(Australian 1980 - 1981)
(Matt Taylor-Phil Manning Band)
The decade of the 80's has brought with it a reunion which has the potential of becoming a major force in Australian contemporary music. Just as Australian music is entering its most fruitful period in the world marketplace, the reunion of Matt Taylor and Phil Manning to write and play together again after eight years , will surely see a place for them as leaders in the style of rock/blues.
As Matt is affectionately known as the 'boss of Oz blues', Phil holds the respect of his peers as the finest exponent of the rock guitar Australia has produced, proof of which is borne in the guitar Phil was commissioned to design in '74 by "Maton", a model sharing high sales success bearing the name of its designer, "Phil Manning Custom Stereo".
As one concert reviewer saw it, "the four piece band stood out like an oasis in the middle of a desert of unimaginative new wave bands - on the strength of two performances, it's even tempting to say that the Matt Taylor Band is among the best live acts in Australia".
Wishing to record more product, yet not having a compatible collaborator in the current Matt Taylor Band line-up, the resignation of Dave Hole for pursual of his own musical interests was perfectly timed for the approach to Phil - a proven musical combination both in the studio and on stage - who had been living in self-exile, on a farm in Tasmania for nine months.
Christmas Eve, 1980, saw Phil land in Perth with his family, to launch into rehearsals on Boxing Day. The Matt Taylor - Phil Manning Band opened their Perth season on 7th January, performing five sell-out shows in their first week against Australia's undisputed top live drawcard. Audience reaction was 'over the top' and convinced 96FM to their FIRST 'live to air' with the band from Perth's Melbourne Hotel on 17th January - the eve of their debut East States tour.
The balance of the quartet, rhythm section from the Matt Taylor band - well honed, precise, pumping, the wild Scot Roy Daniels on bass and Ric Whittle on drums.
Roadrunner Album Review
Some months ago I saw the Matt Taylor-Phil Manning Band support Roy Buchanan at the Adelaide Festival Theatre, and their bracket was the only thing that saved the night from being a total disaster. They played a set of clean, tight and punchy rock/blues with a minimum of fuss and received a duly warm reception.
This album presents the band much as it sounds in the live arena. It is a no-frills production with minimum over dubbing and no flashy effects. The music is simple, straightforward and basic, rarely straying from some permutation of the 12bar formula, and is thus not to everybody's taste.
However, Manning and Taylor have been treading the board for more years than I can remember (or they care to), and are without any shade of doubt very good at what they do, which is 'playin' the blooze'.
The album gets off with "Nothing", a basic twelvey that features some good harp-playing from Matt Taylor. Matt's voice is nothing if not distinctive, and is tailor made (excuse me) for this sort of sleaze. This one rocks into "Nice Friends", another 4 chord rocker done with style. Phil Manning takes lead vocals for "The Line", a rollicking song that reminds me of Mungo Gerry. Manning's voice is somewhat unprepossessing, sounding akin to a higher pitched Eric Clapton, but it handles the task satisfactorily.
"Laughing" is a nice and sleazy medium pacer with some impressive harp right on the end. Side One closes with "Spring Hill" which was a highlight of the live set I saw.
Side Two continues along as expected and includes a rework of "I'm A Man" called "Mannish Boy". "Tammy" is blues/rock with a swing feel, and the closer "boogie 2" is just what the title suggests, and full on, fast boogie.
Overall, this is a record for blues enthusiasts and long-time fans of Manning and Taylor. I can't see it breaking any broader ground that that. There are some fine moments provided by excellent solo work on guitar and harmonica, and the rhythm section is tight and solid. As far as recent Australian blues production go, I think the Kevin Borich and Dutch Tilders collaboration has the edge, but 'Oz Blues' is definitely a worthwhile effort. [Review by Stan Coulter, Road Runner Mag, 9th Oct 1981]
Wishing to record more product, yet not having a compatible collaborator in the current Matt Taylor Band line-up, the resignation of Dave Hole for pursual of his own musical interests was perfectly timed for the approach to Phil - a proven musical combination both in the studio and on stage - who had been living in self-exile, on a farm in Tasmania for nine months.
The balance of the quartet, rhythm section from the Matt Taylor band - well honed, precise, pumping, the wild Scot Roy Daniels on bass and Ric Whittle on drums.
Roadrunner Album Review
Some months ago I saw the Matt Taylor-Phil Manning Band support Roy Buchanan at the Adelaide Festival Theatre, and their bracket was the only thing that saved the night from being a total disaster. They played a set of clean, tight and punchy rock/blues with a minimum of fuss and received a duly warm reception.
However, Manning and Taylor have been treading the board for more years than I can remember (or they care to), and are without any shade of doubt very good at what they do, which is 'playin' the blooze'.
The album gets off with "Nothing", a basic twelvey that features some good harp-playing from Matt Taylor. Matt's voice is nothing if not distinctive, and is tailor made (excuse me) for this sort of sleaze. This one rocks into "Nice Friends", another 4 chord rocker done with style. Phil Manning takes lead vocals for "The Line", a rollicking song that reminds me of Mungo Gerry. Manning's voice is somewhat unprepossessing, sounding akin to a higher pitched Eric Clapton, but it handles the task satisfactorily.
Side Two continues along as expected and includes a rework of "I'm A Man" called "Mannish Boy". "Tammy" is blues/rock with a swing feel, and the closer "boogie 2" is just what the title suggests, and full on, fast boogie.
Overall, this is a record for blues enthusiasts and long-time fans of Manning and Taylor. I can't see it breaking any broader ground that that. There are some fine moments provided by excellent solo work on guitar and harmonica, and the rhythm section is tight and solid. As far as recent Australian blues production go, I think the Kevin Borich and Dutch Tilders collaboration has the edge, but 'Oz Blues' is definitely a worthwhile effort. [Review by Stan Coulter, Road Runner Mag, 9th Oct 1981]
This post consists of FLACs ripped from Vinyl and includes full album artwork and label scans. All photo's, brochures and the Road Runner Review are also included.
In my opinion, this gem slipped through the net when it was released and deserved a lot more media coverage and radio play.
Track Listing:
01.Nothing
02.Nice Friends
03.The Line
04.Laughing
05.Spring Hill
06.Blow
07.Mannish Boy
08.Tammy
09.Comin' on Strong
10.Boogie 2 (Son of Boogie)
Musicians:
Matt Taylor - vocals, harp
Phil Manning - guitar, vocals
Roy Daniel - bass
Ric Whittle - sonor drums
Matt Taylor/Phil Manning Link (273Mb)
I didn't get to see these guys unfortunately although I remember the publicity around them getting together again. A great guitar player, was Phil Manning. John
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, AussieRock! ( ´ ▽ ` )οΎ‰
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