Customer Reviews

Manos

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What can I say about this CD that seems to have been nearly forgotten or rarely discussed anymore? The sparse arrangements with just guitars and drums and Rebecca Gates' lovely lilting voice are the perfect backdrop to the songs of nearly unabashed romanticism--some anchored in disintergrating relationships ("Dangle", "Entire"), hope ("Manos" and yes "Dangle" again)--the jagged guitar hooks seem to come at you in steps, not in an ambush--rather like Velocity Girl if they were a folk band produced in someone's living room. And something should be said for Scott Plouf's drumming (now recently heard in Built to Spill)--unflashy fills yet somehow the beats always seem to fall seamlessly into the sound, unintrusive yet vital to the emotional resonance conveyed by the lyrics. Listen to "Dangle" for proof. Oh yes, and there's a neat instrumental "I Love That Party With the Monkey Kitty" just to show how much noise two people weaving around a flawless tune can make. Not grungy as some may suspect, nonetheless a piece of perfectly jagged--dare I say--pop.

"What, no bass?" you might say. I seriously doubt that you'll care, though.

Even live, with no capacity to overdub and do all the cool vocal harmonies that you'll find here, The Spinanes made it work (and then some). The sheer melodic exuberance of these songs -- not to mention Gates's and Plouf's refusal to neglect the low end despite the stripped-down instrumentation -- speaks for itself. There's just something about this album that makes it impossible for me to tire of it, despite many years of pulling it out on a semi-regular basis.

_Manos_ appears destined to be a lost classic. Sometimes life isn't fair to those who have put this much effort into crafting something catchy and wonderful and unique. That doesn't mean you need to miss out.

The reviewers for this pop masterpiece do not lie. I bought this album when it came out on vinyl on a lark, having not heard of the group. From the start I was blown away. What a great discovery. I went on to buy their follow-up releases and as great as they are (check them out) Manos has that simple, edgy, sound I find so attractive. If you like well crafted, well executed and sung power pop (Elvis Costello, Liz Phair, etc.) you will love this almost unknown jem. Too bad they are no more.

whenever i'm sitting staring dumbly at my cd racks feeling like listening to something but feeling irritated with what i've got (of the immense library i seem to have developed) this is inevitably what i reach for to pop in the player. it strongly features rebecca gates's vocals...at the very forefront of the music. she's got a strong voice, and the beats to back her up are great. not to mention that the songs she sings are also good arrangements in the first place.

I bought this album the year it came out based on positive press, and was immediately transfixed by it. Made up of only two people--the alterna-goddess Rebecca Gates on guitar and vocals and the man-machine Scott Plouf--one of the most precise drummers ever--on a very minimal kit, this album conveyed more power, tension and emotion than any of the multi-instrument, mult-overdub 24-track studio efforts I had heard. The album had hardly any overdubs, no bass, minimal production, but boy did it rock! Hailing from Portland, Oregon (which happens to be where I hail from--proving musical genius is not in everybody's water there) the duo was self-taught, which made for a very idosynchratic guitar sound. Gates had assisted and managed a few area bands, ran a fanzine, and hosted a radio show with Lois (yes, THAT Lois) before picking up a guitar and pen and paper herself. The band was signed to Sub Pop after their first live show, and recorded this album. The album was immediately a critical favorite, and for good reason. The band never achieved the tightrope-like perfection of Manos again, and Plouff later left the band to join Built to Spill. Gates proceeded on her own under the Spinanes name, eventually recording another very different but masterful album, Arches and Aisles, which has one of the greates road songs ever (the opening track). As a side note, I dated a girl in '94 who liked Afghan Whigs. She wanted to turn me on to them, and invited me to the concert. I was excited to learn that the Spinanes were opening. They were the most precise live band I had ever seen, sounding every bit as big and powerful as their album live, Plouff pounding his tiny kit (if memory serves it had only had a kick, a snare, one tom, a high hat, and a crash) with quiet precision, and Gates, a tall goddess-like vision with amazing control and talent. The show was great. I talked to my date after the show, telling her I enjoyed the Whigs, and asked her what she thought of the Spinanes. "Eh." she shrugged. We kinda lost touch with each other after that night.

The tradition of "bassless" indie rock bands lives on in bands like the White Stripes...but nothing compares to the brilliance of the Spinanes. Manos is certainly the best of their albums- even though it is their first. A complete record of catchy, original, punky-pop music...this is a strong effort by a band that would be HUGE if they still existed. I would name my favorite songs, but EVERY song is incredible. An album NOT to be missed! Top 10 of the 1990's...what was great about the "alternative rock" phenomenon...

i cannot believe a person would let go of this little gem. tho i know spinanes are defunct... rebecca doing solo work in the windy city with scott in my beloved built to spill... still this album is magical, more important to my musical landscape then nevermind. its simplicity, beauty, angles and soft edges bring me back to a day when music was exciting and worth seeking out in obscure mail order catalogues and college music stores. those days may be over but i still my ratty looking spinanes shirt with a smile.

The sparse, snappish sounds of Manos are enough to engage me many times over. It stands as a hallmark of the grunge, Sub Pop scene, and encompasses many of the grunge sentiments, but always fairly hopeful in attitude. Without making it sound silly, it is a correctly done version of folk music for the 90s in that it is unique and reconsiders the roots of music and lyrics from a contemporary viewpoint, rather than simply redoing old styles and themes on newer equipment.