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Track Listings
| 1. Where Fools Die |
| 2. San Diego-Tijuana |
| 3. The Point Of Purchase |
| 4. Never The Twain |
| 5. A Single Spark |
| 6. You Sweet Name |
| 7. Afghani Raga |
| 8. It Makes No Difference |
| 9. Don't Take His Name Away |
| 10. It Takes A Tear |
| 11. Nothing Fails Like Success |
| 12. Talkin' Turban |
Product Description
Product Description
Mantras for Madmen, Harry Manx's sixth record, is blindingly unapologetic when it comes to even greater use of instrumentation. He kicks the groove level up a notch, adding gospel-laden backing vocals with killer harmonies that enrich the ten original tunes and Indian instruments for the two ragas that are thrown into the mix. "Tijuana" pulls out all the stops with a full Indian treatment of this J.J. Cale classic with the addition of tamboura, drums and hang along with Manx's famous mohan veena. "Single Spark" and "Your Sweet Name" fuse that cultural merging of East and
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I became a dyed-in-the-wool Harry Manx fan after seeing him perform at a folk festival a few years ago. I have all of his albums and they are on my mp3 player. This is one of the best, full of his celebrated merging of the Blues and the music of India. Kevin B. is not playing on this CD, which will please some listeners and disappoint others.
I found most poignant the song "His Sweet Name"; the title sounds like something vaguely religious, but really it is about the death of an "unimportant" person, someone rendered nameless in a newspaper report(you know the type: "One man died today on highway 16..."). The song is a plea that the name of this person be spoken and endure in memory.
I found most poignant the song "His Sweet Name"; the title sounds like something vaguely religious, but really it is about the death of an "unimportant" person, someone rendered nameless in a newspaper report(you know the type: "One man died today on highway 16..."). The song is a plea that the name of this person be spoken and endure in memory.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars
6 reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
exotic, yet strangely timeless
May 17 2006
By twangmon
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
While most musicians are content to work within the accepted boundaries of their chosen style, lap-slide guitarist Harry Manx likes to color way outside the lines. His crayons? Soulful, raspy vocals, poetic lyrics, and the whining drones and mysterious melisma of Indian music. In addition to picking Hawaiian-style flat-top à la David Lindley, Ben Harper, or Kelly Joe Phelps, Manx plays the mohan veena-a 20-string archtop developed by Indian slide wizard Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. East/West fusions can sometimes sound forced or awkward, but Manx-who studied with Bhatt for five years-dodges that bullet. On Mantras for Madmen, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, tamboura, tabla, and haunting female voices swirl seamlessly around intricate slide melodies, creating an exotic, yet strangely timeless sound. Drawing from blues, ragas, and the story-telling heritage of British Isles folk music, Manx conjures songs that are as bewitching as they are unique.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wise words and cool tunes
Mar 28 2007
By A. Butterfield
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
I guess the most obvious way to differentiate Harry Manx from his peers is his use of Indian instruments, and in paricular the Mohan Veena. Well, actually what's unique and very refreshing is the way he integrates those sounds into a fusion of Blues and Americana that remind me of some of the other artists I love, but also stands out from them.
For all the exoticism of the instrumentation, Harry's songs are actually pretty accessible, and like the best songs are a bit mysterious in their actual meaning but give you a feeling that he's really saying something. Don't Take His Name Away is a terrific song about life and death and memory. I wonder who it's about.
Another standout song is A Single Spark, which has the trademark Indian sound mixed with an emotive blues sound and an intriguing, memorable lyric.
There's not a bad song on the album, though It Takes a Tear, a duet with a singer who's not really interesting enough, comes closest to being one you might want to skip past.
I like the production, even though it sounds at times almost too clean and bright for Blues. The production favours the sound of the Indian instruments, and the couple of instrumentals using those instruments sound fantastic.
On the whole, one of the best albums I've heard for some time. I can see I'll be enjoying this one for years to come.
For all the exoticism of the instrumentation, Harry's songs are actually pretty accessible, and like the best songs are a bit mysterious in their actual meaning but give you a feeling that he's really saying something. Don't Take His Name Away is a terrific song about life and death and memory. I wonder who it's about.
Another standout song is A Single Spark, which has the trademark Indian sound mixed with an emotive blues sound and an intriguing, memorable lyric.
There's not a bad song on the album, though It Takes a Tear, a duet with a singer who's not really interesting enough, comes closest to being one you might want to skip past.
I like the production, even though it sounds at times almost too clean and bright for Blues. The production favours the sound of the Indian instruments, and the couple of instrumentals using those instruments sound fantastic.
On the whole, one of the best albums I've heard for some time. I can see I'll be enjoying this one for years to come.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
another level for Harry
Jan 19 2006
By M. Gordon
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've been listening to Manx' blues ever since I caught him in concert here in New Mexico. "Road Ragas" being my favorite until this new release which really showcases his talent at writing songs, let alone the unique Indian instrument (I would write the name but would slaughter the spelling-a sitar/guitar cross)he plays them to. Don't let Mantra in the title sway you into thinking this is true sanskrit mantra (which I also listen to) but I think it is his way of honoring his unique East/West style and he does have a terrific sense of humor which also prevails in his songs. Good go Harry-come back to New Mexico soon!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
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