Jazz Fusion Tinged Blue
G. K. Nelson | 12/31/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"For me, 1972 was a pivotal year in my understanding of rock music's boundaries. It was the year I discovered Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew", the Mahavishnu Orchestra released "Birds of Fire" and Mark-Almond performed "What Am I Living For" on one of the then-popular television concert series. I picked up "Rising" the next day and was absorbed by it for the next month.
The first thing that struck me was Jon Mark's voice. With a range of maybe an octave on a good day, it was quietly disaffected and world-weary, and it reminded me, in a strange way, of Serge Gainsbourg's. The music enveloping it wasn't exactly jazz and wasn't exactly rock, but a mix of the two. Not the mix of Miles Davis or John McLaughlin, but more ethereal and drained of passion -- the sort of music you might hear played by a bar band that had been working the same room for ten years, worn and drawn. And that was its charm.
"Monday Bluesong" was maybe the saddest song about the loss of a lover I had ever heard, mostly because of the resignation in Jon Mark's delivery. When he sang "Monday's always blue for me" I believed him wholeheartedly. "Song for a Sad Musician" was a free-form tone poem about the love-hate relationship a player has with the road. "Organ Grinder" followed with the oft-repeated message, you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Then the swan song, "What Am I Living For", summed up the recording. What exactly are we living for? Everything disappoints. The tune was as stark and revelatory as Peggy Lee's reading of "Is That All There Is".
What was then side two of the record kicked off with the disappointing "Riding Free", a motorcycle road jam far too derivative of The Ides of March's "Vehicle", and one that could have been cut with no regrets. "The Little Prince" and "The Phoenix" resumed the downbeat jazz fusion groove, but with none of the songcraft of side one's cuts.
Still, for the first five tracks alone, "Rising" is worth the cost of admission. Those seeking a quiet, autumnal ride can't go wrong with this under-appreciated album."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1