Live At The Rainbow 1972

Man were arguably at their peak in 1972, with guitars and solos still locked firmly on stun, and their improvisational powers so taut that it was impossible to predict what might happen next when they played. Certainly the U.K. tour that culminated at the London Rainbow remains one of the most fondly remembered of all the band's excursions, and though the sound quality is just a shade on the murky side, this four-songs-and-a-fiddly-bit souvenir captures all the magnificence of that crowning night. The fiddly bit can be dispensed with out of hand: "Left Handed Methodist Missionary" is simply a minute of guitar, with a short story recited above it -- a reminder that Man wasn't all about virtuoso liquidity -- but this is not something you need listen to on a regular basis. The remainder of the album, however, is as essential an addition to the catalog as any archival release could be, with staggering versions of "Bananas," "Love Your Life," "C'mon," and "Life on the Road" that between them devour a full-hour of playing time, and (especially in the case of "Bananas") might even aspire to definitive status. In terms of actual sonic perfection, the 1999 Party Tour album, recorded two years later, remains the greatest Man live set of all. But if you want to hear the band at its rocking best, the rainbow ends where Live at the Rainbow 1972 begins. ~ Dave Thompson|