Quiet Sun - "Mainstream" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, 1975/2011 (Expression Records)

The world of Roxy Music is rich in many good stuff and recordings.  It's almost like Roxy Music is a virus and whoever becomes in contact, eventually will make their own album with either group or solo.  So being a Roxy fan is expensive over time, yet, I have not regretted the expenses being spent on their art.   Quiet Sun is Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera's band before he joined Bryan Ferry, Eno, and company.   Oddly enough I never purchased this album due to my fear of prog rock.  If one can even call Quiet Sun a prog rock band.  Mostly a group of misfits who border on the eccentricities of the time as well as being in the avant-garde angle in rock n' roll.   Beside the Roxy guitarist, the band consists of Bill MacCormick on bass, Charles Hayward on drums and some keyboards, and on the keys the noted Mathematician Dave Jarrett.   Eno helps on the noise part and legendary music writer Ian (McDonald) MacCormick, the brother of Bill on backup vocals.  

While Manzanera was doing his first proper solo album "Diamond Head" he also recorded this Quiet Sun album as well.  The band did split up when Phil joined Roxy, but they never made an album, and either due to the preservation aspect of Manzanera's music making, or just wanted to do a crazed album, is what is upon us for the last 40 or so years.   While I loved "Diamond Head" I was hesitant to purchase or listen to Quiet Sun, because of its aggressive fusion sound.   It took me many years (like yesterday afternoon) to finally get the album, as a reissue (on Manzanera's record label) and give this "Mainstream" a serious listen.  

The music is fusion, but these guys are creative at what they do. Manzanera is one of the great underrated guitarists.   His Hendrix accented echoey guitar sound (perhaps helped by Eno's treatment of the instrument) has always been a standout on all the Roxy recordings, and he doesn't let up on his own albums.   If Quiet Sun has a sister or big brother band, it would be Soft Machine.   One can imagine Robert Wyatt coming in doing the vocals.  So the mindset is on that part of the world and its aesthetics.   Riffs come and go, but what I find appealing as well is Charles Hayward's percussion.  A very imaginative drummer, and with MacCormick on bass a great rhythm section.  The one classic song off this album is "Rongwrong" which the title is based on and the same as artist Marcel Duchamp's art journal in the early 20th century.  It's a beauty of a song, and although written by Hayward, it reminds me of Wyatt's solo work.   A song diary of sorts, but a beautiful wistful melody, even as the long instrumental passages play on, it's an incredible song.  

Quiet Sun is not my favorite of the Roxy Music off-projects, but an essential part of the puzzle that is Phil Manzanera. 

Phil Manzanera - "Diamond Head" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1975 (Atco Records)

Roxy Music is not only a band, but also a foundation where some lived, and eventually explored the outer-world through various solo albums.   To be a Roxy fan was an expensive ride, because of not only the Roxy Music albums, but also purchasing the various Eno albums, the solo Bryan Ferry recordings, and then, of course, the Andy Mackay album, and then Phil Manzanera's solo album.  And even that, there are the Fripp & Eno albums, which means one should purchase a Robert Fripp album, and on and on it goes.  One thing I miss from the 1970s are the solo albums that came out of one band.   The only band I can think of in contemporary times is Radiohead because Thom York has various side projects as well as the other musicians in that group.  On the other hand, that is not a financial problem for me, because I don't really like Radiohead.  Roxy Music, on the other hand, is great, and therefore one needs to jump into the various solo recording of the current members of Roxy, as well as those who left the fold (Eno).    Which comes to "Diamond Head" by Manzanera.  

The role of Phil Manzanera in Roxy Music cannot be underestimated.   His guitar work is intelligent, masterful, and a perfect ingredient that's in the Roxy Music soup.  The same for Andy Mackay as well.  Here, Phil steps out of the Bryan Ferry world and makes his own statement with everyone from the Roxy world, except their lead singer.   It's a heady mixture of great talent:  Robert Wyatt, Eno, Andy Mackay, Paul Thompson, John Wetton, Eddie Jobson, Charles Hayward and Manzanera as the ring leader in this temporary circus.  

The beauty of "Diamond Head" is although there are many voices on this album, it is very much orchestrated by Manzanera, and he doesn't lose himself in the mix.  There are classic pieces here, like the title cut, his work with Eno, "Miss Shapiro," "Big Day," and the great opening song with Robert Wyatt "Frontera."  These are voices that are very distinct, and Wyatt/Eno don't hold back, but Manzanera can place himself in these guys without himself losing his identity.   The Manzanera guitar sound is a combination of classic Jimi Hendrix touches, mixed with his South American roots and one foot in prog.  It's a heady sonic experience.  It's hard to believe that this album is 42 years old.  As a solo artist, this is Manzanera's best album, as a guitarist who worked on many albums, he is still a fantastic talent.  When one sees his name in the credits, you're getting yourself into a classy world.