2008 digitally remastered and expanded edition. Originally released in 1975, Maximum Darkness was the final album by Welsh Rock legends for United Artists Records. Recorded live in 1975 at the Roundhouse as part of a UK to... more »ur, Man were at the top of their game on stage. For this concert they were joined by John Cippolina from San Francisco's legendary Quicksilver Messenger Service. A triumphant concert, the album has become legendary. Includes two previously unreleased live tracks recorded in California in May 1975. Esoteric.« less
2008 digitally remastered and expanded edition. Originally released in 1975, Maximum Darkness was the final album by Welsh Rock legends for United Artists Records. Recorded live in 1975 at the Roundhouse as part of a UK tour, Man were at the top of their game on stage. For this concert they were joined by John Cippolina from San Francisco's legendary Quicksilver Messenger Service. A triumphant concert, the album has become legendary. Includes two previously unreleased live tracks recorded in California in May 1975. Esoteric.
CD Reviews
This is one of the best albums you can own
Ronald S Thompson | San Jose, California United States | 04/12/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area I was lucky enough to have numerous opportunities to see Man perform at various venues in the SF area...if fact, I thought they lived here rather than in Great Britan! They were darlings of KSAN before it was sold out into corporate oblivion and I remember their music being played alot on that station. This album is an accurate representation of the energy and creativity that the group exhibited when they performed. John Cippolina fits right in with what Man was doing and it's a fabulous record. I never tired of listening to it."
Rough and ready
William Wood | Sydney, New South Wales Australia | 09/17/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Well this live Man disc is a little rough but worth the purchase price anyway.A lot of people compare Man to a variety of West Coast bands but in reality I feel that they where a unique musical experience. Opinion often seems to be split between rabid fans and almost as rabid detractors, but all the best bands seem to have that problem.
Like many UK bands from this period Man lack a great vocalist( but then that never bothered the Grateful Dead either) which sometimes let them down , however if guitar solos and good tunes are your thing then you will find plenty to like here.
Although not as good as the live side of the double album Back to the Future and various bootlegs from the same period this is a wonderful artifact from a time when music was looser and all the better for it."
Classic San Francisco-Welsh fusion band
Barry Marshall | Gilroy, CA United States | 04/25/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Just kidding, but there was a fusion between the hard rocking Man and Cippolina's incredible guitar mastery. Always has been one of my favorites. Play Codeine at 11 and watch the wallpaper peel and your mind do a '60s mind melt."
Great live Rock'n'Roll
John Peter O'connor | 06/16/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In the seventies, Man seemed to be on a mission to go through as many line ups as they released albums. While they didn't quite acieve that, this live album sees the unique combination of a set of established band members with a special appearance from the late John Cipollina best known as a member of "Quicksilver Messenger Service".One interesting aspect of this was that Man went from being a band with two lead guitarists to being one with three. Still they managed this without total disintegration though this album does not really give a full impression of the live line up. It was subject to a lot more post concert studio work than most live albums.The CD kicks off with a Deke Leonard number 7171-551 which, as is normal for his compositions, it is at the harder end of the spectrum of Man's music. I think that this is the highlight of the album, everthing is really tight and together. This is followed by a couple of non-Man songs which were introduced by Cipollina. The first, Codine is a powerful song anyway and the band do a particularly good job on their version. This is followed by "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" which is OK but sounds some way from the Man that I like.The last two songs, "Many are Called, but Few Get up." and "Bananas" are well established in the Man live set. The version here of the first of these is not my favourite. It is not so well focussed as the one on the "Padget Rooms" CD. However, I really like the version of "Bananas" here.All in all, I think that the 1999 party tour is a better live albun than this but it still has a lot of great songs."
Warning. This is not a Pop Album.
John Peter O'connor | 12/16/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was reading through the list of dedications, and noticing that just about everybody is from the San Francisco area (even though the album was recorded in England), and was thinking: 'These are all the people they had to go through in order to meet John Cipollina (just kidding guys).This is a magnificent live album, three lead guitars, a wall of great hard rock, and an intensity which is not for the faint of heart. This is not your Steely Dan, Greatful Deal, Allman Brothers brand of laid back country rock. This is loud, it's nasty and its full of delicious licks.It starts off with Deke's "7171-551" from his solo album'Iceberg' which had been expanded from a perky little single to an 11 minute assault on the senses. Next are "Codine" and "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", two old standards that Quicksilver had originally recorded for the 'Revolution' soundtrack album (which was somewhat rare at the time, but was later reissued), Deke's vocals on "Codine" are incredible. For the B-side there are two old classics "Many Are Called" and "Bananas" both turned into extended jams with all three guitars getting a chance to stretch out.Ted Koehorst's commentary on allegations that Mickey Jones went back and rerecorded much of John Cipollina guitar work (see his liner notes for 'Be Good To Yourself') deserve refutation, but since I really don't know any better, all I can say is that if they are true I prefer to live in an alternative reality where Minni-Vanilli can sing, Michael Jackson is innocent, and Mr. Cipollina's guitar work didn't need any studio tampering, and shame on you Mr. Koehorst for spreading vicious allegations about the non-existence of Santa Clause, etc.But the real highlight of this album is Deke Leonard's longest set of liner notes to date. It's a classic essay on the history and habits of Man's extended family, with further notes on the philosophy of car theft, police notes in triplicate, the dangers of Argentine Corned Beef and bolas in general."
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1