"Revelation/2 Ozs. Of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle" by MAN – January and September 1969 Debut and Second Studio Albums on Pye and Dawn R2128ecords in Stereo – Featuring Deke Leonard, Micky Jones, Clive John, Ray Williams and Jeff Jones with John Schroeder Production (July 2025 UK Beat Goes On Records (BGO) Compilation – 2LPs onto 2CDs - Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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RATINGS:

Overall: ***

Presentation: ****

Audio: *****

"….The Future Hides Its Face…"

On the 25 of May 2009 (and as part of a huge catalogue-long reissue campaign) - Esoteric Recordings of the UK (part of Cherry Red) put out the first two studio albums by Welsh Rock/Psych Band MAN onto much-praised Ben Wiseman Remastered CDs as individual releases (the original vinyl was January and September 1969). The first "Revelation" came with four bonus tracks and the second "2 Ozs. Of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle" came with three (Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2127 - Barcode 5013929722729 and Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2128 - Barcode 5013929722828 respectively). But those earlier Remasters have been deleted for years and here in the late 2020s are expensive to locate (if you can find them).

 

I have never liked the debut album (insufferable listen complete with orgasmic oohs and aahs on the risible please-love-me 'Erotica') – but Beat Goes On (BGO of the UK) has deemed it cool (sixteen years down the line) to reissue both again minus the Bonuses in a July 2025 twofer CD package. 

But it must be said (and this may be a big draw for fans) - the Audio supplied here by new Andrew Thompson Remasters is truly exceptional – clear, punchy and in-yer-face. And as usual – you get that classy BGO presentation (outer card slipcase, 12-page booklet with MICHAEL HEATLEY liner notes etc). To the beginnings…

UK released Friday, 4 July 2025 (11 July 2025 in the USA) - "Revelation/2 Ozs. Of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle" by MAN on Beat Goes On Records BGOCD1551 (Barcode 5017261215512) is a compilation that offers their first two studio albums (January and September 1969) on Pye and Dawn Records UK in Stereo Remastered onto 2CDs and it plays out as follows:

CD1 (42:38 minutes):
1. And In The Beginning (4:21 minutes) [Side 1]
2. Sudden Life (4:40 minutes)
3. Empty Room (3:43 minutes)
4. Puella! Puella! (Woman! Woman!) (3:34 minutes)
5. Love (2:52 minutes)
6. Erotica (4;07 minutes)
7. Blind Man (4:17 minutes)
8. And Castles Rise In Children's Eyes (3:21 minutes)
9. Don't Just Stand There (Come In Out Of The Rain) (4:13 minutes)
10. The Missing Pieces (1:55 minutes)
11. The Future Hides Its Face (5:27 minutes)
Tracks 1 to 11 are their debut album "Revelation" – released January 1969 in the UK on Pye Records NPL 18275 (Mono) and NSPL 18275 (Stereo) and as "Manpower" in the USA (with the same tracks) on Philips PHS 600-313 in Stereo – the STEREO mix is used. Produced by JOHN SCHROEDER – Tracks 1, 5, 7 and 11 written by Roger (Deke) Leonard, Tracks 4, 8 and 9 written by Micky Jones, Track 2 by Clive John and Roger (Deke) Leonard, Track 3 by Clive John and Ray Williams, Tracks 6 by the whole band, Track 10 by Clive John, Clive Reynolds, Martin Ace and (Roger (Deke) Leonard.

CD2 (37:45 minutes):
1. Prelude/The Storm(12:20 minutes)  [Side 1]
2. It Is As It Must Be (8:27 minutes)
3. Spunk Box (5:48 minutes) [Side 2]
4. My Name Is Jesus Smith (4:03 minutes)
5. Parchment And Candles (1:52 minutes)
6. Brother Arnold's Red And White Striped Tent (5:02 minutes)
Tracks 1 to 6 are their second album "2 Ozs. Of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle" – released September 1969 on Dawn Records DNLS 3003 in Stereo (no US issue). Produced by JOHN SCHROEDER – Tracks 1 and 5 by Deke Leonard and Micky Jones, Track 2 by Clive John and Ray Williams, Track 3 by Micky Jones and Clive John and Track 4 by Deke Leonard and Jeff Jones and Track 6 by Deke Leonard and Micky Jones.

MAN was:
ROGER "Deke" LEONARD – Guitars, Harp, Piano, Percussion and Vocals
CLIVE JOHN – Organ, Paino, Guitar, Vocals
MICKY "Mike" JONES – Lead Guitar and Vocals
RAY WILLIAMS – Bass
JEFF JONES – Drums and Percussion

The card-slipcase lends the 2CD compilation a classy look and feel – the 12-page booklet features new liner notes by MICHEAL HEATLEY that wax lyrical about The Bystanders transmogrifying into MAN (a 23-year-old Deke Leonard was amazed) and going all Quicksilver Messenger Service with their first two Acid-Rock based LPs (both issued in 1969). The gatefold artwork is there too from those hard-to-find Pye and Dawn albums. The audio is amazing on both CDs – example: as you allow the crashing cymbals and strummed guitar meanderings of the instrumental opener "Prelude/The Storm" to unfold on the second LP – the Remaster is clear – powerful – steady – fade ins and fade outs - the music of the debut might test your patience – but this sounds the business. Beloved British Rock DJ and Tastemaker Alan FLUFF Freeman featured its plus-twelve-minutes of ethereal floating on his airwaves thus bringing on board that Steve Miller, Grateful Dead crowd. 

Fabulous audio or not, the "Revelation" Debut is awful to me – an album I have never wanted to own let alone listen to. Even great sounding guitar entries like "Don't Just Stand There..." are ruined by a plodding cheesy feel and the final cut "The Future Hides Its Face" is filled with Space Race sounds and UFO tapings - just not great music. But that second platter is an entirely different kettle of mushrooms. It was the direction MAN needed – heavier – tripper – almost like they had stumbled on a Hawkwind rehearsal. The opener two-parter "Prelude/The Storm" as mentioned earlier is a fabulous slice of hair-shaking-mama that stays just the right side of hallucinogenic. Its whig-out is followed by the equally period-cool second track - "It Is As It Must Be" that sees Micky Jones riff away to a relentless hard-driving groove like a Neanderthal who has been given a Gibson for his birthday. Ugga Glugga then boogies out when it reaches five-minutes in (of course he does, much I suspect to the delight of stoners everywhere) – only for the drone rhythm to return and take the bad politician lyrics to an 8:27 minute end. 

"Spunk Box" is harder to take but I dare say die-hard Man fans would disagree (they love it) – a marching chugger that builds with guitar riffage until its near six-minutes fade. Rock and Roll filler, dilly-dally-ditty, silly track with nice slide guitars – it is hard to describe "My Name Is Jesus Smith" as anything other than OK but out-of-place. The 1:50 minute instrumental "Parchment And Candles" does not fare much better – a prelude to the yeah-man LP finisher "Brother Arnolds Red And White Striped Tent" – an intense organ vs. guitar work-out that frantics its way out of your speakers like you need to listen or else. And yet, I like its mad 1969 expansive riffage-be-damned attitude as it fades out past five minutes.

For damn sure – this kind of Acid Rock mixed in with Head Trips and Grunge Guitars will be seen as an indulgence many can do without in 2025 and 2026. 

But for those who worship at the herbal root of such droner Sixties sound, this MAN Beat Goes On (BGO) twofer CD compilation will be worth checking out - all others however, I strongly advise a listen first…