Search - Roger Joseph Jr Manning :: Land of Pure Imagination (Dig)

The Great stuff is GREAT, the other stuff is....well........

Bassman | Connecticut | 09/26/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The strong songs are very strong.

But there ARE some weak songs.



But I'm not going there, this is because the great songs are AMAZINGLY great. Lush, heavily produced (in a GOOD way), lyrically strong, and fun.



The best songs line you up for a great game of "Spot the Influence".

And his are ALL here. These are just MY 5 favorites (and I do mean FAVORITES). Your tastes probably differ.



Too Late For Us Now - Beatles, Todd Rundgren, Jellyfish. Yes, I know he was a member of Jellyfish, but Andy and he rubbed off on each other and this track is reminiscent of both "Bye, Bye, Bye" with a bit of "All I Want is Everything" thrown into the mix......and lest we forget the sitar.



Wish it Would Rain - Carpenters, Beach Boys, XTC. The most lush, fantastic harmonies this side of the Beach Boys Hawthorne, California childhood home, and a sing-a-long chorus that'll hold you for a very long time. Along with Carpenters chord progressions and XTC melody turns, it's ALL here.



Sandman - The Osmond Brothers......yes, THOSE Osmond Brothers. It's epitomized primarily by this EXTREMELY intricate 4-part harmony intro that will bring you back to the Andy Williams Show Christmas specials. Very cool.



In the Name Of Romance - again the Beach Boys, and Burt Bacharach, replete with a horn solo. Could've been sung by Dionne Warwick (circa 1967), or featured in any of the Austin Powers movies.



You Were Right - insert any 70's AM Pop Rock group here. The influences are WAY too many too list here, but suffice it to say, you'll recognize the feel more than the direct sound.



These are represented in the most original way possible, and with the most love and respect that any musician could possibly give.



It'd be very easy to pass this off as shear mimicry, but the man has listened to, absorbed, and digested more Pop Music than anyone I've ever heard, and obviously learned his craft more by osmosis than homework. And what better way to absorb?



Now correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure you will), but some of these tunes have a message of yearning the loss of youth combined with the

joyful memories of that same youth.



All in all a VERY good album.

A good, solid purchase for the great stuff, skip the bad ones, that's what the button's for."

Andru Reeve Docks It A Star For Deleting The Best Song

Andru J. Reeve | east bay rules | 09/15/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hey, Andru Reeve is ETERNALLY grateful to have ANYTHING from solo Roger out in the marketplace. "Land Of Pure Imagination" is essentially an American re-release of a Japanese CD, "Solid State Warrior". I say "essentially", because for some reason, 3 of the songs from the original release were replaced on this edition of the CD. And, in my humble opinion, the ABSOLUTELY best song --"What You Don't Know About The Girl" -- was one of the songs that was axed!!!! Roger...how could you??? That is the one song that is most like something Jellyfish would've done. It would not be out of place on SPILT MILK.



Anyway, no use crying over that particular liquid. (Although, I might add, none of the three new songs are anything special. "Appleby" is silly, and the other two left no lasting impression on me. "What You Don't Know About The Girl" is way better than any of the replacement songs). Still, I'm happy to have this CD, but I'll be sure to keep my copy of "Solid State Warrior", too.



BTW, this is a CD; why couldn't ALL the songs be included? Surely, there's no good reason why this 11-track album couldn't be 14 tracks long. Sorry, but that'll cost you a star.



"

Pop Rock Gem!

Gary Scharg | Boulder, CO USA | 10/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It continues to amaze me to find "new" musicians who record in bedroom studios all across the country. Everyone was amazed when Craig Chaquico pulled this off, Roger takes it to the next level. The closest event I can recall to this release is Steely Dan's 1972 "Can't Buy a Thrill" that put pop/rock on its ear. The influences are many and varied...Beach Boys, Beatles, Osmonds, Neil Sedaka, Jimmy Webb, The Who, Styx, Yes, Chicago, Alan Parsons, ELO/Jeff Lynn, Astrud Giberto, Wondermints, Burt Bacharach, Supertramp, 60's Brit Pop, the list goes on... As for Roger's vocal ability, he's no Bocelli, but he is better than 90% of the front men out there. He has a unique "honey" styled voice with a smoothness not often heard these days (think Joseph Williams, David Pack, Donnie Osmond, Gerry Beckley). He doesn't try to imitate anyone, and has learned to be comfortable using his instrument as intended and well trained. Primarily a keyboardist, his chops on guitars and drums are commendable as well. Can't think of enough good things to say about this artist. Not every cut is excellent, but eight of eleven are standouts and addictive. The three deleted cuts from Solid State Warrior (earlier Japanese release of the same core tracks) make for eleven very strong songs that could all be at home on the top 40...during some point of time. Buy this CD Now!"