Manfred Mann The Ascent of Mann (3.5*)
A need to find the version of Randy Newman's So Long Dad and a perception that $22.99 wasn't too bad a price for fifty-three tracks gives me the chance to reflect on the subset of sixties pop that could be labelled thinking person's pop. Alongside Manfred Mann you could probably throw in the likes of The Zombies (fifty O Levels among the five man lineup) and Hedgehoppers Anonymous (of It's Good News Week fame, four RAF pilots) but it was the various lineups that morphed out of the Mann Hugg Blues Brothers, centred around South African jazz pianist Manfred Mann, that managed the most consistent chart action. Drawn from their Fontana years rather than their earlier HMV catalogue and therefore lacking a Pretty Flamingo, though the $8.99 A's B's & EP's will solve that problem. Highlights here? The singles, Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James, Ha! Ha! Said the Clown, The Mighty Quinn, My Name is Jack, Ragamuffin Man and, of course, So Long Dad. There’s a rather good I Think It's Going To Rain Today in there too.