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Marino, Frank & Mahogany Rush: Real Live

Editors Note: Every once in a while we are honored to receive a CD review from a special guest, and in this case guitarist Rick Ray gives us his take on the brand new release from legendary axe-slinger Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush

Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush, as of October 2004, have released a live album called 'Real Live' recorded in Montreal. This is Frank's best work to date, and he does have a lot of albums under his belt. On this album, Frank, without a record executive breathing down his neck saying, "edit those songs down to a respectable time", has released an album of REAL jamming. You look up the word jam in the dictionary and there is no description of the word, just a picture of Frank Marino.

You get here two full CD's of some of the most psychedelic guitarwork ever released. From hypnotic, spacey segments to full out, "hang- on- to- your -chair" jamming that just does not end. There's a great selection of songs included here that spans a 30 year time frame. Some highlights include a blazing, on- fire version of 'He's Calling' originally released on Eye Of The Storm. The intensity of this piece is enough to power a medium sized nation. The song 'Strange Universe' will make your head spin. There's also a unique and very "Frank" version of 'Red House'- the only thing Mr. Hendrix had to do with this version is the words as it heads into the jazz realm. Everything from hard rock to blues, from jazz to progressive rock, but no matter what Frank is playing, it is jamming to the fullest meaning of the word. This album goes from beautiful simple guitar pieces to some unbelievably complex works. This is by far the best band Mr. Marino has ever put together with long time bassist Peter Dowse, Mick Lane on rhythm guitar and Josh Trager on drums. Considered by many to be the greatest guitarist that has ever picked the instrument up, this album is proof that that statement is a fact. Phenomenal.

Comes with a 16 page booklet also...very cool!

Track List
CD #1
1)Voodoo Chile
2)...Something's Comin' Our Way (excerpt)
3)He's Calling
4)Red House
5)Guitar Prelude To A Hero
6)...Stories Of A Hero
7)Poppy
8)...She's Not There
9)...Crossroads
10)...She's Not There (return)
11)...Poppy (return)


CD#2
1)Let There Be....
2)...Strange Universe
3)...Ode To Creation
4)...Strange Universe
5)Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame
6)...Ain't Dead Yet (excerpt)
7)...Slippin' and Slidin'
8)...Back To The Hall
9)...Two And Four (Just Joshin')
10)Avalon
11)...Rumble And Roll (For Pete's Sake)
12)...Jazzed A Moment
13)...Tales Of The Unexpected
14)...Return To Avalon
15)Rattle Of Sabres
16)...Electric Reflections Of War
17)...Aftermath
18)...The World Anthem
19)...A Prayer For Peace
20)Somewhere Over The Rainbow
21)Try For Freedom

Added: October 18th 2004
Reviewer: Rick Ray
Score:
Related Link: Official Website
Hits: 14428
Language: english

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Marino, Frank & Mahogany Rush: Real Live
Posted by Pete Pardo, SoT Staff Writer on 2004-12-18 07:44:46
My Score:

There are legends....and then there are legends. Frank Marino is one of those musicians who has quietly amassed a stellar collection of material since his appearance on the scene in the mid-70's while in his teenage years. Whether you call is hard rock, psychedelic rock, progressive, jazz, or blues, the end result is always the same-fiery music that reeks of quality and virtuosity.

This latest 2 CD set from Marino and his band Mahogany Rush is over 2 hours of amazing guitar explorations played with conviction, passion, and a sense of melody that few other musicians on the planet could even think to muster. Call it the ultimate excess in extended guitar jams, or call it the most creative merging of jazz, prog, hard rock and blues. Either way, this is a perfect example of a seasoned guitarist who is perfectly accepting of his place in today's scene as well as his status in the history of rock music.

Real Live contains many of Frank's signature tunes from throughout his career, like the jazzy instrumental "Poppy", "Strange Universe", "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame", the majestic "Tales of The Unexpected", the sonic guitar explorations of "Electric Reflections of War", and "The World Anthem". However, the real treat is to hear songs like "Stories of a Hero", one of Marino's most underrated 80's cuts, given a royal treatment here with passionate vocals and ripping guitar work. Also, the tunes he covers from his recent album Eye of the Storm are played with more fire than the studio versions, examples being the metallic "He's Calling" or the challenging "Avalon".

If you are a fan of masterful guitar playing, this might be the opus that needs to be in your collection to sit besides The Allman Brothers At the Fillmore, Hendrix's Band of Gypsies or Creem's Live Cream as one of the ultimate live guitar albums. Run out and grab this wonderful piece of history-it's that good folks!



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