01	Spirits In The Night						06:25
	02	Countdown						03:06
	03	Time is right						06:32
	04	Crossfade						03:40
	05	Visionary Mountains						05:42
	06	Nightingales and bombers						04:53
	07	Fat Nelly						03:20
	08	As above so below (Recorded Live)						04:16

1975 - Nightingales And Bombers


Includes a famous recording from World War 2 of nightingales singing as bombers pass overhead. This was to be the last album by the first line-up, although one of the high points was the interplay between Manfred on keyboards and Mick's guitar. It also contained the first Springsteen cover, "Spirits In The Night".

Produced by Manfred Mann and Earth Band

Manfred Mann, Keyboards
Mick Rogers, Guitars, Vocals
Colin Pattenden, Bass Guitar
Chris Slade, Drums

The title of this album was inspired by a recording made in Surrey, England during the Second World War, by an ornithologist intending to record Nightingales. The bombers flew over at the same time and were recorded by accident. The recording has been incorporated in 'As Above, So Below'.

P 1975 Petbrook Ltd.
C 1995 Petbrook Ltd.

1 Spirits In The Night (6:26)
Springsteen Zomba Music

2 Countdown (3:04)
Mann Earthly Music Ltd

3 Time Is Right (6:32)
Mann/Slade/Rogers Earthly Music Ltd

4 Crossfade (3:36)
Mann/Slade/Rogers/Pattenden Earthly Music Ltd

5 Visionary Mountains (5:40)
Nestor/Armatrading Onward Music Ltd

6 Nightingales And Bombers (4:53)
Rogers Earthly Music Ltd

7 Fat Nelly (3:20)
Mann/Thomas Earthly Music Ltd

8 As Above So Below (4:13)
Mann/Slade/Rogers/Pattenden Earthly Music Ltd








Nightingales & Bombers Reviews 1975 (UK Review)

After a trio of somewhat unremarkable albums for Phonogram, Earth Band seem to draw strength from a new contract with Bronze and set about producing music of a considerably more substantial and interesting nature. 'Nightingales and Bombers' follows both 'Solar Fire' and 'The Good Earth' in its reliance upon the muscular rhythm section of Colin Pattenden (bass) and Chris Slade (drums), whilst Mann (keyboards) and Mick Rogers (guitars, vocals) elaborate with proficient expertise. The version of Bruce Springsteen's 'Spirits In The Night' is unashamedly deliberate, employing lavish electric piano and dense guitar chording, and the song's chorus gains a vibrant dynamic with backing vocals from Doreen Chanter, Ruby James and Martha Smith. Joan Armatrading and Pam Nestor's 'Visionary Mountains' is treated more cautiously, whilst the self-composed material divides into a pair of songs and four instrumentals. Of the latter, the title cut and 'As Above So Below' are the most effective; Mann's use of his electronic keyboard remains sensitive, never overstated, and Rogers provides melodic solos. 'Countdown' and 'Crossfade' are similarly paced, but perhaps a fraction less imaginative. Altogether a hypercompetent offering, and immaculately recorded.

Angus Mackinnon

Spirits In The Night (UK Review)

After The Hollies, Mann covers Bruce Springsteen. "Spirits In The Night" is a cut from Springsteen's first album, "Greetings From Asbury Park NJ", telling the story of the narrator pulling Crazy Janey while other characters over-indulge themselves so that there's a good deal of throwing up and passing out going on. Manfred Mann haven't had a hit since "Joybringer" and this could change all that since he and the band have brought out the melody more than Springsteen does. The production, credited to the band, is imaginative and the vocals give the whole thing an agreeable pop-rock ambience.


Nightingales & Bombers 1975 (UK Review)

Technical college rock - that's what this is. It probably appeals to the sort of people who spend three years studying Civil Engineering or Computer Sciences.

"Nightingales and Bombers" is not an unlikeable album; it's well produced (by the band at a place called The Workhouse in the Old Kent Road) with some very tasty stereophonic synthesiser FX; it's occasionally imaginative; and it's very well played.

Manfred himself is excellent, if a trifle cliched, on assorted keyboards, making intelligent and melodic use of the electronic spectrums available. Mick Rogers is oustanding too, with guitar work that is often Fripesque. He does, however have an unfortunate tendency to break into "Little Wing" whenever he can't think of anything better to do. Good as these tow are, they are both prone to self-indulgence - witness how the last track on each side ("Crossfade" and "As Above So Below", a live cut) degenerates into acne-intense boring solo spots.

An honourable mention though for the drummer, Chris Slade, who comes up with a great detuned kettle drum sound for "Time Is Right".

There's one stand out track, a version of Bruce Springsteen's "Spirits In The Night". The grandiose, schizoid arrangement hardly compliments the down to earth lyrics (about urban Americans going out to the country and getting stoned) but the track, an extended workout of their last single, is at least consistently inventive and unpredictable.

Those last two epithets hardly apply to the album as a whole. It's competent but uninspired, and breaks the cardinal rock rule of not printing the lyrics on the sleeve where they are shown up as uninteresting and banal (with the exception of the Springsteen song).

The other main problem is the vocals. Considering the Mann band's previous pedigree in this area (Paul Jones, Mike D'Abo and Mike Hugg) it's surprising that guitarist Rogers is allowed to inflict his insipid and watery singing on what are often good tunes.

Jonathan Barnett