Kevin Ayers doesn’t dress like a flashy English pop star, and his blond page-boy haircut probably could be styled a bit better. Nevertheless, when confronted with his astounding physical presence, even the most jaded reporter is struck dumb.

He stands six feet tall and possesses a stunning set of penetrating green eyes. No photo does him the proper justice. He has a reputation as a lady killer, and as an eccentric decadent who would rather lie around and drink white wine in the south of France than make records.

But he’s been involved with rock ‘n’ roll for the past ten years—first as a member of The Soft Machine in the late 1960’s—and has recorded seven solo albums (most of which were released only in England).

Widely regarded as one of rock’s more avant-garde, eclectic English musicians, Kevin’s work combines the very best of melody and drama. Because of personal problems, his career has been somewhat erratic— he’s performed only in Europe—but now, with the release of his new LP Yes We Have No Mananas on ABC Records in America, Kevin seems ready to let people see him here.