Manifesto-History; Fire Records Blaze 42T, 1990

 

The first thing that attracted Disaster Amnesiac to  Manifesto's History 12", in some S.F. record store cutout bin most likely, was the bold cover graphic of a despairing lumpen dude and its strong lettering. Then, turning it over in my hand, I noticed the players: Michael Fellows, Bert Queiroz, and Ivor Hampton. Anyone familiar with these names will immediately intone "..D.C.!", as I surely did in my head as I held the cover. These three represent major sounds within the District's Punk and Post Punk developments: Untouchables, Faith, Rites of Spring, Embrace, Rain.....all groups that put out great, influential music, music that I have enjoyed for many years. Naturally, History stayed in my grasp and ended up within the Disaster Amnesiac stacks. 

Of course, it's stayed there, too. Lately I've been spinning it again, and really enjoying its three songs. Starting off with the title track, which features a great, chiming guitar lead line from Hampton and driving rhythms from Queiroz and Hanson, I am inclined to hear an almost Beach Boys influence from the hopeful lyrical intonations, delivered sweetly from Hampton. These songs, likely being written in D.C. in the mid-to-late 1980's, there is naturally a post-Revolution Summer slant to them as well, and well buttressed by the melodic guitar approach that characterized that aesthetic. I could play this track over and over, and indeed, that's one thing that I've been doing of late. Its clean lines display a sharp skill for song craft. Plus, that tambourine chatter helps a lot as well. Very cool stuff on History. 

On the flip side, we find the darker vibe of Burn, pushed by another stomping beat from Hanson on the tom toms, with what sounds like maybe a bit of help from some kind of rhythm generator, cool guitar picking that always makes Disaster Amnesiac think of flames rising up, and a catchy chorus. This tune must have moved some butts on some Urban dance floor somewhere in the world. It seems equally designed for that as it does for rocking out. Did these guys ever play live? History ends with Who Walks the Wire, which features a bit more of a fast pace from the rhythm section underneath yet another eminently catchy, melodic guitar riff. The group gets into some nicely syncopated changes in place of a guitar solo, then heads back to that cool verse phrase and repeats "then the world means nothing". Pretty spot on, Manifesto!

As stated, Disaster Amnesiac wonders if this configuration of D.C. stalwart players ever presented itself live at the D.C. Space or 9:30 Club or something. If you're a fan of any of these guys' work, and see History out in the wild or online, you'd likely want to swoop on it.