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1976
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"…Genuine Smoked Salmon…"
Blessed with a typically
cryptic and witty title - 1976's "Yes We Have No Mananas, So Get Your
Mananas Today" was the seventh album ex Soft Machine Bassist/Songwriter
KEVIN AYERS had pumped out in the Sixties and Seventies (following on from 4
others for EMI's Harvest between 1969 and 1973 and two on Island Records in
1974 and 1975).
The many charms of “Yes We
Have No Mananas...” have been forgotten now for eons - but like every album our
Kev made in those most special duo of decades - deserves another poke/go-round
from fans and newcomers alike. And this 2009 EMI/Harvest CD Remaster is
'Expanded' with some genuinely quality bonus tracks. Here are the yummy
banana-boat details...
UK released March 2009 (April
2009 in the USA) – "Yes We Have No Mananas, So Get Your Mananas
Today" by KEVIN AYERS on EMI/Harvest 268 2972 (Barcode 5099926829722) is
an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster and plays out as follows (73:14 minutes):
1. Star (4:21) - Side 1
2. Mr. Cool (3:03)
3. The Owl (3:17)
4. Love's Gonna Turn You
Round (4:52)
5. Falling In Love Again
(2:38)
6. Help Me (2:42) – Side 2
7. Ballad Of Mr. Snake (2:07)
8. Everyone Knows The Song
(2:34)
9. Yes I Do (3:13)
10.Blue (6:32)
Tracks 1 to 10 make up the
album "Yes We Have No Mananas. So Get Your Mananas Today" issued June
1976 on Harvest SHSP 4057 in the UK and August 1976 on ABC Records AB-1021 in
the USA. MUFF WINWOOD produced the original LP with all songs (excepting the
1930's cover of "Falling in Love Again") written by KEVIN AYERS.
BONUS TRACKS:
11. Mr. Cool (3:01)
12. Love's Gonna Turn You
Round (4:44)
13. Star (4:42)
14. Ballad Of Mr. Snake
(2:23)
Tracks 11 to 14 are Studio
Recordings made for the BBC's JOHN PEEL SHOW in Maida Vale Studios, London on
13 July 1976 (transmitted 27 July 1976). The band consisted of Ayers on Vocals
and Guitar, ANDY SUMMERS of THE POLICE on Guitar, ZOOT MONEY on Keyboards with
Charley McCracken and Rod Townshend from the album sessions on Bass and Drums.
15. Shouting In A Bucket
Blues (5:26)
16. Star (4:40)
17. Mr. Cool (3:44)
18. Ballad Of Mr. Snake
(2:39)
19. Blue (6:24)
Tracks 16 to 19 are 5 live
recordings taped at The BBC's Paris Theatre in London on 30 September 1976
(transmitted on the "In Concert" program 23 October 1976). The live set
added BILL EVANS on Flute to the same band line up (the witty title to this
review is spoken by Ayers before "Ballad..."), while ace BBC engineer
JEFF GRIFFIN produced both Peel Sessions.
The Band:
KEVIN AYERS - Vocals, Rhythm
& Lead Guitars
OLLIE HALSALL [of Patto] -
Lead Guitar
ROGER SAUNDERS - Rhythm
Guitar
BILL LIVESEY - Keyboards
CHARLIE McCRACKEN - Bass
ROB TOWNSHEND - Drums
The Guests:
B.J. COLE - Steel Guitar on
"The Owl" and "Falling In Love Again"
PIP WILLIAMS - String
Arrangements on "Falling In Love Again"
TONY NEWMAN - Drums on
"Help Me"
RICK WILLS - Bass on
"Help Me"
GEORGE 'ZOOT' MONEY -
Keyboards on "Help Me"
ROGER POPE [of Elton John's
Band] - Drums on "Everyone Knows This Song"
MICK FEAT - Bass on
"Everyone..."
ANDY ROBERTS - Guitar on
"Everyone..."
NICK ROWLEY - Keyboards on
"Everyone..." and Solo Piano on "Yes I Can"
DAVID BEDFORD - Choral
Arrangement on "Blue"
The superlative 8-page liners
notes are written by noted expert MARK POWELL and the original master tapes
remastered by PETER MEW at Abbey Road.
Mew has done a typically stunning job – Beautiful Sound Quality. He’s
handled hundreds of reissues including Dr. Feelgood, Davie Bowie, Deep Purple,
Donovan, Blodwyn Pig, Electric Light Orchestra, Free, Jethro Tull, Duncan Browne,
Horslips, Man, Robin Trower (and more) – I’ve reviewed all of the ones
mentioned. His work here is amongst his best and Ayers asked for Mew
specifically to carry out the transfers.
After his 'difficult' but
brilliant two albums at Island Records ("The Confessions Of Dr.
Dream..." in 1974 and "Sweet Deceiver" in 1975) -
"Mananas" was supposed to be a better and more mature work but it
only partially works. It's like a John Martyn album, half of it is good - but
my God that good half is stunning. The whimsy of several tracks threatens to
drown the record in quirkiness that's amusing at first, but doesn't bear
repeated listening. But better tracks like "Help Me" and the Roxy
sounding "Love's Gonna Turn You Round" have stood the test of time.
But all is saved by the
album's fantastic finishing double-whammy - "Yes I Do" and
"Blue". With only Ayers on Lead Vocal and Kevin Rowley on Solo Piano,
"Yes I Do" is an achingly stark love song and regarded by many as one
of his best works - honest and lovely. Special mention should also go to
Rowley's keyboard work - it's beautifully done - and in keeping other
instrumentation out of the mix, Muff Winwood added extraordinary power to the
song. Now with its 2009 remaster it's just gorgeous. "Yes I Do" is followed
by the six-and-a-half minute epic "Blue" - with the band in full
'Ayers' mode. "Blue" contains truly stunning Ollie Halsall guitar
work pumped up by David Bedford's arrangement of the choral accompaniment.
Really brilliant stuff...
The nine Peel Sessions tracks
are 4 in a studio and 5 live. Produced by long-standing BBC engineer JEFF
GRIFFIN - the studio cuts are amazingly accomplished and sound like really good
alternate album versions. The live tracks are less convincing - a slightly
weedy audience - but welcome additions nonetheless. Fans will absolutely have
to have those in-the-studio versions though. Besides - any album that has the
lyrics "…in case you're wondering about the trousers I'm wearing…they're
genuine smoked salmon…" gets my vote. His next stop for Harvest Records
would be “Rainbow Takeaway” in 1978.
So there you have it - weak
in some parts, but masterful in others - this is still an essential Kevin Ayers
purchase for me. Another top job done by EMI - and a sound tribute to an artist
who deserved better than never charting a single album...
PS: see also my reviews for
his other EMI/Harvest 'expanded' CD remasters - "Joy Of A Toy"
(1969), "Shooting At The Moon" (1970), "Whatevershebringswesing"
(1972), "Bananamour" (1973), "The Confessions Of Dr. Dream And
Other Stories" (1974) and "Sweet Deceiver" (1975)
