THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: mahogany rush

MAHOGANY RUSH – IV

June 19, 2021 /

This is the album where the hippy psychedelic leanings of Frank’s music started to give way to the more guitar hero rocker tunes. This also coincided with being the first recording for his new label CBS. Ironically, Frank would be battling with them for the entire length of his contract. This would also be the last Mahogany Rush record, as Frank Marino would be in front hereafter. A very underrated artist, not just as a guitar player, but as a songwriter as well and all the tunes are self penned.

Opening track, I’m Going Away, is a reminder of the psych leanings of Frank’s early music and is a great tune. The funky vibes of Man At The Back Door is next up, and has some really cool tones from his guitar. Live favourite, The Answer, follows and has a very Hendrix groove and riff and the middle section is killer – Frank lets rip with some spacey solo. Jive Baby is a great step away from the norm with a jazz/funk vibe and groove. Side 1 closes out with Its Begun To Rain, and the late sixties love and peace vibe is alive and well.

Side 2 opens with Dragonfly and you will not hear a better riff and groove. I love everything about this track – the spacey solo is just the cherry on the top. Little Sexy Annie is a sped up beast of a tune with a great riff and melody line, and some ripping guitar to blow your blues away. The very weird, Moonwalk, follows and after the intro the track goes into Mahavishnu territory as Frank’s shows his chops. The album closes with IV The Emperor and is an epic spaced out psych fest with lots of guitar. A great and enjoyable record.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

FRANK MARINO & MAHOGANY RUSH – Live

February 20, 2021 /

One of the greatest guitarists of his generation! Unfortunately, his name rarely gets mentioned in top guitar polls. Up until the early eighties, Frank was acknowledged as one of the best around, but then as the music scene changed, Frank disappeared off the radar completely only to reappear in the early 2000’s.

I was lucky to catch Frank live a couple of times in his prime, and it was a sight to see. He played the Port Vale Heavy Metal Holocaust, and the crowd were just mesmerized at his virtuosity. This live album from ’77 was my introduction to Marino’s amazing skills. This album is wall-to-wall guitar from beginning to end, with no let up. If like me, you love all things guitar, then you should locate and acquire a copy immediately.

The album starts with a cool instrumental introduction, and then it’s straight into guitar heaven with The Answer. We won’t talk about how much Frank sounds like Hendrix vocally, as that has been well documented, but his playing is off the charts. Next song in is Dragonfly – with its cool funky riff with a touch of echo and chorus for a great effect. And of course there’s a killer solo! Two old blues standards are next with I’m A King Bee Baby, and Back Door Man, which Frank just annihilates with some incredible playing. A New Rock & Roll closes Side 1 in style with more incredible playing, it just doesn’t let up, killer tune.

I remember seeing a picture of Frank’s peddle board around this time, and it was so huge it looked as though every peddle from a music store was on there. Over to Side 2 we go, and the Chuck Berry classic Johnny B Goode is turned inside out, ripped apart, and put back together again with the obligatory killer guitar. Then it’s onto the absolute showpiece of Frank’s set at this time: Talkin Bout A Feelin, Who Do Ya Love, and Electric Reflections Of War. They were all played together as one big piece culminating in the dive bomb piece at the end. You will not hear guitar played better for the period anywhere. This is different level playing. The funky playing at the beginning of Who Do You Love is just awesome and then it just explodes. The album closes out with Purple Haze, a great rendition, with again, killer guitar.

So that’s it, a truly freaking awesome guitar album that, if you have a remote interest in guitar playing or players, then you should own this.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

MAHOGANY RUSH – Strange Universe

January 14, 2021 /

This is the 3rd album by Mahogany Rush, and the last before they were to be known as Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush. This is also the last as a three piece, as Frank’s brother Vince would be added to the line up.

Hailing from Montreal, and being on the local Kotai label, their last before signing his soul away to CBS (something that would annoy Frank right up until the present day). This album is probably the point where the band changed from being a sixties psychedelic influenced band, into a more hard rockin’ affair – as it’s split about 50/50 between the two. Make no mistake though, this is all about Frank and the amazing player he is. Everyone is probably aware of the press about him being the reincarnation of Jimi Hendrix after a bad acid trip which put him in hospital. If you can try and ignore that and concentrate on Frank the amazing musician, we can get started, even though vocally at times he is a dead ringer for Hendrix, check out The King Who Stole The Universe.

Tales Of The Spanish Warrior gets things underway in great style with an up tempo groover with some killer Frank guitar. Land Of A 1000 Nights has a spacey theme and vibe going on, and is rescued again by killer playing. Last song of the first side is Moonlight Lady, and it has that late sixties hippy feel to it. Opening up Side 2 is Dancing Lady, a typical sounding funky groove of the period. The almost jazz groover, Dance, follows with Frank showing his virtuosity with differing styles, and annoyingly the fade out kicks in just as Frank is getting started. The last 3 tracks are basically more of the same, with Strange Universe the title track having Corky Laing on drums.

There are hints of what would come later on here, but although enjoyable, it’s not an essential purchase.

6/10 from The Grooveman.

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