UK Import
Three albums on 2 CDs from Mangione who, at the time, had switched labels from A&M to Columbia and was slowly fading from charts and radio playlists.
Excellent remastering job and thorough liner notes. Well done, BGO. In 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Mangione among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal Studios fire.
LOVE NOTES (1982)
5 tracks, 41 minutes
5 tracks, 41 minutes
I'm not sure why I didn't pick this up in '82. I wasn't finished buying new Mangione releases at that time - I bought Journey To A Rainbow the following year. But Mangione albums didn't exactly fit into the pseudo-New Wave hipster image I was trying (and failing) to cultivate in '82 so that might have had something to do with it.
Any of the 5 tracks wouldn't have been out of place on his earlier few albums. It's all melodic, pleasant, and well-performed, but not very memorable. Still, fans of his Feels So Good and Fun & Games albums weren't disappointed.
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: #83
- Billboard Jazz: #8
- Billboard R&B: #53
- CashBox: #103
- CashBox Jazz: #4
Tracks: The opener, Steppin' Out, is the best tune on the album and bears more than a passing resemblance to the Feel So Good single. Columbia released it as a single and it saw a little action on the R&B chart, peaking at #80. I have a problem with the second track, No Problem, in that it works for 13+ minutes and never goes anywhere. It's not bad, just too long - just when you think it's finally over, someone else gets a solo turn. The remaining three tracks are, as stated earlier, pleasant enough but I won't be whistling them later.
DISGUISE (1984)
7 tracks, 39 minutes
7 tracks, 39 minutes
In which Mangione jettisons his band, teams up with Juicy and producer Deodato, and discovers synths and drum machines. And the cover photo ain't doing anybody any favors. Enter at your own risk.
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: #148
- Billboard Jazz: #26
- CashBox: #145
- CashBox Jazz: #9
Tracks: Mostly failed attempts at updating the sound for a younger market (hey, it worked for Herbie Hancock a year earlier, so why not?). The most traditional Mangione pieces are Josephine and Love Theme From 'London And Davis In New York,' the theme for a failed CBS TV pilot about a crime-solving photographer. However, there's also a track with Shirley MacLaine rapping which will surely knock your chakras out of alignment.
Would I have preferred the inclusion of the aforementioned Journey To A Rainbow (1983) in lieu of Disguise in this three-fer? Without question.
SAVE TONIGHT FOR ME (1986)
8 tracks, 42 minutes
8 tracks, 42 minutes
The synths and LinnDrums also appear on this album, but their sound is slightly more understated (as understated as synth drums could possibly be, anyway), thanks to producer Morris "Butch" Stewart. It's all very generic DX7 smooth jazz that immediately dates itself to the mid-'80s. Still, it's better than Disguise.
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: Did not chart
- Billboard Jazz: #28
- CashBox Jazz: #12
Tracks: Secret of Love - with vocals by Brenda Mitchell Stewart (the producer's wife) - is the cream. Rockin' At Red Rocks can actually be an enjoyable funk tune once I'm able to get past Chuck's rap. The more traditional, familiar Mangione sound is available here on Sweet Cheryl Lynn.
Previously revisited for the blog:
Everything For Love (2000)
Classics, Volume 6 (1987)
An Evening of Magic: Live at The Hollywood Bowl (1979)
Feels So Good (1977)
Land Of Make Believe (1973)
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