Manfred Mann

Amidst their pop/rock, blues, and folk-rock, Manfred Mann peppered their early recordings with jazzy instrumentals that faintly suggested a jazz-rock direction. Soul of Mann is a compilation which EMI put together in the wake of the group's departure from the label for Fontana Records. It is made up of most of these early instrumental efforts, which originally appeared scattered about on various singles, EPs, and LPs between 1963 and 1966 (though one song, "L.S.D.," is actually a blues-rocker with a Paul Jones vocal). This collection is more interesting than you might think, despite the presence of a lot of repeated material; Soul of Mann is not only a very good album, but also the group's single most jazz-oriented release. No one would put Manfred Mann on the level of genuine American jazz acts like Oscar Peterson, but these cuts are executed with a surprising amount of style and wit. The Manfreds were nothing if not eclectic, producing downright strange instrumental takes on "Satisfaction," "I Got You Babe," and "My Generation." There are straighter (but still imaginative) versions of songs by the Yardbirds and Cannonball Adderley, as well as their own originals (the bluesy stomper "Mr. Anello," featuring Tom McGuinness on lead guitar, is a standout). Mike Vickers, Mike Hugg, and Manfred Mann also show their particular indebtedness to Milt Jackson and the Modern Jazz Quartet on several of these sides. Manfred Mann fans will find this worth picking up, especially given that several of the tracks never came out in the U.S., such as the aforementioned "Mr. Anello" and all of the pop covers they did for the 1966 EP Instrumental Asylum. The 1999 EMI reissue includes both the mono and stereo mixes of the album, remastered in 24-bit digital sound. (British import) ~ Richie Unterberger & Bruce Eder, All Music Guide