Customer Reviews

Listen Now

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Any completist or progressive rock fan will want to investigate the "solo" recordings of Phil Manzanera, the sublime guitarist best known for his work with Roxy Music.

This recording, a bit dated now in some of its conventions, is still a good one either for focused listening via the headphones or for cranking up on solo trips. After his stunning solo debut "Diamond Head" snaked its way to the top of the British music charts, Manzanera assembled another all-star set of crack musicians to deliver this sometimes paranoid glimpse into a world gone mad.

"Listen Now," the title track, telegraphs the plotline of a sci-fi movie or novel against a sinister-sounding bass-drum line. "Flight 19" crackles with excitement as Manzanera proves again why he is one of the top ten rock guitarists. "Law and Order" recounts a world where freedom has been surrendered for safety, asking the same tough questions on many lips since September 11, 2001. "Island" and "Postcard Love" represent the more ethereal side of things.

Bill and Ian MacCormick provide solid support as both players and songwriters, Eno and his replacement in Roxy Music, Eddie Jobson, are both on-board, as are Tim Finn and Eddie Rayner from Spitz Enz, the great New Zealand band that later morphed into the superb Crowded House. Super session players like Simon Phillips and Dave Mattacks on drums, Frances Monkman on keyboards, and the ubiquitous Mel Collins on reeds plus Creme and Godley (former 10cc brain trust) and you have one stellar lineup.

After 801 Live, I wasn't expecting this at all. More subdued - different vocalist (who IS Simon Ainley, after all?) - and less...simple...in structure than the live record (how complex is "You Really Got Me" anyway?).

But, like all great records, this one becomes great after repeated listenings. Took a dozen or more runs through it and now it's become another of my favorite 10 records ever. There's not a bad cut on it. It's got Godley and Creme, Eno, Simon Phillips - what more do you want from a great record?

A Must Have. Seriously.

I just can't help but add my two cents' worth on how important this recording is. If for no other reason than the stellar, open production of this classic, you should hear how someone who's definitely NOT a musical household name puts together a brilliant set of tunes with a brilliant set of musicians in brilliant arrangments and then records it brilliantly. Is this enough? Sure. Buy the record and hear for yourself one of the reasons why Roxy Music influenced so much of today's younger talent. Manzanera's playing is, to me, at its best on this album. Like Dizzy Gillespie said about Miles Davis, "Man, it's not about the notes he play, it's about the notes he DON'T play."

More great sounds from Roxy Music guitarist Manzanera. One of his main strengths, of course, was to select just the right kind of performers to back him up and it's that quality of judgment you hear on all of his fine E'G albums (Diamondhead, 801 live, Listen Now, K-Scope) of the era. Listen Now is just as winning thanks to key players like Dave Mattacks and Simon Phillips (drums), Bill MacCormick (bass and a buddy from Manzanera's Quiet Sun recording), Kevin Godley and Lol Creme (then one-half of 10 CC), the ever ubiquitous Mr. Brian Eno, Tim Finn and Roxy violinist/keyb-guy Eddie Jobson (to name but a few!). From the slow-riffing charms of the title track (which morphs into smooth big-band styled horns courtesy Mel Collins towards song's end) to the nervy, edgy prog-fusion of "Initial Speed", the quiet synth backing of "Island" to Lol & Kev's backing vocals on "Flight 19", this album is a bold mix of progressive, commercial, new wave and fusion-jazz styles into an impressive whole that rewards repeated plays. Each listen will uncover new sounds. This album's been with me since its initial 1978 release. Roxy Music fans will definitely want to check this one out!

Any completist or progressive rock fan will want to investigate the "solo" recordings of Phil Manzanera, the sublime guitarist best known for his work with Roxy Music.

This recording, a bit dated now in some of its conventions, is still a good one either for focused listening via the headphones or for cranking up on solo trips. After his stunning solo debut "Diamond Head" snaked its way to the top of the British music charts, Manzanera assembled another all-star set of crack musicians to deliver this sometimes paranoid glimpse into a world gone mad.

"Listen Now," the title track, telegraphs the plotline of a sci-fi movie or novel against a sinister-sounding bass-drum line. "Flight 19" crackles with excitement as Manzanera proves again why he is one of the top ten rock guitarists. "Law and Order" recounts a world where freedom has been surrendered for safety, asking the same tough questions on many lips since September 11, 2001. "Island" and "Postcard Love" represent the more ethereal side of things.

Bill and Ian MacCormick provide solid support as both players and songwriters, Eno and his replacement in Roxy Music, Eddie Jobson, are both on-board, as are Tim Finn and Eddie Rayner from Spitz Enz, the great New Zealand band that later morphed into the superb Crowded House. Super session players like Simon Phillips and Dave Mattacks on drums, Frances Monkman on keyboards, and the ubiquitous Mel Collins on reeds plus Creme and Godley (former 10cc brain trust) and you have one stellar lineup.

I first heard this album in 1979 on vinyl. I loved it then, but when CD's came into existence it was relegated to a milk crate in my garage. Just recently I purchased this and several other 801 albums, just to see how they stood up after 20 (two decades!) years. Listen Now is one of the best rock albums ever made. Period. The lyrics are insightful, the band is composed of exceptional musicians actually playing as a band, and the songs are amazingly well crafted. Add this and 801 Live to your record collection. Then consider K-Scope and Diamond Head as well.

A true classic of eclectic music. Compare it to anything by Brian Eno (Before and After Science) or Curved Air and it stands strong as "different, but very listenable". An absolute "Who's Who" of studio musicians and a few surprises (who is Bill McCormick? he lays down some of the best bass lines I've heard) and relatively unknown vocalists, but a great overall ensemble sound. If you listen to the Real Audio clips, you'll get the flavor, which is consistent throughout. A must have album for anyone who likes 70's or 80's music and is not strictly C&W or a Metalhead.

801 was basically a name Phil Manzanera used when working with fellow members of Roxy Music and other progressive rock pals. Their 801 Live was a space improvosation funk album that is one of the best side projects of any era.

Listen Now is different: not so spacey or improvasational, the whole record mines a creamy jazz funk condenced into tight songs. These numbers are melodic, and, despite the compact length of the numbers, bubble with interesting chord changes.

The album is sophisticated without being slick, streemlined without being predictable. These guys were some of the best in rock. If you can picture a funkier, more obtuse 10cc--in the way songs are turned into consious art pieces-- this is what Listen Now sounds like.

I don't need to tell you what to do next. The album does.

Listen Now, Diamond Head, K-Scope, and 801 Live are all albums that represent a period in Manzanera's career that many long time fans consider his strongest. Listen Now, is, thematically, a more consistent effort than both Diamond Head and K-Scope which, respectively, preceeded and followed this recording. The songwriting and musicianship stand up well, only the vocals could be stronger but really don't detract from the overall performance at all. Highly recommended....Simon

I'm lucky enough to have access to a large college record library. And I listened to this on the recommendation of Steve Maravetz, whom I ordinarily hate cause he's a Springsteen fan. The stand-out track is POSTCARD LOVE--which just might be the single greatest piece of music since ... oh ... I'd have to go back to Kenny Rogers in his prime. Bill MacCormick told me that he wrote the melody and that Manzanera wrote the backing track. One line goes: "Postcard scenes of sun and sand and smart hotels where palm trees grow, stretch out, and warm this tired old town." I love the cadence of that. My favorite part of POSTCARD LOVE is the final instrumental passage. A passage which is also heard near the beginning, right after the low-volume high-pitched spectral sonics of Phil's guitar. Said passage can't help but strike me as a musical metaphor for the brutal unstoppable lurch of time. There's one dud track. THAT FALLING FEELING contains a dull & ugly melody. With a dull & ham-fisted bit of harmonic singing.