2017 – Muddy Manninen
Release Date : July 14,
2017
By Phillip Smith;
Nov 28, 2017
Muddy
Manninen, a founding member of the Finnish rock band Havana
Black, recorded three albums with Gringos Locos from 1987 to 1991, and
joined the progressive UK blues-rock band Wishbone Ash in 2004. With them, he shared lead guitar duties
and took on responsibilities as main song writer for twelve years until his recent
departure to reemerge as an extraordinary solo act. Long
Player, his first solo album is magnificent album of expertly-crafted guitar-centric
rock.
When it comes to instrumentals, Manninen’s
are breathtaking. “Dickies” puts a smile
on my face as soon as it hits my ears. Drummer
Dave Hill and bassist Mark Butler form an amazing rhythm section for
Manninen’s tantalizing performance. Waves of crashing cymbals provide the backing of
long-hanging notes peppered with a slew of magnificent guitar licks. I love the bouncing bluesy groove on “Cheese
Rolling”. The accompaniment by saxophonist
Patsy Gamble and keyboardist Tom Malm coat the song with a lush
sophistication. Captivating and beautifully
played, “Lil’ Rosie” blooms with a hypnotic allure. It’s quite seductive. “The Jester” fits well into the same
wheelhouse as the Allman Brothers, as it embraces the free-wheeling
twangy-ness of southern blues-rock. Mark Perry joins on keys and Manninen’s
guitar playing is again un-deniably stunning.
The renowned Gregg Sutton lends his strong
raspy vocals to the Eighties-style rocker “Danger Zone”, a song he co-wrote
with Manninen. Kev Moore
provides guest vocals on the lovely “Swan Song”, a folky melody featuring Tom
Leary on fiddle. Of the dozen songs
on Long Player, are all original
tunes, with the exception of one, a delightful rendition of Bread’s 1969
hit, “Guitar Man”. The song surely
evokes a sense of reminiscence.
It’s a safe bet; Muddy Manninen’s Long Player is a must-listen for the
guitar aficionado.
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