| Manfred Mann's Earth Band | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 24 January 1972 | |||
| Studio | Maximum Sound Studios and I.B.C. Studios in London [1] | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 41:35 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Manfred Mann, Dave Hadfield, David MacKay | |||
| Manfred Mann chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Manfred Mann's Earth Band | ||||
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Manfred Mann's Earth Band is the eponymous debut studio album by English rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band, released on 24 January 1972 by Polydor Records.
Manfred Mann's Earth Band was first released in January 1972 by Polydor Records in the United States, where it sold modestly [1] and charted for six weeks on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 138 on 18 March. [5] The single "Living Without You" spent seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 69 on 8 April. [6] In the United Kingdom, the album was released on 18 February by Philips Records to lesser sales. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A+ [8] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [9] |
| Only Solitaire | [10] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [11] |
The album was met with positive reviews from American critics. [1] Henry Edwards of High Fidelity said the Earth Band had proved themselves greatly superior to other acts in the "British Blues Invasion of the Seventies" by displaying a dedication to the music rather than flaunting their individual abilities. He also applauded bandleader Manfred Mann's performances of "Part Time Man" and "I'm Up and I'm Leaving", writing that they possessed "that haunting, urgent quality that has always marked Mann not only as a quality rocker but also as a musician with serious intentions and the ability to realize them". [12] Ramparts magazine called the album a respite from the "excessively abstracted psychedelic/hard rock" of the time, as well as an exceptional-sounding record that would prove to be "a landmark in the assimilation of new technology into rock without yielding to any impulse to make it a gimmick". [13] At the end of 1972, Manfred Mann's Earth Band was named the third best album of the year in Robert Christgau's column for Newsday . The music critic applauded Mann's innovative synthesizer parts and both the "original and borrowed" lyrics, while calling the album "one of those future-rock records that will probably spawn no heirs, even by the group that made it". [14] Reviewers in the UK were less receptive to the album, according to Robert Corich in his notes for its reissue. [1]
Christgau later ranked the album number 17 on a decade-end list for The Village Voice , [15] and described it as "an extraordinary cult record" that achieved rock's dichotomous "art-commerce" synthesis, something he said Mann had espoused since the early years of his music career. [8] AllMusic critic J.P. Ollio called it "a completely satisfying album and one of the most underrated of the '70s", in which the Earth Band explored "arty and progressive directions" without succumbing to the weight of their own pretensions. Ollio highlighted the record's "hypnotic instrumentals", Mann's "exhilarating original songs", and the "three definitive covers" of Randy Newman's "Living Without You", Dr. John's "Jump Sturdy", and Bob Dylan's "Please, Mrs. Henry". [7]
Side one
Side two
1999 CD bonus tracks [1]
Credits are adapted from the album's 1999 reissue booklet. [1]
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Additional personnel
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [16] | 138 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Norway (IFPI Norway) [17] | Platinum | 50,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Manfred Mann were an English rock band, formed in London and active between 1962 and 1969. The group were named after their keyboardist Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The band had two different lead vocalists, Paul Jones from 1962 to 1966 and Mike d'Abo from 1966 to 1969.
Manfred Mann's Earth Band are an English rock band formed by South African musician Manfred Mann. Their hits include covers of Bruce Springsteen's "For You", "Blinded by the Light" and "Spirit in the Night". After forming in 1971 and with a short hiatus in the late 1980s/early 1990s, the Earth Band continues to perform and tour.
The Magician's Birthday is the fifth studio album by English rock band Uriah Heep, released in November 1972 by Bronze Records in the UK and Mercury Records in the US. The concept was "based loosely on a short story" written by keyboardist Ken Hensley in June and July 1972.
Messin' is a rock album released in 1973 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
The Best Of Manfred Mann's Earth Band Re-Mastered Volume II is a compilation album released in 2001 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
The Best Of Manfred Mann's Earth Band Re-Mastered is a compilation album released in 1999 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The title of track 4 on the compilation, "Blinded by the Light" is errantly printed as "Blinded by the Night".
Budapest Live is an album released in 1984 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The album was recorded on the "Somewhere in Europe" tour in 1983 in support of the "Somewhere in Afrika" album, and despite its title, also featured recordings from the Dominion Theatre in London. It was the final Earth Band album to appear on the Bronze label and also the last album recorded with Steve Waller and Matt Irving.
Chance is Manfred Mann's Earth Band's tenth album, released in 1980. The album cover art was an adaptation of Danish artist Ole Kortzau's poster "Strandstole". The album marked the temporary return of guitarist and founding member Mick Rogers to the band. John Lingwood replaced drummer Geoff Britton, who left due to illness. It is also the last album that bassist Pat King appeared on. Although Chris Thompson only appeared as a guest vocalist, he was onboard again for the accompanying tour.
Angel Station is the ninth album released by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, released in 1979. Several line-up changes were made for this album. Ex-Wings drummer Geoff Britton replaced founding drummer Chris Slade and Steve Waller replaced guitarist Dave Flett. Britton left the band soon after due to illness, and was replaced by John Lingwood. Also in the line-up were Pat King on bass guitar from the then current line-up and Chris Thompson.
Watch is the eighth album by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, a studio album with two live tracks released in 1978. It is the first album recorded with new bassist Pat King, and the final album for both guitarist Dave Flett and original drummer Chris Slade. In West Germany, it stayed 69 weeks in the charts, receiving platinum status in 1981.
The Roaring Silence is the seventh studio album by English rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band. It was released on 27 August 1976, by Bronze Records in the UK and by Warner Bros. Records in the US. Like other Earth Band albums, this includes material by other composers. "Blinded by the Light", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, is a cover version of a song by Bruce Springsteen; "Questions" is based on the main theme of Franz Schubert's Impromptu in G flat Major (1827); "Starbird" takes its theme from Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird (1910); and "The Road to Babylon" is based on the canon "By the Waters of Babylon" by Philip Hayes. Lyrics and melody of the intro of "The Road to Babylon" is taken from the song "Babylon"from Don McLean's second album "American Pie", released in 1971.
Nightingales & Bombers is the sixth studio album released by Manfred Mann's Earth Band in 1975.
The title of this album was inspired by a recording made in Surrey, England during the Second World War, by an ornithologist intending to record nightingales. The bombers flew over at the same time and were recorded by accident. The recording has been incorporated in 'As Above, So Below'.
Glorified Magnified is a rock album released in 1972 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
The Good Earth is the fifth studio album released by Manfred Mann's Earth Band in 1974. Its opening song is a cover of "Give Me the Good Earth", written by Gary Wright and released on his 1971 solo album Footprint, while tracks 2 and 3 were originally by Australian progressive rock band Spectrum.
Solar Fire is the fourth studio album by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, released in 1973. It spent 15 weeks on the Billboard 200 charts, peaking at number 96 on 11 May 1974. It was initially intended to be a full adaptation of The Planets Suite but Gustav Holst's heir, who had previously given permission to the adaptation of "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" in the hit single "Joybringer", didn't allow this to happen, so the band made their own "cosmic" album using mostly original themes, although the most well known song is the Bob Dylan composition "Father of Day, Father of Night", which is in the Earth Band's live set to this day and remains a popular song on rock radio. "Pluto the Dog" and the two-part "Saturn, Lord of the Ring/Mercury, the Winged Messenger" are instrumentals, and "Earth the Circle Part 2" features only two lines of sung vocals. The album is often considered the peak of the early Earth Band line-up and, for a lot of progressive rock reviewers, the pinnacle of Mann's career in general.
Manfred Mann Chapter Three is the debut album released in 1969 by Manfred Mann Chapter Three. It was one of the three first albums released on the Vertigo record label. The principal members of the group were Manfred Mann and Mike Hugg. Mann played the organ and acted as the group's musical arranger, whilst Hugg handled vocals, played piano and was the chief songwriter. The group was augmented by a five-piece brass section and several distinguished jazz soloists.
Manfred Mann Chapter Three Volume Two is the second and final album released by Manfred Mann Chapter Three. It was released in 1970 on Vertigo. Mann's next album, and most of his future albums, would be released under the name Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
Greatest Hits 1972–1978 is a compilation album by the English rock band 10cc
Doug Sahm and Band is the debut solo album of American singer-songwriter Doug Sahm. In 1972, after leaving the Sir Douglas Quintet, Sahm moved to Austin, Texas. He was signed by Jerry Wexler to the newly opened country music division of Atlantic Records, and started the album sessions by October 1972. It featured appearances by Bob Dylan, Dr. John, David "Fathead" Newman, Flaco Jimenez, David Bromberg and Kenny Kosek.
The Five Faces of Manfred Mann is the debut British and second American studio album by Manfred Mann. It was first released in the United Kingdom on 11 September 1964 by His Master's Voice. In late October/early November, the album was released in Canada by Capitol Records. The Canadian track listing was almost the same as the UK version, except it included the hit "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" instead of "I've Got My Mojo Working". The record has been called "one of the great blues-based British invasion albums; it's a hot, rocking record that benefits from some virtuoso playing as well".
