On November 1st, UMR will release 50 Years of Music, an extensive, career-spanning collection of solo work from Phil Manzanera. Since joining Roxy Music in 1972, Manzanera has become an award-winning international record producer and an music icon in the U.K. while simultaneously releasing records with the group and as a solo artist. The new collection brings together all 10 of Manzanera’s solo albums in one place, featuring collaborators such as Brian Eno, David Gilmour, Neil and Tim Finn, Andy Mackay, Robert Wyatt, Eddie Jobson, and John Wetton.
50 Years of Music is presented in a 10”x10” hard-slip case with three wallets holding the eleven CDs featuring original artwork throughout. Overseen by Phil, the albums have been remastered by Alchemy Mastering’s Barry Grint at London’s renowned Air Studios. A 100-page book accompanies this extraordinary musical journey, comprised of photos, handwritten notes, tape boxes, scribbles, clippings, alternate artwork, lyrics, compositions, and thoughts as well as the original album booklets.
All 10 albums appear across 10 CDs with rare and previously unreleased tracks. There is also a bonus disc, Rare Two, that acts as a follow-up to 2000’s Rare One: a collection of never-before-released demos, radio sessions, and rare European singles. Rare Two is a personally curated collection of 10 unreleased songs, demos, live tracks, and two rarities from Phil’s archive. Fans will now be able to hear Demo PM 1, the early version of Pink Floyd’s One Slip that Phil wrote with his long-term friend and collaborator David Gilmour. A live version of Impossible Guitars from Roxy Music’s Frejus gig in 1982 can be enjoyed here as well.
Manzanera shared his thoughts on the collection: “This box set gives the listener an idea of what I’ve been up to in my parallel solo musical world away from Roxy for the last 50 years. It always has been about working together with friends to achieve the common goal of music ‘Sin Fronteras.’”