Phil Manzanera: Diamond Head

Reissuing a record after 36 years takes some cojones, and Phil Manzanera knows cojones. His Colombian heritage and Latin upbringing aside, the man plays a mean guitar. Any record that can stand the test of almost four decades deserves more than just a nod, considering how many records released within even the last four years are beginning to show their age. That Diamond Head was just a side project for Phil Manzanera shows his rock-and-roll credibility, and many people knew him more as a member of Roxy Music than as a solo artist. After making a handy living through his time with Roxy, Manzanera pursued numerous ventures solo or as an accomplice to fellow Roxy artist Brian Eno, Bob Dylan, Richard Thompson, and other '70s luminaries. His recent series of record releases have done a good job showcasing his accomplishments outside of Roxy.

Diamond Head is a wonderfully eclectic collection of songs penned by Manzanera, that show off his musical interests, compositional ability, and performance skill. The lead track, "Frontera," comes straight out of prog-rock with some hint of Spanish-language rapping, and Manzanera also struts his roots from this period with "Alma." The tune betrays a bit of Bowie, but more his folky love style than his spacey stoner period. The title song, "Diamond Head," has a real feel-good, "summer of love," sound with just a touch of Pink Floyd in the lead guitar sound. There are two bonus tracks included here, both straying away from pop sounds and veering more toward the Latin spice that Manzanera probably grew up hearing. The weakest song on the album is one of these: "Corazon y Alma," complete with weird Vincent Price keyboard sounds, rambling guitar patchwork, and sounding like a weaksauce version of one of Zappa's sonic experiments.

Other highlights from the record include a couple of funky tracks ("The Flex" and "Same Time Next Week") that dabble in odd meter and throw in some waddling organ and an obligatory sax solo. Manzanera pulls off some really interesting approaches to folk styling with songs like "Big Day" and "Lagrima." The latter features acoustic strumming heavily treated with effects, ultimately sounding like some village serenade from outer space. Sonic experiments aren't the focus of Diamond Head, thankfully. Manzanera obviously cared about lyrics and vocals, as much or more than keeping a thrumming foundation filled with interesting effects and tasteful production. It's not clear how much, if at all, this release of Diamond Head was remastered, but the production is excellent. At the very least, Phil Manzanera is giving the world some great historical context, back to a period when blues, rock, and funk styles were colliding and when musicianship in the pop sphere was peaking. Prog rock isn't a perfect label for what Diamond Head represents, but the "progressive" label is appropriate in the sense that Manzanera's work from the mid-70s is still entirely listenable 36 years later!