For all their studio record’s allure, prog-cum-pub rockers MAN‘s forte has always been performing on-stage, and while the Welsh ensemble’s classics like "2 Ozs Of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle" are still appealing, there’s no such atomic energy in those platters as there are in the band’s live albums like "All's Well That Ends Well" that didn’t lose an iota of the excitement the collective were able to produce. This is why the six-disc boxset “Life On The Road – On Air 1972-1983” which is scheduled for September 30th release should hold a lot of expectancy for the group’s fans.
Life On The Road –
On Air 1972-1983
Of course, the collection’s title seems a bit misleading, as the team broke up in 1976 to get back for good in 1983, still soldiering on today with bassist Martin Ace taken the lead from the late Deke Leonard, yet the recordings they did for the Beeb before the split and at the Reading Festival soon after their revival remain priceless. Factor in the fact that there are two DVDs accompanying four CDs, with video content including not only MAN’s previously unseen TV appearances but also the best moments of three of the Welshmen’s last concerts in their original lifespan, at London’s “The Roundhouse” – preserved for posterity in full on the aforementioned “All’s Well” – and the box set’s attractiveness becomes irresistible. Here’s its entire tracklist:
CD1:
“In Concert” – January 20th, 1972:
1. Spunk Rock
2. Romain
“Sounds Of The 70s” – February 6th, 1973:
3. The Brazilian Cucumber Meets Deke’s New Nose
4. Life On The Road
CD2:
John Peel Session – September 18th, 1973:
1. A Night In Dad’s Bag
2. Ain’t Their Fight
“In Concert” – September 21st, 1973:
3. Come On
4. Bananas
Bob Harris Session – February 27th, 1974:
5. God Gave Us Turtles
6. Romain
7. Blown Away
CD3:
John Peel Session – October 31st, 1974:
1. Many Are Called But Few Get Up
2. A Hard Way To Die
3. Day And Night
“In Concert” – January 21st, 1975:
4. 7171 551
5. A Hard Way To Die
6. Breaking Up Once Again
7. Day And Night
8. Someone Is Calling
9. Many Are Called But Few Get Up
CD4:
Radio Trent, Nottingham – Loughborough Polytechnic – February 28th, 1976:
1. Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
2. Born With A Future
Friday Rock Show – Reading Festival – August 26th, 1983:
3. Spunk Rock
4. C’mon
5. Talk About A Morning
6. The Ride And The View
7. Asylum
8. Romain
DVD1:
Old Grey Whistle Test – November 20th, 1973:
1. Ain’t Their Fight
TV Documentary – April 11th, 1974:
2. New Horizons – Man’s Seven-Inch Record
Old Grey Whistle Test – January 10th, 1975:
3. Day And Night
4. Many Are Called But Few Get Up
DVD2:
Farewell At The Roundhouse – 1976:
1. Let The Good Times Roll
2. 7171 551
3. Born With A Future
4. Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
5. C’mon
6. Bananas
