The 1972 album that destroyed Bread and almost took soft rock down with it: “It was done”Aside from having one of the worst names in music history, when it comes to soft rock, Bread were the best thing since sliced veg. From sound to sensibility, they were ‘soft rock’ personified, and they tirelessly helped to launch the genre ever since forming in 1968. Their debut had been released in September 1969, world tours followed, and by the time that the autumn of 1972 arrived, they were already onto their fifth album, Guitar Man. So, when they started to cut Guitar Man, Gates knew seven months wasn’t enough. While Guitar Man might have risen to an impressive 18th, it still represented a 15-position slide from the high of Baby.