Best album by Mandrill

and their best song from 'Mandrill Is'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr55GRDYpkg

Which is also the album I've voted for.

Spotify (UK) is missing some albums but here is a playlist with what they have. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ZjoDE3M4N8iJhJtjHW30Y?si=8ce8aeb076034596

Have heard about half of these, don't know any of the later albums but I'll hazard a guess that I'm probably not missing much.

I pretty much only know the first 3 albums well. This will be a fun discography to explore over the next few weeks.

I must admit, I dont know a couple of the later ones either, so i'll be locating and listening.

i should check these guys out? assuming start at the beginning?

Aye, that's the best place imo

Only one I own is Mandrilland, and I love that one; dense and filled with interesting ideas. Strangely, I've never investigated further.

not sure what will be getting my vote, but i would like to rep for "mango meat." what a significantly solid jam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocRK6J1yyo8

this is a great band but I've never done the deep dig -- I'll amend that now!

The 1st four albums are fab. Just Outside of Town is ok, but has a few great tracks. But I didn't own Mandrilland , Solid or Beast from the East, so I've purchased them from discogs at a decent price.

I do know them via mp3s but 'Solid' is really crappy bitrates.

first three that should say

Like most of the funk bands who had a unique sound, they did end up trying their hand at disco and just sounded like loads of other bands, so I never bothered checking out after We Are One which lost what was so great about them.

Hmmm, I just noticed that the video I linked in the OP isnt there.

So please enjoy all 4 tracks. TV presenter and audience really got into it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt_QqcbWl-o

What a groovy clip, thanks for the link!

You're welcome. The 1st track in the clip was popular in the old plug.DJ room but it's nice to see all 4 tracks now.

I just wish there was a video of Ape Is High live (from the time)

The s/t is basically prog-funk. Doesn't entirely come together as an album but has some great tracks and ideas. They have great chops.

Mandrill Is, is where it all comes together - great chops and great songwriting.

Composite Truth is a strong album too.

Just Outside Of Town is a tad weaker but not bad, but I think line up changes were starting to take effect.

Mandrilland - Is quite sprawling but showcases all sides of the band.

Solid
and
Beast From The East are albums I need to listen to again.

We Are One is a bit slight tbh but I could do with revisiting it.

The albums after this I don't know but they are on Spotify so will listen.

"Solid" is pretty good I think? Would have to listen again too.

I think after that they get a bit light fusion-y rather than the hard funk of the early days (they smoothed out a bit after Composite Truth iirc but they didn't embrace fusion until later before embracing more disco influences apparently, which is why I avoided the later albums)

So on to the disco era albums I go. The mid period albums were fairly good but not as good as the early albums and dont really have stand out songs either but well worth buying as a completist. Lets see what the later stuff holds.

New Worlds isn't too bad, actually. It's about on a par with We Are One/solid. Some good funky workouts , there's still some good guitar solos too.

Not a patch on the early stuff but nothing embarrassing either.
No standout songs but a decent 3.5 out of 5 album. If you like Solid or We Are One you will probably like this. If you only like the 1st 3 albums then it may not be for you.

haha just as i hit send, a disco song comes on. It's just generic stuff.

https://img.discogs.com/qQbqNz3F8ZpheaBIB6r3jsfgjp8=/fit-in/600x597/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-10671171-1502311941-2984.jpeg.jpg

oh no, childrens choir singing. Avoid these 2 songs. Lets hope the last song finishes the album on [the ape is)] high.

no, its 3 shitty disco songs to finish with. Consider this a 3/5 album now.

unless you like generic disco, you can upgrade it to 4/5!

Now for "Getting In The Mood" from 1980.

Still disco influenced funk but while nothing outstanding, nothing too bad. I guess it was quite a different band yet again to the one that they had early on. Worth a listen.

On to 'Energize' now.

not too shabby, a lot less disco influence (except for Wired For Love - which was decent actually) and sounded like they had a more up-to-date sound for the 80s.
Still a bit indistinguishable from other music of the period 3/5. Still no sign of the latin influences of the early days

I prefer my funk hard edged and intense.

Barbara Mandrell did some great stuff in the early 70s verging on blue eyed soul.

Mandrill have a Sanctuary compi containing is it the first 3 lps on 2cds

I have 5 Mandrill LPs bought in the late 1990s and another 4 I ordered from Discogs. On CD, I have the Fencewalk compilation.

So the seller cancelled the sale of Mandrilland as he said he must've sold it in the shop.

It's cheap enough in the USA but the shipping is 30 notes and a lot of the discogs copies look beat up, but 30 notes is far too much for shipping.I'll wait until an affordable copy shows up in the UK.

I give up on buying it.

I actually got mine in an auction, the only one I've ever attended and the only thing I bid on. A box of 70s jazz/funk (AWB, Crusaders, George Benson etc.) Some were in sad shape and got binned, most were okay and sold at record shop for enough to recoup my bid. ($20-ish?) I think Mandrilland may have been one of the only ones I hung on to.

It's really quite cheap in the USA, but the postage is a killer.

Yeah, holy crap that's insane! That auction is also where I got my Meters Rejuvenation LP, now that I remember.

Thankfully I have that one, bought 3 Meters LPs (reissues) in the late 90s from FOPP in the west end of Glasgow for a fiver each.

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