than three of them earning a recommended tag. I was surprised to see that Cascade didn’t quite make the grade, as this was the first one that made me sit up and take notice. Granted, it was a very varied, you might say patchy, affair, but its best moments are hard to beat for accessible melodic Neo-prog.

A Matter Of Life And Death goes a long way to address the shortcomings of Cascade, being entirely more consistent, and largely more prog oriented, although much of the material is mid to slow tempo and favours the reflective side of things, as befits the conceptual nature of the work. It’s a thoughtfully constructed tale of Life, Death and Rebirth and follows the progress of Abel Mann, a character first introduced on Manning’s debut CD.

To realise his ambitious project, Manning has retained the solid band of his last few releases, namely: Laura Fowles – sax, Gareth Harwood – guitars, and Rick Ashton – bass. I have seen them live and believe me, their passion and enthusiasm really spills off the stage in an infectious manner, and the songs are given a renewed sense of vigour and purpose.. I would love to see them tackle this new material live.

On this CD they are assisted by: John Tipping – drums, Ian Fairbairn – fiddle, Neil Harris – piano, Tim Moon – cello and Manning’s fellow Tangent / PO90 compatriot Andy Tillison on keyboards on the first and last tracks.

The CD gets off to a rousing start with the delightful The Dream, which is perhaps my favourite Manning composition so far. It has a brief, delicate intro before taking off with an infectious chugging rhythm, powered by acoustic guitars and featuring a wicked guitar solo and splashes of synths that somehow remind me of 80’s Eloy. When the sax enters we are in classic VDGG territory – Laura Fowles is on excellent form. Guy gives a strong vocal performance in his usual idiosyncratic style. His occasional tendency to over-sibilance is less marked on this disc. Whilst he may not be the best vocalist you have heard, his personal delivery of the heartfelt lyrics adds a welcome dose of character and passion.

Nobody’s Fool is a tender, delicately orchestrated lament for a wasted life. Manning’s lyrics throughout this CD are very satisfying- thoughtful, wistful and, dare I say it, profound. I was often reminded of Peter Hammill’s wordy and intellectual approach to lyrics, though of course Guy’s voice is nothing like Peters. Omens is a mid paced rocker, merging incisive electric guitars, powerful organs and strummed acoustic guitars, with a Mellotron-ish backing (it might be a Mellotron, but I am not entirely convinced) and some great lyrics bursting with references to various superstitions.

The River of Time is another strong song, with a compelling vocal form Guy, boosted with some female backing vocals and a good piano solo. There are some lovely, subtle instrumental touches to this one; it’s a fine example of the current strength of Guy’s material. Silent Man adds a folkish twist with mandolin and fiddle, and Guy’s vocals are at their most Ian Anderson-ish too, lending a Tull vibe to the song. Nice one!

Falling Down? Rising Up! As it’s title suggests is a song of two halves, combining a heartfelt lament in the first half, via a jazzy bridge, with a joyous celebratory song of hope in the second half, which reminds me of the up-tempo world music influenced material purveyed on Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe’s self titled release. The In The Midst Of Life Refrain is catchy to say the least, and there’s some great sax and infectious rhythms too. This is a really successful song, and one of the albums best tracks.

Life’s Disguises is a simple acoustic ballad, but no less enjoyable for that, with a definite Hammill-ian lyrical sensibility at work. This too is one of my favourite moments.

Out Of My Life begins with superb sax from Laura Fowles – she really captures some of the passion of David Jackson from VDGG on this track. There’s quite an orchestral feel to the arrangement and some delicate mandolin to be found amongst the sturdy organ and synth leads. This is a track where all of Manning’s strengths are openly on show. It’s warm and melodic, with plenty of instrumental colour and crafty arrangements, wringing every ounce of interest from a not-especially complex structure, to make an accessible prog rock song, which should have wide appeal.

The CD’s closer is the most upbeat track on the disc, with a sing along feel. The lyrics are appealing and there’s some nice sax of course, but its simplistic Rock 'n' Roll structure, whilst fun, lacks the depth of the other tracks. It is saved somewhat by a nice synth solo from Andy Tillison, but it fails in my opinion to provide the grand climax this otherwise excellent concept work deserves.

Nevertheless, this is Manning’s strongest effort to date, with an excellent sense of pacing and structure, and I have no hesitation in once again awarding a DPRP recommendation. It’s richly deserved and I hope that Manning’s boosted profile following his presence in the Tangent project results in many new listeners checking out his solo stuff. Whilst operating in a more commercial, low key, less bombastic prog area, there’s a lot of high quality song craft and musicianship to be enjoyed on any of his solo stuff and this one makes a great place to start exploring. Enjoy!

Conclusion: 8.5 out of 10

Dave Sissons




Manning, Guy - A Matter Of Life & Death - The Journey Of Abel Mann


Year of Release: 2004
Label: ProgRock Records
Catalog Number: PRR138
Format: CD
Total Time: 53:54:00

Guy Manning must be sick of being compared to Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson. Imagine a younger Anderson without the cynicism and you'll have a good idea of Guy's delivery. It has a rich mid-ranged timbre and clear enunciation. The vocals are very up-front in the mix and there aren't many long instrumental sections so it is the singing that defines this record. That Anderson connection is reinforced by at least two songs, "Life's Disguises" and "Silent Man", which have a strong folk-rock orientation that recall early '80s accoustic 'Tull.

But this is far from a 'Tull clone. In fact the style of the music ranges from progressive folk through '70s-styled symphonic-progressive, modern hard-edged rock, singer-songwriter ... and there's even some rather heavy pure jazz. While that variety in turn may lead you to fear that the music would be all over the map, rest assured - although Manning delivers a good range of sounds and despite the song-orientation apparent on this album, it's a very cohesive piece.

This concept album addresses the story hinted by the subtitle The Journal Of Abel Mann. Manning's lyrics are more intelligent than most in today's progressive music. None of that esoteric stuff - there's a purpose to each song, and the heartfelt prose is perfectly matched to the music. On Tall Stories For Small Children, Abel Mann is found at the end of his tether and about to kill himself, waiting to jump from the ledge of a building. When he jumps he is raised up and finds himself alone sat at a desk with a journal into which he must write his life story before he can be reborn. On A Matter Of Life & Death, as the subtitle suggests, this is the story written in the Journal It is the writing poignant memoirs on the successes and failures of his life, how he came to be, how he came to the end, how it ended but did not really end, and ultimately and how he was redeemed and reborn.

The strongest piece on this record is probably the 9-minute mini-epic "Out Of My Life," a mostly instrumental piece which is rich in Laura Fowles' wonderful sax. Why does the saxophone gives music an air of mature credibility? Perhaps it's the memories of VdGG which Fowles evokes in many tracks. My favorite track, however, is "River Of Time." It is a soft melodic piece that I played over and over again. Guy's fat-sounding twelve-string guitar accompanies Laura Fowles' whisper-soft and very "girlie" background vocals, while the rich but understated keys, the gentle bass and occasional high-register synth motifs build an elegant, introspective piece that segues nicely into "Silent Man," a more folk-rock oriented piece with fiddle and mandolin.

"Falling Down? Rising Up!" is interesting in that it switches over to pure jazz about half way through, and for about 4 minutes there's an upbeat bass/drum loop with Neil Harris playing piano - positively smashing the keys in a series of staccato chords - then trading the limelight with the sax, Hammond, and vocal choruses.

This is Manning's sixth solo album since 1999. In that time he's also worked on Parallel Or 90 Degrees, two acclaimed The Tangent CDs, and with La Voce Del Vento on one (soon two, we understand) Colossus "Spaghetti Epic" projects. The depth of his experience and creativity is clearly evident on this CD, whose strongest points are the subtle mix of sounds, the richly textured song structures, and above all, the memorable melodies with hooks that sink in so deep that this CD will be in constant rotation in many collections. Highly recommended.

Tracklisting:
The Dream (7:00) / Nobody's Fool (5:11) / Omens (5:26) / The River Of Time (6:36) / Silent Man (4:13) / Falling Down? Rising Up! (7:56) / Life's Disguises (3:25) / Out Of My Life (8:49) / Midnight Sail (5:18)

Musicians:
Guy Manning - vocals, keyboards, 6 and 12 string acoustic guitars, classical guitars, electric guitars, bass, mandolin, drums and percussion
Laura Fowles - sax, vocals
Gareth Harwood - electric guitars, vocals
Rick Ashton - bass, vocals

Special guests:

John Tipping - drums
Ian Fairbairn - fiddle (1, 5)
Neil Harris - modal piano (6), melodica, percussion, vocals
Tim Moon - cello (1)
Andy Tillison - Moog solo (1), keyboards (9)

Discography:
Tall Stories For Small Children (1999)
The Cure (2000)
Cascade (2001)
The Ragged Curtain (2003)
The View From My Window (2003)
A Matter Of Life & Death - The Journey Of Abel Mann (2004)
One Small Step (2005)
Anser's Tree (2006)
Songs From The Bilston House (2007)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: January 17th 2005
Reviewer: Duncan N Glenday
Score:
Artist website: www.guymanning.com
Hits: 409
Language: english




Manning, Guy - A Matter Of Life & Death - The Journey Of Abel Mann


Year of Release: 2004
Label: ProgRock Records
Catalog Number: PRR138
Format: CD
Total Time: 53:54:00

In a time when metal seems to dominate - we are almost flooded with all kinds of prog, power and gothic metal acts - progressive rock seems to be a bit snowed under. Fortunately there are artists that remain faithful to their music and bring a refreshing sound. Guy Manning is such an artist. Manning is more like a singer/songwriter and already has five albums on his name. Recently he joined the prog rock supergroup The Tangent, but that notwithstanding we can enjoy his sixth solo album: A Matter Of Life And Death - The Journal Of Abel Mann.

With this album, he goes back to his first album, Tall Stories For Small Children, where he introduced the character Abel Mann. The story Manning tells is not too happy and he knows how to translate this dark atmosphere to music very well. Besides the vocals, he plays almost all the instruments, which works out very well. It is a bit of a sober album with some folky passages. I am not too fond of his voice, but the music is played very good, sometimes with simple melodies, then with more complex ones.

My favourite parts are the piano parts, which you find throughout the album. Despite the tragic story, it is a soothing album, which you can really enjoy. No heavy guitars or double bass, but soft melodies and ditto vocals. Together with the great artwork by the hand of Ed Unitsky, which is a bit similar to the artwork of the Fish-era Marillion (Mark Wilkinson), it forms a great package.

Musically, I think is a fantastic album! The various guest musicians make it a pleasure to listen to. Vocals are not my favourites, but that is more a matter of taste then of quality. Someone who is looking for something different will definitely enjoy this album.

Tracklisting:
The Dream (7:00) / Nobody's Fool (5:11) / Omens (5:26) / The River Of Time (6:36) / Silent Man (4:13) / Falling Down? Rising Up! (7:56) / Life's Disguises (3:25) / Out Of My Life (8:49) / Midnight Sail (5:18)

Musicians:
Guy Manning - vocals, keyboards, 6 and 12 string acoustic guitars, classical guitars, electric guitars, bass, mandolin, drums and percussion
Laura Fowles - sax, vocals
Gareth Harwood - electric guitars, vocals
Rick Ashton - bass, vocals

Special guests:

John Tipping - drums
Ian Fairbairn - fiddle (1, 5)
Neil Harris - modal piano (6), melodica, percussion, vocals
Tim Moon - cello (1)
Andy Tillison - Moog solo (1), keyboards (9)

Discography:
Tall Stories For Small Children (1999)
The Cure (2000)
Cascade (2001)
The Ragged Curtain (2003)
The View From My Window (2003)
A Matter Of Life & Death - The Journey Of Abel Mann (2004)
One Small Step (2005)
Anser's Tree (2006)
Songs From The Bilston House (2007)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: January 17th 2005
Reviewer: Marcel Haster
Score:
Artist website: www.guymanning.com
Hits: 176
Language: english