REAL LIVE!
Just A Minute Records
If the question came up, "Who is the most underrated rock guitarist of all-time?" My answer would certainly be Frank Marino. Not only I, but also guitar legends such as Zakk Wylde, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman, and Steve Lukather apparently feel the same way about the underground success of Frank Marino and his vital influence on heavy guitar rock. Frank Marino stormed into the Montreal rock scene at the age of sixteen with his band, Mahogany Rush, releasing their debut album Maxoom in 1971. From that day forward, Frank Marino inspired and overawed millions of young fledging guitarists and stunned audiences worldwide with his high-intensity rock'n'roll extravaganza. After a short-term retirement from '93 - '97, Frank got the rock'n'roll itch once again and headed out for the road and back into the studio to record the self-released masterpiece Eye Of The Storm. That brings us to the new millennium, on September 8, 2001 Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush performed the ultimate jam session at Club Soda in Montreal which consequently ended up as the RealLIVE! double-CD package which was released in November 2004. And it doesn't get more real-live than this! Unlike Frank's previous live recordings that contained his popular anthems and renditions of his trademark classics such as "Purple Haze" and "Johnny B. Goode," RealLIVE! is nothing more than a spontaneous kick-ass rock'n'roll jam session. This is something few musicians would be able to pull off, only a musician of Frank's caliber can not only pull this off but keep the listener wanting more after two-and-a-half hours of explosive unadulterated jamming! [Their shows are actually three-and-a-half hours long]. I wouldn't say this double-live CD shows a more mature side of Frank Marino (I hate using that term when it comes to rock'n'roll) but it certainly shows a much more diverse approach blending Frank's traditional heavy blues-based guitar-rock with jazz/fusion, soul, and classic metal. Included on disc one are some great modern renditions of the old Hendrix classics "Voodoo Chile" and "Red House" as well as an incredible musical composition intertwining The Zombies "She's Not There" with Cream's "Crossroads" (a brilliant transition!) embodied by the intro/outro "Poppy". Incredible musical spontaneity...it's like one continuous, mesmerizing jam. Disc two features 21 consecutive guitar jams highlighted by a double-dose of "Strange Universe" as well as other fan favorites like an excerpt of the rip-roaring speed-metal guitar instrumental "Ain't Dead Yet" which leads into "Slippin' And Sliden'," an awe-inspiring instrumental that will leave you pondering how in the hell Frank plays that without using a slide...pure genius! Also, one must give props to the Mahogany Rush--Drummer Josh Trager, bassist Peter Dowse, and rhythm guitarist Mike Layne provide the ultimate rhythmic backbone when needed but also know when to lay low in a jazzy environ in order to give Frank the open space and allow him to just tear it up on the guitar! It's literally been years since I've heard a kick-ass live rock album like this. This is a real treat - a must-buy for any fan of guitar rock! For a more in-depth look into RealLIVE! check out the Frank Marino interview in the last installment of Shockwaves interviews and for current updates and tour info be sure to check out the band website at: www.mahoganyrush.com (please don't make the unfortunate mistake I did by typing in Frank Marino dot com...this is an entirely different site and an entirely different Frank Marino!)
Shockwaves CD REVIEWS ISSUE 11 Page 9