Description

Fine Difference is a compilation album by the British duo Marc Catley & Geoff Mann, released on Plankton Records in 1992.

In July 1988 Geoff Mann released the cassette-only recording In Difference, the first of two largely instrumental duo albums he recorded together with guitarist Marc Catley for Plankton Records (the second, entitled The Off The End of the Pier Show, was released on CD in 1991). All nine tracks from In Difference were included on the CD compilation Fine Difference, alongside four tracks from Geoff Mann’s independent cassette only release Chants Would be a Fine Thing originally released in 1984 (tracks 2, 14, 15 and 17), three tracks from Marc Catley’s four-track EP The Peel Tower Hop (tracks 1, 3 and 13 – “Weep for the City” is the title of a book by Rev. Colin), as well as “Hosea” (track 16) from the seven-track mini album This is the Birth of Classical Acoustic Rock released on Plankton Records.

Marc Catley walked into the Cross Rhythms Festival catering tent, smiled ingenuously at the lady selling the tea and began to unload his immense merchandise bag… Marc, of course, is known for his intelligent acoustic based (dare I say it?) New Age or instrumen­tal music on ‘The Off the End of the Pier Show‘ which is currently making inroads into both secular and European markets and for his gently biting, subtly ascerbic satirical songs, as on his recent and entirely excellent ‘Make The Tea’. This album is however a CD reissue of much of his and Geoff’s back catalogue. Marc’s songs feature a voice which is the perfect vehi­cle for ‘Make The Tea’ but which is less confident and ultimately un-satisfying to this listener. Lyrically the songs are a delight. Musically, Marc’s songs are as intelligently arranged and impeccably performed as ever. And so to Geoff’s half. Geoff Mann walked into a bar. Ouch, it was a metal bar. Geoff, formerly with prog rockers Twelfth Night and doyen of Reading Fes­tival and the Marquee, has a very distinctive vocal not to everyone’s taste. But I like it. His lyrics leap out and poke you in the eye. This is an experimental album, ranging from folk songs, «All Along The Way», to weird a cappella; «One Of The Green Things» is reminiscent of Todd Rundgren’s «Born To Synthesize». As with any such album, particularly when it runs to 75 minutes, there are gems and base earth here, but the gems make it more than worthwile. A million miles from ‘Praise Him On The Jews Harp Vol. 27’. [Jonathan Day, Cross Rhythms, October 1992]

> iTunes (https://music.apple.com/us/album/fine-difference/266043028)

CD tracklist:

01. We Are One – 2:46
02. One Of The Green Things – 1:36
03. Keep On – 2:13
04. The Calling – 4:05
05. Love Is The Only Way – 5:39
06. This Time – 5:29
07. Freedom – 7:08
08. Closer To You – 5:09
09. True Riches – 6:05
10. The War Is Won – 5:08
11. Growth – 4:05
12. All Along The Way – 6:32
13. Weep For The City – 4:25
14. Theospeak – 2:35
15. Somewhere Here – 5:57
16. Hosea – 5:08
17. Hello – 1:08