Man – Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day (1972)

I don't always check the condition of a CD before buying it, and sometimes this works against me.

So, imagine my annoyance at opening this (bought from nice man' CD stall at Harborough Market) and discovering a CDR of two different albums. However the real CD was beneath this, and I wouldn't have bought it if I'd opened it and checked, so it worked this time.

I first heard this album back in the 1970s, after borrowing it from a friend, and quite enjoying it while feeling it was a bit primitive compared to the far more cerebral stuff I wanted to listen to. Sadly, while this CD's booklet does contain the magnificent "Man's Map Of Wales" which made up the gatefold inner of the LP, it's far too small to read.

There's only four long tracks on this album, all rambling, bluesy numbers, with some infectious guitar licks, especially on the opener C'Mon, which has the song, the guitar solo, the slow noodling organ middle section before the resumption of the song to finish. Keep On Crinting is almost a prog instrumental, with a synth theme and a grand guitar ending.

The second half consists of the classic Bananas, famed for the lyric I like to eat bananas, 'cos they got no bones, I like marijuana 'cos it gets me stoned, (as George Elrick didn't quite say in 1936) before going on an extended guitar break, and the solid bluesy jam Life On The Road.

I've enjoyed this album far more than I expected. There's no fuss, they just rock. Certainly worth a listen.

Link to album tracks

4* - Welsh rockers show the rest of us how it should be done.