Phil Manzanera's first post-Roxy foray into solo albums is a terrific all-star affair that still holds up enormously well. Calling on favors from Roxy members present and past, and those from the Cambridge/British art rock scene,
Manzanera assembled a supergroup for every song.
Robert Wyatt sings Spanish gibberish on the opener "Frontera," a rewrite of his own "Team Spirit."
Brian Eno teams up for the sunny "Big Day" and the nonsensical "Miss Shapiro," both of which would not have been out of place on his own early solo albums.
John Wetton (of several groups including Family and
Asia) sings a duet with
Doreen Chanter (of the Chanter Sisters and the Joe Cocker Band), and
Bill MacCormick of
Matching Mole and
Quiet Sun sings his own "Alma," the album's closing ballad. Fans of any of the singers above, not to mention
Manzanera, whose party this is, won't be disappointed. A majority of these tracks went on to form the set list for
801 Live. ~ Ted Mills