The Best of Mark-Almond Review

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The Best of Mark-Almond ReviewNo one had ever heard anything like Mark Almond when MA No. 1 appeared sometime in 1971. "The Ghetto" was this amazing vocal bombast steeped in deep gospel with a searing saxophone solo stuck in the cracks, and "The City" began as some samba-ish lament that evolved into a ecstatic piano and saxophone duet, then faded off into an electric and acoustic guitar jam.. for 13 minutes! Mark-Almond 2 was probably as responsible as anything for the influx of people into San Francisco and the Bay Area in the mid to late 70s: certainly most of us had heard "The Sausalito Bay Suite" under the influence of one thing or another and decided then and there to go "down by the bay/the seagulls play/in circles...". Now that those decades are behind me, as well as my days as a San Franciscan, I still find the best memento is Mark Almond 2. It captures a Californian and world-weary sensibility tinged with existential melancholy that one only gets living by the Golden Gate in the pre dot.com era.
As for the rest here, well, Mark-Almond took a creative nosedive after albums One and Two, and it is evident here. Why the dumbest dingbat at Rhino decided to include "Get Yourself Together" on this set eludes me; it's wholly embarrassing.
Nevertheless, the price is justified by the inclusion of "The City" and "The Ghetto". Incredible stuff that dates very well.The Best of Mark-Almond OverviewThe Best of Mark-Almond is a compelling retrospectiveof the band's most inventive and best-loved songs. We all know thedistinctive sound this innovative English band was exploring in the late60s and early 70s, carving out a niche in the unchartered territory betweenrock and jazz. Although the saxophone was rarely heard in pop music at thattime, the smoky, melancholy tones of reedman Johnny Almond were an integralpart of the group's sound. Characterized by an innovative blend of blueslicks, jazz riffs, Latin beats, and rock sensibilities, and in counterpointto the screaming guitar licks of his contemporaries, Jon Mark, the composerand band leader, lingered over subtle, melodic lines with a unique sense ofwarmth and intimacy. The resulting sound captured the attention ofrespected jazzman, Dannie Richmond. The American drummer took a leave ofabsence from a steady gig with Charles Mingus to tour and record withMark-Almond.On The Best of Mark-Almond, the group's earlyexplorations of Latin/jazz/rock fusion are balanced by pensive, spatiallyoriented ballads. The City, one of Mark-Almond's earliest hits, isstill a classic of smoldering intensity. The Sausalito Bay Suite,ventures into imaginative montages of sound and emotion, while theimpressionistic tunes like Tuesday In New York, and One WaySunday, softly whisper lyrics with an innate sense of drama and a defttwist of phrase. The elements add up to a release that is a pleasure tolisten to, at the same time illustrating Mark-Almond's status as one of themost innovative bands in the history of jazz-rock fusion.

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