When headbanger historians look back on the important
heavy metal and
hard rock bands that were active during the '70s,
Mahogany Rush's name doesn't come up nearly as often as
Led Zeppelin,
Black Sabbath,
Deep Purple,
Kiss,
Van Halen,
Judas Priest,
Blue Oeyster Cult or
Aerosmith -- and that is regrettable because
Frank Marino led one of the '70s' most exciting
hard rock/
metal outfits.
Mahogany Rush is, without question, underrated. Walk past a
Hard Rock Cafe, and it isn't uncommon to hear
Zep's
"Whole Lotta Love" or
Deep Purple's
"Smoke on the Water" being blasted -- but how often will a
Hard Rock Cafe expose pedestrians to something by
Mahogany Rush? Regardless,
Marino still has his share of die-hard followers who will be happy to know that
Mahogany Rush is in fine form on
Real Live. Recorded live at
Club Soda in Montreal, Canada on September 8, 2001 (only three days before the 9/11 terrorist attacks), this two-CD set doesn't break any new ground for
Marino -- who sticks with the sort of
Jimi Hendrix-influenced
hard rock,
heavy metal,
blues-rock and
psychedelic rock he was providing 30 years earlier.
Marino's refusal to change with the times is just as well -- he is great at what he does, and the singer/guitarist is as inspired on original material as he is on performances of
the Zombies'
"She's Not There" and two
Hendrix classics:
"Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" and
"Red House." Clearly, time hasn't robbed
Marino (who was 46 in 2001) of either his chops or his enthusiasm. Casual listeners would be better off starting out with some of
Mahogany Rush's old-'70s recordings, but longtime fans will be happy to know how nicely his vocals and guitar playing are holding up on these Montreal performances. ~ Alex Henderson
![The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You [Deluxe Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0045778729128_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You [Deluxe Edition]")
