Customer Reviews

Land of Pure Imagination (Dig)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The strong songs are very strong.
But there ARE some weak songs.

But I'm not going there, this is because the great songs are AMAZINGLY great. Lush, heavily produced (in a GOOD way), lyrically strong, and fun.

The best songs line you up for a great game of "Spot the Influence".
And his are ALL here. These are just MY 5 favorites (and I do mean FAVORITES). Your tastes probably differ.

Too Late For Us Now - Beatles, Todd Rundgren, Jellyfish. Yes, I know he was a member of Jellyfish, but Andy and he rubbed off on each other and this track is reminiscent of both "Bye, Bye, Bye" with a bit of "All I Want is Everything" thrown into the mix......and lest we forget the sitar.

Wish it Would Rain - Carpenters, Beach Boys, XTC. The most lush, fantastic harmonies this side of the Beach Boys Hawthorne, California childhood home, and a sing-a-long chorus that'll hold you for a very long time. Along with Carpenters chord progressions and XTC melody turns, it's ALL here.

Sandman - The Osmond Brothers......yes, THOSE Osmond Brothers. It's epitomized primarily by this EXTREMELY intricate 4-part harmony intro that will bring you back to the Andy Williams Show Christmas specials. Very cool.

In the Name Of Romance - again the Beach Boys, and Burt Bacharach, replete with a horn solo. Could've been sung by Dionne Warwick (circa 1967), or featured in any of the Austin Powers movies.

You Were Right - insert any 70's AM Pop Rock group here. The influences are WAY too many too list here, but suffice it to say, you'll recognize the feel more than the direct sound.

These are represented in the most original way possible, and with the most love and respect that any musician could possibly give.

It'd be very easy to pass this off as shear mimicry, but the man has listened to, absorbed, and digested more Pop Music than anyone I've ever heard, and obviously learned his craft more by osmosis than homework. And what better way to absorb?

Now correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure you will), but some of these tunes have a message of yearning the loss of youth combined with the
joyful memories of that same youth.

All in all a VERY good album.
A good, solid purchase for the great stuff, skip the bad ones, that's what the button's for.

Hey, Andru Reeve is ETERNALLY grateful to have ANYTHING from solo Roger out in the marketplace. "Land Of Pure Imagination" is essentially an American re-release of a Japanese CD, "Solid State Warrior". I say "essentially", because for some reason, 3 of the songs from the original release were replaced on this edition of the CD. And, in my humble opinion, the ABSOLUTELY best song --"What You Don't Know About The Girl" -- was one of the songs that was axed!!!! Roger...how could you??? That is the one song that is most like something Jellyfish would've done. It would not be out of place on SPILT MILK.

Anyway, no use crying over that particular liquid. (Although, I might add, none of the three new songs are anything special. "Appleby" is silly, and the other two left no lasting impression on me. "What You Don't Know About The Girl" is way better than any of the replacement songs). Still, I'm happy to have this CD, but I'll be sure to keep my copy of "Solid State Warrior", too.

BTW, this is a CD; why couldn't ALL the songs be included? Surely, there's no good reason why this 11-track album couldn't be 14 tracks long. Sorry, but that'll cost you a star.

It continues to amaze me to find "new" musicians who record in bedroom studios all across the country. Everyone was amazed when Craig Chaquico pulled this off, Roger takes it to the next level. The closest event I can recall to this release is Steely Dan's 1972 "Can't Buy a Thrill" that put pop/rock on its ear. The influences are many and varied...Beach Boys, Beatles, Osmonds, Neil Sedaka, Jimmy Webb, The Who, Styx, Yes, Chicago, Alan Parsons, ELO/Jeff Lynn, Astrud Giberto, Wondermints, Burt Bacharach, Supertramp, 60's Brit Pop, the list goes on... As for Roger's vocal ability, he's no Bocelli, but he is better than 90% of the front men out there. He has a unique "honey" styled voice with a smoothness not often heard these days (think Joseph Williams, David Pack, Donnie Osmond, Gerry Beckley). He doesn't try to imitate anyone, and has learned to be comfortable using his instrument as intended and well trained. Primarily a keyboardist, his chops on guitars and drums are commendable as well. Can't think of enough good things to say about this artist. Not every cut is excellent, but eight of eleven are standouts and addictive. The three deleted cuts from Solid State Warrior (earlier Japanese release of the same core tracks) make for eleven very strong songs that could all be at home on the top 40...during some point of time. Buy this CD Now!

Anyone who loves well-crafted songs, lush vocals, and catchy hooks will love this album. It's where Jellyfish would've gone if they hadn't broken up.

We finally have Roger writing and singing again! He stays true to form and sculpts that signature sound, crafting pop melodies that touch our deepest musical memories- from 1960's top 40 hits to the soaring harmonies of Freddie Mercury and beyond. The quality of his work is undeniable and continues to grow and become more sophisticated. I applaud Roger on this new release and hope for many more recordings from him, DJ Malibu (his mix moniker), The Moog Cookbook, and any other variant. You can't call yourself a power pop fan if you don't buy this album- 'nuff said.

I'll second what everyone else has already said about this CD. It's insanely wonderful. Roger Manning has a voice that only comes along once in a generation--purity, clarity, and warmth over a huge range. He has remarkable control over it, too, giving each note in each song exactly the right kind and amount of expression. And his songwriting is equally strong. Yes, some songs are stronger than others, but for me there isn't a really weak one on the CD. His production is perfect, too. Even when things get really crowded it still makes sense, and there is never a sense of any instrument, part, or sound being unnecessary. The whole thing is a balm for this pop warrior's soul.

Essentially this is a reissue of Manning's stunning Japanese release 2006 album "Solid State Warrior". "The Land of Pure Imagination" is a strong album from Manning but the tracks replacing the three removed from the Japanese release aren't quite as good as the three replacement tracks. The only problem is that "Solid State Warrior" is a $45.00 CD vs. this at $13.99 so you have to question whether or not you want to spent the extra cash for "Solid State Warrior" or find some way to download it. If not, the other option is to buy "Solid State Warrior" AND download just the three alternate tracks included here.


What You Don't Know About the Girl, Sleep Children,'Til We Meet Again have all been replaced some are lesser songs than the original numbers. While this may lack the sheen of a Jellyfish album (it sounds more like the Jellyfish demos meaning that it was recorded in a home studio), the songs are filled with rich melodies. Imagine Paul McCartney, XTC or Emit Rhodes making an album in the mid-70's and you'll have a sense of Manning's talent, ambition and goal here; it's clear that he's paying homage to the 70's stuff that he grew up on. Manning plays all the instruments and does all the vocals and he's more than a capable one man band.

The import version of this album ("Solid State Warrior") with the three alternate original tracks is in a mini-LP style sleeve along with a booklet. This comes in a traditional jewel box (or at least the version I received did)and although the mastering sounds slightly different here, I don't think one or the other necessarily sounds better.

Ideally this version of the album should have included the three excluded tracks as bonus downloads. The only issue I have is that Manning's lyrics are often pretty weak--his old Jellyfish collaborator would have helped in this area. It's a pity he didn't collaborate with a stronger lyricist for the album. This album is like cotton candy--sweet and light. It's a pity that fans will have to buy this twice to get all the songs that Manning wrote. Highly recommended.

This is a rare culmination of flawless vocals with a proverbial shopping cart of instrumental styles and flavors. It's like a virtual smogus board of micro musicals packaged in every song. I mean, does anyone even know exactly how many musical instruments this guy has mastered anyway? Even the often underrated harmonica has not managed to slip past his fingers, tongue and imagination. Personal challenge to yourself: try to listen without humming....go ahead, just try it.........see, he just has us hooked, line and sinker!

If you are a Jellyfish fan then you need this CD in your collection. Roger's voice is great, but I think he's trying to sound like a child when he sings, really. There are some good songs, and some "eh" songs, and a few I've tried to like but just never won me over. With the exception of 2-3 songs, this CD is mostly novelty music. But to Roger's credit, his song writing and vocal arrangements are genius, even when he's being cheesy.

If you want more power with your pop get a Jason Falkner CD.

Roger Manning from the camp of Jellyfish does what he does best on this album: Amazing harmonies and keyboard magic. Songs 2 and 3 are probably the most fun tracks I've heard in years!