Customer Reviews

Weary & Wired

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having been a huge Black Crowes fan for nearly two decades, I have long admired Marc's work as a guitarist. But he is far more than just a great guitar player!! And this album reaffirms what us Marc Ford fans already know: He's a great singer/songwriter!! This album has some of the catchiest melodies, lyrics and riffs that you'll ever hear. And Marc has an uncanny ability to pay tribute to his influences (Neil Young, Jeff Beck, Dylan, Duane Allman, Clapton) yet make a sound that is uniquely Marc Ford. There really isn't a bad song on the album. Marc's previous album (It's About Time...another classic) is more country/rockabilly, but this is straightforward rock and blues. Excellent guitar tone and sound throughout with great lyrics and vocals to match. Songs such as "Dirty Girl", "Don't Come Around", "It'll Be Over Soon", "Currents", "Smoke Signals" will have you playing this CD over and over again. Why this guy doesn't have major record labels fighting over him is beyond me.

Very solid, I will say excellent record by Marc Ford. Better then his first solo CD "It's about time" that I rate high too. In the best tradition of rock music the guitar work is where to look. From start to end Marc Ford plays his heart out - a very honest music. Highly recommended.

Marc Ford is an incredibly talented musician. This CD rips from the get-go! I could listen to the tones he gets for days, but his melodies are fantastic as well. Buy it and you won't be dissapointed. I just wish he could find a way to still make music with the Black Crowes.

I buy too many CDs, they're piling up everywhere. I keep coming back to this one, though. Marc Ford is a very fine guitar player. Every time I play this I'm impressed by his talent, and not just the solos, which are great by the way. Smoke Signals is probably my favorite song of the past couple years. AMAZING guitar on that song.
I try to be careful giving 5 stars; this one certainly deserves 4 to me.

weary and wired is a great album from marc ford if you are expecting tthis one to be like his first solo record it is nothing like it. this is a much better album than his first it is more of a gutair cd wich it should be be cause marc ford is a gutarest it is worth your time to listen to this album i give it 5 stars

Marc Ford has produced a gem for any guitar fan. After a quick breakup from the band he helped shape, the Black Crowes, Ford set out to make an album to show off his guitar chops, and he succeeds tremendously. This album focuses on his amazing guitar playing. You can tell Ford is playing with more confidence than his previous effort, "It's about time".

Ford wears his influences on his sleeve on this record, whether it's the Neil Young and Crazyhorse stomps of "Smoke Signals" to the Cream induced "1000 Ways" to the bluesed up Willie Dixon cover of "The Same Thing". Ford's guitar is the centerpiece throughout. Some of the standout tracks also include "Greazy Chicken" which is a four part instrumental with Ford jumping from standard guitar playing to slide playing. This song really shows how good he is at both. "Just take the money" is the one of the best pure rock songs I've heard in a while. If this song doesn't make you want to get up and start playing some air guitar you better check your pulse. "Currents" is the centerpiece of the album, a slow blues song with so much tension coming from Ford's guitar that you can feel the raw power coming from the speakers.

This album is a can't miss for any guitar player. If your a fan of the Black Crowes, Gov't Mule, The Allman Brothers or any band that is still rocking in the free world, pick up this album. Highly Recommended.

Most of the Reviewers so far came across Marc via the Black Crowes. I was fortunate to see Burning Tree on 2 tours in London in the late 80s early 90s and met up with the guys. I was a regular reader of Kerrang Magazine, and the reviews got me interested (A mix of Cream and Hendrix). Wow! something different from the Warrant's, Motley Crue's Guns N Roses etc which were filling Hard Rock Mags papers at the time. It was not that long after that Kerrang also raved about the Black Crowes. I caught the Black Crowes at the Marquee on their debut performance in London. This was obviously before Marc joined the band. They were OK, but I enjoyed the Tree much much more. When I first heard that Marc had joined the Crowes, I was a little disappointed really. Burning Tree were a real tight solid band who worked well together. I knew that Marc was always going to be in the background of the brothers Robinson in the same vein that Mick Taylor was with the Stones for example. There is no way that he would be able to take centre stage and sing one of his own compositions when Chris was around. The Black Crowes also were responsible for the break-up of another fave band of mine (Cry of Love) after they gained the services of Audley Freed, and now I here that Luther Dickinson fron the North Mississippi All Stars has joined the Fold. That means another great Blues Rock Band bites the dust. Marc's first album "Its about time" proves his versatility and that he is not afraid to tread new musical ground (i.e. Country Rock etc). "Weary and Wired" is just SO WELCOME in my book. I only got the CD very recently, and it really blows me away. It is so so reminiscent of Burning Tree at times, I really can't understand why the CD is credited solely to Marc. With Muddy and Doni back on board, it just seems so logical. Doni sang, in my opinion, the standout track on the Burning Tree debut (i.e. Bakers Song) and Muddy sang competantly on a few numbers on that disc too, but all tracks on Weary are down to Marc, though I can make out the backing vocals at times are from Doni and Muddy. There are female backing vocals at times too. Besides the Hendrix, Clapton, Young etc name-checks that have been mentioned, I will add some more that sprung to my mind (Doyle Bramhall, U2, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Lenny Kravitz and OF COURSE Cream).
Marc has also included the song "Bye Bye Suzy" which Burning Tree actually played on their London tours all those years ago. This never featured on their CD. As I listen to the CD via earphones, I would like to breakdown my thoughts on each track.
1.FEATHERWEIGHT DREAMLAND- A great Rocking starter - Very Burning Tree-ish and was reminded of the song Sting me (Black Crowes).

2.DON'T COME AROUND - One of my faves. Starts off with a Riff in the "Cat Squirrel" vein then gets into a nice bloozy feel.

3.IT'LL BE OVER SOON - A mid tempo'ed Rocker also not out of place on a Burning Tree disc. Reminded me a bit of U2's "Desire" meets Tom Petty

4. DIRTY GIRL - Another mid paced song in a Crazy Horse style (Neil Young that is)

5. THE OTHER SIDE - A nice slower number which got me reminiscing over early Hendrix

6.1000 WAYS - Well retro - Lovely Claptonish guitar here

7.SMOKE SIGNALS - Another catchy number reminding me again of Classic era Electric Neil Young. Lovely backing vocals too.

8.GREAZY CHICKEN - Instrumental track -Dirty groovy guitar circa Doyle Bramhall II (Welcome era) and featuring Horns. Smoking lead here too

9.CURRENTS - Without doubt, my fave track on the CD. A beautiful slow number here. Immediately reminded me of the Chris Issak song "Wicked game". The harmonies are glorious.

10.JUST TAKE THE MONEY - Another catchy Rocker. Starts off in a "Goin down" kinda groove.Dont really know if its about the Crowes, as others have reported, and dont really care. Great song is all I ask of.

11.MEDICINE TIME - A Funkyish number in a Lenny Kravitz type groove

12.SAME THING - As a big Blues fan, this one really smoked me. What feel!!
Lovely guitar, and arranged Marc Ford Way. HOT!!

13.RUNNING MAN BLUES - Another rocker that reeks Burning Tree again.

14.BYE BYE SUZY - As I have mentioned, this song must be around 20 years old. Starts off with the Chuck Berry riff for Bye Bye Johnny and the rest is history.

15. THE BIG CALLBACK - Another instrumental jazzy track featuring plenty of horns (Trumpet?!?) and as I am not really into Jazz, my least favourite track. At least its the last track, so there will be no skipping in the process.

There you go. Another reviewer goes on about Marc being in the top 7 guitarists. Sorry, that is a bit far fetched. He is a great guitarist, writer and singer though, and if I was to put him in a category, I would put him in the company of Doyle Bramhall II (Especially for versality) Ian Moore, Chris Duarte (You know wher I'm coming from)

One things for sure though. If Marc (AND Burning Tree) decide to tour Europe again, I'll be there - DEFINITELY.

Overall an excellent effort with surprisingly good production. Always a huge Marc Ford fan, particularly with the Black Crowes. After his recent hasty departure from the band, and reuniting with Burning Tree, I wasn't sure what to expect from this effort. Overall, I enjoy nearly all tracks, in particular 1000 Ways, Dirty Girl, Other Side, Currents. The 2 instrumentals Greasy Chicken & Big Call Back are funky and well recieved.

Bravo Marc...you are the man!

Several years after the magnificent It's About Time, this album is unfortunately a letdown. Marc chooses to move away from the songwriting and positive energy that filled It's About Time to more soloing and a heavier/muddier sound. The songs on It's About Time were reflective and/or positive, but here we get mostly simple, negative rock lyrics. Some of the songs don't seem finished or well written enough either, as if they're just an excuse to jam. This leaning doesn't work as the band as a unit sounds flat and ordinary.

There is some good guitar playing of course, as well as Marc's underrated voice. Smoke Signals is a standout track and The Other Side and Currents impress. But the album is too full of songs that sound like any guitarist laying down some heavy riffs and singing about Dirty Girl and Don't Come Around. We've heard it all before. Marc shouldn't have to remake It's About Time, and it's hard to say if commercial success was aimed at here, but there isn't enough here to separate Weary and Wired from any number of other decent singer/guitar records around.

WEARY AND WIRED is the most rock and roll album from a former Black Crowes member. When I heard Rich Robinson's PAPER I thought that he was the owner of the Crowes' sound, but after listening to Marc Ford I found that I was wrong. He's a gifted funky guitarist and also a good singer.

With influences by Hendrix, Tom Petty and the Crowes, this album is a great choice for any rock and roll, blues or soul lover...let's support the man buying his record, he wont disappoint you!