Man: Rhinos, Winos & Lunatics

Man is a Welsh-based band with its heart in San Francisco–specifically, in the elongated and textured music of Quicksilver and the early Dead. Earlier versions of Man were content to put the bulk of their energies into extended live performances, rarely concerning themselves with transferring their work to the recording medium; their albums have generally seemed cold and remote. But the current band (a kind of Welsh all-star unit, with two members remaining from the last edition joined by former Man vocalist and more recently solo artist Deke Leonard and by a pair from the disbanded Help Yourself) seems more interested in making good records than in jamming into the dawn. Rhinos, Winos & Lunatics has more tracks – six – than most Man albums, and each has been carefully structured. The California-style hazy openness is still evident, but it's been built into songs rather than appearing as the end product of improvisation.