Manfred Mann Album: “Ascent of Mann”

This wonderful 2-CD set contains almost all the recordings made by Manfred Mann after Paul Jones was replaced by Mike D'Abo 1966-1969. Features all of the UK Fontana/US Mercury singles (from "Just Like A Woman" through "Ragamuffin Man") and much of their UK EP and UK & US album cuts ("As Is", "Mighty Garvey", and others). It's missing all the wonderful "Up The Junction" soundtrack (get the UK RPM import CD) and some of the sillier parts of the "Mighty Garvey" UK LP...so silly that US Mercury left off those tunes for their "Mighty Quinn" LP). There's a bunch of previously unissued tracks (all in stereo), but, amazingly, "Mighty Quinn" is STILL rechanneled, and most of the remaining singles are mono.

Excellent notes by Mike D'Abo, but, amazingly, the most frustrating things about this set is there's no detailed rundown of the tracks and where they came from.

Guess UK/German Fontana/Mercury, the makers of this reissue, assumed that each and every buyer already knew everything about this Manfred Mann period.....boy, did they get THAT wrong!

If you're wondering what happened between Do Wah Diddy Diddy

and Blinded By The Light, then this is the CD to buy.

This CD has the best sounding version of The Mighty Quinn

that I've ever heard (besides bringing back fond memories).

There's many odd cover versions of songs here, but it's a

great value for a double CD set. I'd also recommend EMI's

The Best Of Manfred Mann, The Definitive Collection, for

their earlier hits....and Warner Archives' The Best of Manfred

Mann's Earth Band for hits like Blinded By The Light.

the best era of music

late 60s

Brit Rock Pop (Psych)!

well-produced but not AM fare

amazing songs you likely never heard

a British Byrds! [the Dylan connec.]

This double collection has a couple throwaways that the single cd of the same era omits -to its benefit- but as m'man below points up, the instrumentals are worth much on their own!!

Own it @ no peril

BESIDES BEST SONGS WE KNOW, FUNNY INSTRUMENTAL SONGS ARE HERE LIKE LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE BY MONKEES, SUNSHINE SUPERMAN BY DONOVAN AND SWEET PEA BY TOMMY ROE. TOTALLY PSYCHIDELIC FEELING PLAYED BY MANFRED MANN. THEY REALLY MAKE ME HAPPY BUT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY BOX SET OF MANFRED MANN IS NOT COMING OUT. LET'S HOPE AND WAIT THE BOX SET.

An almost complete set of Manfred Mann in the so called Mark II incarnation. A career not dissimilar to The Kinks in the period 1964-1969, starting with blues based music but developing a very distinctive English style. The Many Faces Of Manfred Mann is the title of a original Manfred Mann album but this CD could also have easily been given the same title. There still are some blues traces to be detected. The instrumental tracks all have a jazzy feel, which is very nice if you're in the mood for it. Some of their greatest hits are from this era and they are also nicely spread over the two discs. All of the songs are placed in a chronological order. Great stuff!