Frank Marino / Mahogany Rush ~ Canada ~ Montreal, Quebec

Eye of the Storm (2000)

---Feb 2005

Whoa! Nice surprise this one is. I was expecting at best an attempt at his patented driving hard rock / Hendrix styled rock. What I didn’t foresee is a more progressive styled album. Eye of the Storm features some looooong space rock jams using Arabic scales – just like the old Krautrockers would do! You can hear this on the lengthy ten minute title track and even more so on the slightly longer ‘He’s Calling’. It isn’t until the 4th track, ‘Learned My Lesson Well’, that the What’s Next era Marino shows up. And that’s great too! This is followed by the 11 ½ minute ‘Heat of the Moment’ which recalls ‘Poppy’, my personal favorite Marino composition. Next is 'Windows to the World' which reminds me of ‘The Answer’ from Mahogany Rush IV (nice to see Frank reaching this far back into his repertoire). Another long cut, ‘Avalon’, also brings to mind the highly melodic ‘Poppy’ in addition to the jazzy instrumental ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ era. Believe it or not, I not only think this is a great album, but I think could very well be his best studio effort! Totally amazed by that.

---9/28/14

This really was a magnificent comeback for Frank Marino. Eye of the Storm arrived in 2000, 18 years after his last significant studio album Juggernaut (there were a couple of obscure efforts in between and one excellent live album). Perhaps what's most amazing about Eye of the Storm is that the album isn't a continuation of his more known hard rock style, but rather a further look back into his psychedelic past of the very early days of his career. Many of the tracks are quite lengthy: Four of them near or over the 10 minute mark with two more pushing eight each. The music at times goes off into a space rock direction, filled to the brim with Marino's amazing solo guitar talent. If you're familiar with the excellent 'Poppy' track from his live albums, then there's quite a bit of that style here. Only the straightforward, yet still excellent rocker 'Learned My Lesson Well' will recall the Marino of the 'What's Next' era.

As I write this review, we have yet to get a new album from Frank. If this is indeed his swan song, then he definitely went out on a high. Though possibly even better than this studio effort, is the 2004 ReaLLive album that just lays the concert hall to waste.

It's really too bad this album has fallen through the cracks, and few seem to have noticed. As I write this, it's #889 for 2001. Wow - that's really sad for an artist who has a legacy like Frank Marino - and this is one of his best albums ever! I do think its rediscovery is eventual - it's only a matter of time.

---8/18/24

For that last sentence, I said similar on my recent review of Tales of the Unexpected. And the album is now #1,606 for 2001, having lost half its ground. Over time, quality music transcends the trends of an era. Like evaluating a president, history will be the judge based on data, not emotion. I predict Frank Marino will be near the top when it's all said and done. I enjoyed another +1 listen, and it now resides in the highest tier of my world.

Ownership: 2001 Just A Minute (CD). Lyric booklet.

2//05 (acquired review); 9/28/14 (review #2); 8/18/24 (update)

World Anthem (1977)

Frank should be all the rage in today's musical world, not sure why he isn't. I was first introduced to Frank Marino at the point where Tales of the Unexpected was released. I really enjoyed that album and bought the others that were in print at the time - namely IV, Live, and this album (the first three were OOP back then). For whatever reason, World Anthem remains my least favorite of these albums (well, the first Live album isn't very good - especially compared to what he later released live). It's a transitional album from the IV release, which was an odd mix of hard blues, funk rock, and prog (?!). But World Anthem also harbors some of the more aggressive hard rock that Marino was to pursue on the smoking live side of Tales of the Unexpected. In the end, I've really warmed up to this album, after some 41 years of familiarity.

Ownership: 1977 Columbia (LP)

1979 (first acquired); 1//08; 8/28/16; 11/27/20 (review)

What's Next (1980)

Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush's 7th studio album is about as great as it can get when talking fast paced and bluesy hard rock guitar. 'You Got Livin'', 'Finish Line', 'Mona', and especially 'Something's Comin' Our Way' are jaw dropping in their execution and intensity, and represent the apex of Marino's original recordings. Not an entirely consistent album, though for hard blues fans, it's also difficult not to love 'Rock Me Baby' and 'Loved By You'. I'm not real fond of the Doors' cover 'Roadhouse Blues', primarily because it doesn't add anything new and lacks Marino's usual unique solo touch.

One of the all-time great hard rock albums - at times strikingly so.

Ownership: 1980 Columbia (LP); 2017 Rock Candy (CD). Liner notes from long time Kerrang writer Malcom Dome. Some photos and poster shots as well. 

1980 (acquired); 9/14/19 (review)

Full Circle (1986)

I bought this one when it came out, already a fully fledged Frank Marino fan. I was pretty disappointed at the time, but kept it all these years anyway. It's still probably his weakest effort objectively speaking, but there's some really good material here. In particular the opener and 'Had Enough', the latter recalling some of his best work, where he really lets loose on the instrument he's holding behind his head. 

Ownership: 1986 Grudge / Maze (LP)

1986 (acquired); 2004; 8/20/18 (review)

Tales of the Unexpected (1979)

A very interesting album that has aged well I think (heck - I bought the album when it came out - I was all of 14). 'Sister Change' is a killer psych funk track - a sound that didn't find its audience until 25 years later. The instrumental title track really is something unexpected. Half of it is smoldering psych fusion ala Mahavishnu John McLaughlin while the second half enters into 60s Les Paul / Grant Green lightly amplified jazz territory. 'All Along the Watchtower' is Marino covering Hendrix's version of the Dylan classic, so a bit superfluous I guess, but still great to hear Frank do it. 'Norwegian Wood' is the throwaway here. It's not a bad cover, but too far removed - and soft - for what makes Marino great (besides, it's only three minutes). As for Side 2 - well this is the classic Mahogany Rush side. Absolute killer hard blues rock as only Frank and the boys can do it. Blazing solos throughout. 'Woman' is just phenomenal. And the prototype for the amazing What's Next album.

Mark my words - the rediscovery of Frank Marino will one day happen, a great talent who is sadly way too unknown in these times. I might be 80 when it occurs.... but it will happen.

Ownership: 1979 Columbia (LP); 1990 Columbia (CD)

1979 (acquired); 1/7/15 (review)

Other albums I own and need to review: Maxoom; Child of the Novelty; Strange Universe; Mahogany Rush IV; The Power of Rock and Roll; Juggernaut; Double Live; Real Live!

1/7/15 (new entry)