Mandu: To The Shores Of His Heaven (1974)

Here's a rare album if I've ever seen one. A couple of weeks ago I was digging through some crates at a flea market in Melbourne and stumbled across a copy of this 70's epic. Not cheap though! It's the only time I had ever sighted this LP on vinyl so I had to grab it straight away. I did bargain with the seller and he was nice enough to throw in Larry Coryell and Bob James LPs  as part of the deal. Mandu (apparently it's pronounced Marn-doo as there is an accent on the "a") was a singer-songwriter who appeared as a guest vocalist on a couple of Lobby Lloyd LPs before recording his sole opus, the almighty To The Shores Of His Heaven. Mandu came down to Melbourne from his native Queensland (can you imagine what cultural wasteland QLD would have been in the 70's?) in order to score a recording deal. The LP is an infectious funk-folk epic with hints of Tim Buckley and Terry Reid. Those familiar with the "River" LP will understand. Aztec records, the Melbourne based reissue label who reissued this a couple of years ago on CD, describe it blessed with the same tones gracing Astral Weeks, the Van Morisson masterpiece. The opening cut, the eponymous track is one of the most impressive opening songs I have heard. This LP is great and a welcome addition in my collection of Australian rarities.