Guy Manning - Tall Stories For Small Children

Very interesting this solo work from Parallel Or 90 Degrees guitarist, the great British
progressive-psychedelic band. (Ed. This is NOT correct, though I have guested on the CDs!)

On the album, Manning plays guitar, keyboards, percussion, mandolin and also he sings (quite well by the way).
He is accompanied by Andy Tillison-Disk Drive : keyboards, drums programming, Jonathan Barrett: bass guitar, 
Simon Baskind - drums & percussion, Pav Chana : Tablas and Jon Burr : harmonica.

The CD opens with an impressive 14 minute suite called "The Last Psalm", divided into 4 symphonic parts, using at times 
a very brilliant mellotron sound, maybe sampled, the wonderful manning guitar, and the ever-standing Hammond, 
also standing out, the excellent voices and the additional percussion by Hindu Pav Chana.

The latter takes more presence on "The Voyager", an eastern-flavour song, not very long, but very intense.

Next piece "White Waters" is not a complicated well build beautiful melody.

"The Candyman" is a progressive vocal piece, sang over an acoustic guitar, in the Hammill style, with another type of voice.

It goes on with the suite "The Fall And Rise Of Abel Mann?", in four parts, very melodic, sang with much feeling set of voices,
very symphonic passages, mellotrons (sampled?), are included.

The following "Castaways" is a good ballad again.

And for the end, another little suite "Holy Ireland", in a folk-singing style, which much reminds me of Chris De Burgh of the seventies.
(Nothing to do with himself now).

In short, a quite different work from what we were used to with his band, assorted, and of great quality!

ANTONIO ESCALANTE - El Mellotron Magazine