Cheap Diamond Head (Music) (Phil Manzanera) Price

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Customer Reviews of Diamond Head

A treat for Roxy fans
This is really a wonderful album, one of the not-so-well-known gems of the '70s Roxy Music-related canon. Despite not being a singer, guitarist Phil Manzanera put together a surprisingly coherent, witty collection of (mostly) vocal rock. Backed by the Roxy Music rhythm section (including the great drummer Paul Thompson) with plenty of help from Eno, Eddie Jobson, and Andy Mackay, this is the closest thing extant to a Roxy album sans Bryan Ferry. And that's actually not a bad thing.

Manzanera's guitar and compositional skills come to the fore here, but he rarely showboats as a lead guitarist, as one might expect in a solo album by a "guitar hero." As with Roxy, he's more interested in creating textures with his guitar, and he does it in many different styles: hard rock, funk, jazz, and more.

Still, it's primarily an album of songs. Even the instrumentals are more about composition and mood than chops, including the lovely title track and the complex and riveting "East of Echo." The vocal tracks are highlighted by two exceptionally cool Brian Eno songs: "Big Day" and the bizarre and rocking "Miss Shapiro." Robert Wyatt pitches in with the sung-in-Spanish but still catchy "Frontera." The usually horrid (as a singer) John Wetton even turns in a credible performance on the funky "Same Time Next Week." Few albums featuring multiple, unrelated vocalists come off as consistently listenable or coherent as this one.

Manzanera's subsequent solo albums mined a similar formula, but less interestingly and with far less Roxy Music influence. If you liked the classic '73-75 era of Roxy, you *must* own this album. You won't be disappointed.

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It's got moments - but there's better Phil albums out there.
Phil Manzanera has always been a highly mercurial talent - able to lay down some of the most blistering guitar solos and licks ever heard - but also given to a suburban-pop sensibility that some find charming, but I find rather cloying. This album swings from highly intelligent, well crafted and even mind-blowing rock (East of Echo and Alma in particular) to the rather annoyingly twee collaborations with Brian Eno that have a ha rd time rising above cute (Miss Shapiro nearly makes it, Big Day is just annoying filler), to simpler pop confections that sound to me like he was short on material (The Flex, Same Time Next Week). If you REALLY want to hear this guy in top form, check out his work on Quiet Sun's "Mainstream"album, which is, to me, the best progressive rock album I heard in the 70's. You'll hardly believe you're listening to the same guitarist - the difference in intensity and musicianship is that huge. Also check out "Primitive Guitars" which will blow you away with both his acoustic and electric capabilities. Both of these are essential. "Diamond Head" has way too much filler.

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Same Time Next Week
Interesting, but I bought this album when it came out and Same Time Next Week is still my favorite track. I think it is a classic, "undiscovered" jem and I often now include it on prime cuts cds that I burn for friends. They almost always love the song and want to know "who is that"?

Now if you are focusing on the album for guitar technique, Same Time Next Week is perhaps Phil's greatest example of that, but I think it is a great song, nevertheless, and one I never get tired of listening to. Definitely NOT filler.

BTW, Phil, along with Brian Eno and all of the other original Roxy members, less Brian Ferry, are coming out with a new disk entitled "6 PM" due for release in Great Britain later this month....