This album was released almost a year later the great “Solar Fire” and for a reason I can’t explain, I totally missed it at that time. Now, when you listen to this, you might understand that there were less interest for this work than for its great predecessor. After the Sun, Manfred is tackling the Earth concept. Why not?

“The Good Earth” is not a bad album. Taken as such, it features some pleasant songs, more bluesy and closer to their prior work (before “Solar Fire” I mean). Some good rocking numbers with raving electric guitar (“Giving Me The Good Earth” as well as “Launching Place”).

Things get worse with the dull “I’ll Be Gone”. I guess that the best thing to do to avoid this poor and repetitive song is effectively to move away or to press next™ of course.

The mood is totally different for “Earth Hymn - Part One”. Indeed a great hymn, full of energy, great synthesizer part and a frenetic beat during the instrumental part of this excellent rock song. The most sophisticated and the best one as well. On par with the best from “Solar Fire”. And the second and more aerial part is also very nice. Spacey keyboards and softer attack, it is a good extension of “Part One”. I particularly like the excellent and emotional guitar work which closes this song.

The approach is somewhat similar for “Sky High”. But while it starts on a very proggy way, the second half is a bit of a deception. Fully jazz oriented, almost improv should I say. It could have been written by dear Carlos (“Barboletta” period), the guitar being again of great support for this average song.

At the end of the day, this album is more than acceptable. Of course when compared to “Solar Fire”, it falls short (but that one was a masterpiece IMO).

Three stars for this good old earth one.

by ZowieZiggy


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