Their Finest Work
John Peter O'connor | 05/03/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Made in 1972 this album is rated, by many fans, as Man's finest. While the second song, "Keep on Crinting" is not so well remembered, the others, "C'mon", "Bananas" and "Life on the Road" are firm favourites with fans and even today, almost thirty years on, it is hard to imagine a live set without "C'mon and Bananas".The mood is mellow, laid back and irreverent. The music always seems to be on the way somewhere progressing rather than repeating.Throughout the album, the guitar of Micky Jones works well with the keyboards of Phil Ryan as they trade lead melodies. This was the latter's first album with the band and it is remarkable how well the whole group fits together."C'mon" and "Keep on Crinting" almost seem to be a single piece and they start the tradition of the band to perform a variety of extended versions of the former track. "Bananas" and "Life on the Road" are more distinct as songs but they fit well into the mood of the album. The lyrics are generally upbeat and light hearted with no attempt by the band to take themselves particularly seriously.If you are new to the band, this album really should be your first purchase. If you are an established fan that this is an essential part of your collection."
A Good Place to Start
Doug Bassett | Philadelphia, PA | 04/17/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The first "real" Man album, Be Good sets their sound, which was basically Grateful Dead-ish jams lightened with some British progressivisms. The instrumental workouts here are quite nice. If you like this, you may want to try Slow Motion or Back to the Future next."