With all things Covid having dominated the world since early 2020, the 525 to Glasgow has been pretty much mothballed… then an email dropped into my inbox a couple of weeks ago.
The incredibly talented roots musician Mr Mark Harrison has a new album coming out later this month…just the cue I needed to shake off those mothballs. (Never did like the smell of them!)
A rock chick at heart, I’ve confessed before, Mark Harrison is one of my guilty pleasures when it comes to music.
The Long Road To Liberty is the sixth album from Mark and he’s spoiled us all by making this one a double album. Across both discs, there are some twenty- one new original songs, each one of them stamped with Mark’s distinctive, highly skilled trademark sound.
To quote the press release “each song is a snapshot of life or has a story to tell, like a 3-minute film or novel.”
The first line sung on this record is “Well, I feel like crying. I feel like breaking down” on the opening, incredibly catchy track, Tribulation Time. I’ll admit I had a momentary panic – was this record all going to be Covid-blues? NO! NO! NO!
This record, both parts, is a breath of fresh air!
For the record, Tribulation Time oozes positivity and resilience. Great start!
One difference with The Road To Liberty is that Mark has brought along some old familiar friends, creating more of a band-vibe than the solo-effort of the previous records. He’s ably joined by Charles Benfield on double bass (or jazz-coffin as I heard it referred to as recently) and Ben Welburn on drums and percussion. Charles pulls double duty here as he also produced and master The Road To Liberty. Great job, sir!
With twenty-one tracks to enjoy, I’m not about to give a track-by-track resume. We’d be here until 2022!
The Road To Liberty is an uplifting listen, exactly what we all need after the challenges of the past few months, and it bleeds positivity with a strong injection of summer. Everybody Knows, the second track in Part I in particular made me think of long hot sunny days with more than an echo of Mungo Jerry at the start.
Some may consider it a tad ambitious to deliver a double album, but Mark has so many song/stories to tell that each and every one has rightfully earned its place on the record. Personally, I have to admit to preferring Part I but, having said that, Don’t Let The Crazy Out Of The Bag (Too Soon) on Part II is also a favourite. It’s filled with fun!
If I had to pick one favourite, today I’d choose Better Day. Filled with hope for better days, it left me looking forward to a brighter future.
Music-wise those better days start when The Road To Liberty is release on 30th June in its physical format. The digital release is split over two dates- Part I drops on 30th June with Part II following on 30th Sept.
Don’t believe me? Check it out for yourself.
You can catch up with all Mark’s latest news on his website and you can also pre-order this great album using the link below:
http://markharrisonrootsmusic.com/
credits to the owners of the images used
the525toglasgow 