Blogginlägg

”Still managing”

Önskemål från England har fått mig att publicera en engelsk version av min recension av Southend-gruppen Da Managements andra album.

DA MANAGEMENT: Still managing (Da Management, 2019)

THE POSTMAN DELIVERED A LETTER FROM JOHN BOBIN which contained the Southend quintet Da Management's new album. This is a experienced bunch of musicians from countless different bands from just Southend and the surrounding area. Bassist John Bobin and steel guitarist Vic Collins are probably the most renowned musicians from their early times in Mickey Jupp's Legend and Kursaal Flyers, respectively.
   But other singers and musicians in the band have a diverse background in local music history. Singer and harmonica Billy B played in The Alvin Jones Band and in the 60's in The Wise Men. Singer and guitarist Chris Stock in The Avengers and The Crew Of Three, among others. And drummer Jerry Nathan was a member in Beyond Redemption and Shades Of Gray.
   Da Management, however, is not a playground for really creative ideas and diligent songwriters. The group is largely a cover band formed to entertain and their second album are more well made than I thought possible in my imagination. The contents are covers from many different areas, where it may be difficult to detect any common thread, but it is exceptionally neat and professionally recorded (in a studio named "No Recording Studio" ...) without the ambition to sharpen the material with some exciting new interpretations.
   Okay, sometimes the cover songs feel a little well predictable and used too many times among cover bands. The first song "I knew the bride (when she used to rock and roll)" can hardly challenge Dave Edmunds' original on record or Rockpile's version live but Vic Collins pedal steel decorates nicely. "Rockin 'Robin" is a rather worn-out rock'n'roll song and Bee Gees' "To love somebody" has been heard a few times too many over the years. Real pubrock music or maybe we should even rename the genre old men's rock'n'roll considering the members' age.
   Da Management has three singers who switch places at the microphone which, after all, the variation on the album becomes quite positive. Together with the band's often tight rock 'n' roll-rhythms "Still managing" becomes a consistently entertaining record. But best of all are the slightly calmer moments of the album, "Blue bayou" and "Don't let the sun catch you crying", where Da Management almost touches Nick Lowe's ballad highlights in recent years.
   Da Management is mainly a cover band but their latest album ends with two original songs, "Silly Billy" and "Midnight train", which I understand after some detective work are written by the band's Billy B under his real name Eric Boulter. Harmonica-based poprock that blends nicely together with the more wellknown cover songs.
   The drawing of the man with guitar (see left) has become the hallmark of Da Management. Created by Paul Shuttleworth, once a spectacular singer in Kursaal Flyers and now in the local group The Ugly Guys.

/ Håkan

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Jag är född 1952. Skrev min första recension i januari 1970. Har medverkat regelbundet i Nerikes Allehanda i över 45 år med recensioner, krönikor, artiklar och intervjuer. I nästan samtliga fall har det handlat om musik och ur mitt långa liv som skribent har jag hämtat många anekdoter som kommer förekomma här. Med popmusikens historia som grund berättar jag också om egna erfarenheter under den långa resan. Från 50-talet till idag. Plus utförliga recensioner av både konserter, skivor, dvd och böcker. Vill du/ni få er senaste skiva recenserad? Mejla mig, så får ni adress. Håkans Pop hade premiär 22 augusti 2007 och har sedan fyllts på med både nyskrivna artiklar och arkivmaterial från 1971 och framåt. E-posta mig.