Customer Reviews

Best of Mark-Almond

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

No 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 Mark-Almond Band produced a sound that was not exactly progressive rock, sophisticated jazz-pop, or folk, but a masterful and seamless blend of these styles. I daresay even a die-hard "alternative" fan who might dismiss this as boring old "hippie" music could listen to a song like "Tramp And The Young Girl", and hear seminal echoes of Tinderbox or the Eels in its dark, haunting and morose beauty. "The Ghetto" and "The City" are worth the price of this CD alone, with thier compelling acoustic jazz grooves and hypnotic vocals. If you follow electic artists like John Martyn, or of more recent vintage, Beth Orton, then you'll love this stuff. [edit]

TRACKS: The City / Tramp and the Young Girl / One Way Sunday / The Ghetto / Song for You / Friends / Solitude.

Yes, this CD has several great tracks such as The Ghetto & The City, etc. But imagine my disapointment when I found that the very best song/medly on the original release of The Best Of Mark Almond...was missing. That would be the medley New York State of Mind/Return to the City. This medley was worth the price of the CD. So I have to give it only 2 stars for stupidity in the compilation of the re-release.

Over 30 years ago I remembered enjoying listening to Mark Almond. The song "One Way Sunday" I always found to be haunting. I could see myself driving somewhere along US-395 in Eastern California, late at night, the only light on the road being my headlights and the stars above, and hearing this song playing on my car's sound system. I seem to be one of a small number of fans of Mark Almond, and so in this age of CD's I was having great difficulty in finding any compilations, so I was very pleased to be able to purchase this CD on Amazon and have enjoyed listening to it ever since it arrived.

This is truly the best of Mark-Almond. I remember first hearing them in the 1970's and feeling "mellow" as I listened to them. I don't know what became of my old Mark-Almond album, but I sure missed it. With this CD, not only do I get to listen to the music I was already familiar with, but I was able to hear music I had never heard before. And I was very pleased. This is one of the best purchases I have made in a long time. Even my teenagers like it. How weird is that? I highly recommend this CD. It's got a soft jazzy feel to it. I can only imagine walking into a small smoke filled club and Mark-Almond is playing live. Great sounds. Know what I mean?

I found this disc to be a real "find" for my music collection. I never realised the background of these musicians before I heard this disc. A fine blend of jazz, both traditional and New Age, and the roots of Progressive Rock. There are some "less desirable" cuts, but overall, just plain fun for some of we "older" people to enjoy.

I have had their albums for years I so glad that they finally released the cd I first heard them on an album by John Mayall Turning Point. They were great then but their own albums are a very jazz and rock blend they are very good musicians I have enjoyed their music for years. One track I really like is called the City they have a few different version of this track on most of their albums.

this is a good cd. marc almond's is unique. it is a rock-jazz combo.the ghetto,the city,and new york state of mind are the best songs.what am i living for is a classic. marc has an ability for rock and beautiful music. sometimes in the same song. the city is an example of this. it starts out slow then rocks then slow. the slow parts are really pretty with piano and saxophone. i recommend this cd for a marc almond fan or music lover in general.

THIS IS A KEEPER. AM LOOKING FOR MARK-ALMOND 2 ON CD OR CASSETTTE. ANYBODY HAVE ONE OR KNOW WHERE I CAN GET IT? PHONE# (423) 982-4461 or (423) 983-3380