George's Journal

MAXIMUM DARKNESS: A lovely album of glorious majestickness. A live album from the London Chalk Farm Roundhouse, recorded in 1975, 5 songs of variety and musicianship, and of harmonies and compository beauty. And the cover presentation is one of my favourites too, very pleasant idea and artwork. And it was back in 1975 that I heard a track on Radio One from Max Dark, and was able to hit the record button to get it down for posterity. This I chewed over it for months until per chance I met some chaps who liked them, and they were so shocked that i'd even heard of them, that they let me borrow the entire live record. Then, within time, there I was at the Hammy Odeon in 1976, getting blasted by said peoples. I also sampled MAN that same year at the Roundhouse, and then at their final gig in Staines. Yes folks, MAN had decided to split up after several years, and i'd just seen them off. A little MAN badge was mine for the keeping, and I almost bought the brilliant MAN skeleton T-shirt, which I would have put on the wall. But that was it.

Onwards to 1982 I think it was, and in those pre internet days it was almost impossible to keep tabs on musical movements. And so what a surprise it was that the MAN band resurfaced back into my life. And so to the Hope & Anchor I went, and got well blasted. Oh what fun it was, and the ACE was well on form. It's great to have your heroes back in the public domain, and your are not denied a visitation any more. Later that decade, I saw the chaps at the Three Rabbits in 1984, when I was able to take my hopeless no-tech piece of instamatix cameratix to take some holiday snaps of the boys on stage. Now don't you think I did a marvellous job, considering?

May 1984

     

Since then, i've checked out the band every several years, including a smashing set in Shepherds Bush 1996. Even nowadays in 2004 the band still hit the London gig scene. They've never been at the great heights that they were before the 1976 retirement, when they were major British recording artists, and I always hope that they can reclaim their title of such, and by some stoke of luck, they will. If the band ever read this, I hope that you can understand my point of view. I must thank you for making one of my favourite pieces of music, that of Max Dark. I still play it every year, twice this year, and I still think its absolutely brilliant. Thanks chaps.

I'm quite worried actually, because none of us are getting any younger, and since the band started in 1968, it's nearly their 40th birthday, and next time they might retire for good. I'm thinking that then it might be my turn to make the travel arrangements, maybe to MAN's home town of Swansea, and I could see them perform in their living room. Maybe I could even make the tea.