The album contained 8 tracks. The first was Satisfied, which I have to admit has a tinge of American / Mexican about it. Sounds said it "switches pace several times although the playing is always punchy and direct". The changes are held together by the fluid vocal line, and the guitar break at the end tears away from the rest of the song in high-octane fashion.
Bad Blood is a mix of soul and rock and roll that I think doesn't quite come off. Melody Maker thought that both Bad Blood and Can't Keep a Good Man Down had echoes of Bob Seger. Sounds thought Bad Blood "is one Stevie Wonder wouldn't sniff at, white soul that stems as much from the hips as from the head". However, they also highlighted a criticism that was echoed in some other papers. "But the gutsy swing is occasionally blunted by an emery cloth production that rounds off too many of the hard edges, a fault that crops up more seriously on some of the other songs". Sounds went further and said that it turns "It's Not Called Angel" into a West Coast ballad looking for AM airplay when Miles' voice would sound better in a sparser arrangement. Continuing this theme Sounds added "The same for Fella In The Cellar and We All Fall Down - Alan Parson's production tends to overlay an atmosphere instead of bringing out the quality of Miles' band". I think the writer was indicating that the kind of production afforded to his debut album was perhaps now not appropriate as JM now had a tight, competent band.
Before there is a riot amongst Alan Parsons fans, Susan Hill of Melody Maker said "The harmonies and double tracking are excellent and, although some of the anthems have routine, dramatic changes, the arrangements are on the whole effectively complicated". Her reviews of "Fella In The Cellar" and "We all Fall Down" were also kinder. She wrote "Fella in the Cellar" is a thoughtful metropolitan ballad with a series of sharp tempo changes owing everything to Jim Webb (who?) with Beatleish lyrics. "We All Fall Down" has some wonderful flashy lead guitar, especially on the play out, a hurdy gurdy middle movement and is again, McCartney-esque nostalgia.
I remember these two tracks vividly in concert. "We All Fall Down" was the track that opened the show following on from the silhouette of the Concorde landing and all the lights and dry ice effects. Stunning!! I remember "Fella In The Cellar" as JM played this up on a platform with a silhouette of a window behind him.
The second single to be released in the UK was "Oh Dear", which Melody Maker described as "a charming little love song that the Brothers Gibb (Bee Gees) would be happy to claim". The B side was the rocky singalong "C'est La Vie". Melody Maker also liked this track, calling it "the most successfully raunchy track - exuberant, brassy and irresistibly repetitive".
Stephen Carson

MMPH was the second JM record I bought following my re-introduction to him about six months ago, the first being Transition. Having been brought up on Music, then Stranger in the City and Zaragon, MMPH was a bit of a shock.
The first track, Satisfied, is not a good one to start an album with. I find it too staccato, with an irritating tinkling piano, and a folksy guitar. The lyrics too do nothing to help.
It's Not Called Angel makes up for the album's initial disappointment. I really go for melody, with meaningful lyrics. This one fits the bill. The guitar, although rather short, is just right, complementing the string backing. Just up my street.
Bad Blood is an interesting mixture of styles, with lyrics to suit. Not another of my favourites.
I find Fella in the Cellar superb. The melody and arrangement are quite moving, again the string backing is just right, as is the piano. Have you really listened to the words? Some might complain about the length, but it is no problem to me.
Can't keep A Good Man Down has an excellent introduction. Up loud the timbre of the guitar really bites all the way through. Not one for the neighbours.
Oh Dear!, another track full of meaning and melody. The vocal harmonies here really blend with the backing strings, giving a very lush sound. Excellent.
C'est La Vie has nothing special to commend it. OK, but that is all.
The intro to We All Fall Down must be an indication of JMs later involvement with Night of the Proms. The way it leads into the guitar, and then the vocals and bass track is first class. There are great similarities with some of the Madness tracks. I like it.
To give four favourites in order, these must be:

1: Fella in the Cellar
2: It's Not Called Angel
3: Can't Keep A Good Man Down
4: Oh Dear
John Webster

1. "We All Fall Down" pulls me in everytime. I like the elaborate arrangement, but what I end up remembering is the great vocal with the descending violin in the background, along with such impressive guitar work at the end. I'm a Queen admirer, but I believe John leaves them in the dust on this one.
2. "Fella in the Cellar" This track has such a wonderful entry. The beautiful piano and moving vocal lull us with its appeal into another pleasant surprise - wild arrangement of vocals and all out guitar. I think this track is absolutely schizophrenic. You get the idea it's an important piece of music. I love it.
3. "C'est La Vie" has got to be one of the simplist tracks on this album, but what a rocking song it turns out to be. It seems to me to have a devil-may-care air to it that John has some fun with - kind of an old fashioned rock that I appreciate the minute I hear the opening notes.
4. "Satisfied" really appeals to me with it pompous beginnings, leading into a really rousing rock. Not a complicated arrangement and maybe the least important song on the album, but it has a joy about it that appeals to me. I think he may be playing a small joke on us with the un-John-like piano and guitar stuff (which remind me of some US artists I've been fond of) and I don't mind if he is. (I'll probably be drummed out of the corps for this selection, and I would almost place a bet (Reno coming out here) that mine will be the only vote for this when Sephen does his tally!)
"Oh Dear" is such a pretty ballad, I regret not including it!
Jean Hickman

I vividly remember getting the MMPH album, playing it and thinking that it was an excellent album, with some brilliant guitar work (always one of my key criteria!). I was also pleased with the line-up, as I knew that if JM wasn't doing all the keyboards himself (as on Zaragon) that Brian Chatton was my next choice. I saw JM twice during the time of this album - the first time was at an open-air event in Wolverhampton: the tickets featured an excellent b/w photo of JM with a lovely tiger-stripe Les Paul guitar, which I shall scan and email out just as soon as I rediscover my ticket scrapbook (it seems to have managed to hide itself, probably in the garage from when we moved...). As I recall, the event was a mini-festival and JM was headlining. The other acts were utterly useless, and barely worth looking at, let alone listening to! But when JM turned up, it was a whole different ball-game. He even commented during the gig "Not bad for ..." - however much the ticket cost (I don't recall now) - which was very true! I remember that he did Overture as well as Remember Yesterday, Music, Slow Down, Stand Up And Give Me A Reason - but because I didn't have the MMPH album at that time, I didn't recognise those songs. I saw him again several months afterwards when he played Aston University. It was their most successful gig (Aston's - not JM!) and was totally packed out, and I remember them using a tight follow spotlight on JMs guitar whenever he did solos! Again, the show was brilliant, and was set against the aircraft theme used during the MMPH tour (ie. welcoming us onboard the flight at the start and that sort of thing!).
Anyway, on to the album, lest I bore you! My favourite track has to be We All Fall Down. I heard this on the BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show, prior to the album's release, and the DJ Tommy Vance raved about it - I still do. It has everything - a lovely build up at the start, catchy guitar riff, with nice harmony guitars, followed by very atmospheric wah-wah bass (not something that Bob Marshall did very often, but very effective here!). I also like the sleigh bells - it makes a welcome change to the usual tambourine or cymbals! The lyric is great, as are the orchestration and the cascading keyboard after the lyric "...We all fall down...". As you'll no doubt guess, the utter clincher for me is the final lead guitar - it's a lovely killer melodic solo. JM is using a less aggressive sound on his Les Paul (I always play it with both pickups on, as that seems to give the right sound - what do the other musos think?) as compared to the sharp bridge pickup sound at the beginning. The melody is an excellent one - it's very lyrical, and a solo I sat and learnt, and play frequently even now!
My second favourite has to be Fella In The Cellar. There is excellent light and shade in this track - the orchestra works very well on it as well, but again, the guitar wins through for me. The lead break is sharper (soundwise) than We All Fall Down, and more of a rocky feel with loads of bent notes. This demonstrates JMs mastery of guitar styles and feels - well, actually the whole album does! I haven't got a clue about the lyric: could someone ask Bob what the story is for this (and actually there are loads of their tracks I'd love an insight into the lyrical content: should we make a list?!) as it has some excellent imagery, and of course the light and shade with JMs vocal - gentle for some parts and rock hard in others! But the JM does that better than anyone I know - and if anyone has any doubts, just listen to Stereotomy and La Sagrada Familia on the relevant APP albums, plus of course Nice Man Jack from Zaragon, possibly the ultimate at each extreme!
Third has to be Can't Keep A Good Man Down for me. I used to think of this song whenever things were going tough for me, and things wouldn't seem quite so bad! The guitar is hard edged and aggressive, but one of the most important components to the song is the cow bell played by Barry Black, along with the rest of the drums: it really adds poke to the drumming. I remember when I was at teacher training college in Cambridge, they had a music department in a separate old house, which had a cellar. An American student had bought a Marshall 100W valve amp with 4 x 12 angled cabinet (sorry if this doesn't anything to a lot of you - it's just a big, loud, classic valve amplifier and speaker setup!) which lived in this cellar. I was the only science student who was given full access to the music facilities, due to an amazing series of coincidences which I won't go into now! So I used to go and with the American student's permission play my Les Paul copy (I didn't have a real one at that time, alas!) through this amazing amp setup. Another friend was a very gifted drummer - he actually accompanied me when I did a performance of Nice Man Jack - and we used to jam away down in this cellar. I remember he started playing a beat with his cow bell included, and straight away I knew I had to play Can't Keep A Good Man Down! It sounded great, and my ears rang for ages afterwards, as we were playing very loud!!!
Finally, my fourth track has to be Satisfied: what an opener! Brian Chatton's rippling piano shows just how good a player he is, as if anyone had any doubts! The opening guitar riff is great, and then the phased guitar against the lyric for the verse is just so atmospheric! I still play this bit anytime I put a phased sound on my Les Paul - I just can't help it! I love the lead breaks at the last part of the song - you really need to listen to it on headphones to hear how the solo splits into two complementary solos at each extreme (left and right) - it's an excellent country-rock feel solo, complete with JMs "yee-hah" which I think adds to the "feel".
I haven't picked any ballads, because I always prefer rockier tracks dripping with lead guitar, but I have to admit that I don't feel there are particularly any weak tracks on this album. I like the dreamy feel of Oh Dear and also the duelling keyboard and guitar solos at the end of Bad Blood. It's definitely an excellent album, and another I'd like to have all of on CD - I'd guess everyone wants We All Fall Down and/or Fella In The Cellar?!
Bimal Jangra

I am sure I have done MMPH, but time is pressing so The top 4
1 Fella in the Cellar
2 Can't keep a Good Man Down
3 We All Fall Down
4 It's not called Angel
Richard Townsend

Having taken note of John's comments a couple of days ago regarding past album reviews, I've put my bunch together. As there are so many I haven't commented on the individual tracks (I'd be at it for hours), so with no further ado the run down is as follows:-
1) Oh Dear
2) It's Not Called Angel
3) Fella in the Cellar
4) Satisfied
Zoë Pinchin

1) Fella in the Cellar
2) C'est La Vie
3) It's Not Called Angel
4) Satsfied
Chris Greenwood

This was OK I recall when I first heard it but did not have anything like the staying power of the previous 3. JM went too MOR for me at this point. I would have been very happy for another Zaragon or SITC, but 'twas not to be. I do not really have many strong favourites on this album so in a similar sense to Zaragon, tricky to choose one against the other, and it may change on next listening, dependant on whether the sun is shining or not, happy, sad, etc......
1) We All Fall Down
2) Fella in the Cellar
3) Satisfied
4) It's Not Called Angel
Neil Martlan

1) Fella in the Cellar
2) Bad Blood
3) We All Fall Down
4) Oh Dear
Malcolm Leeves