Common Bond
Mark Rivera
Label: Red River Entertainment
Release Date: February 18, 2014
Review Date: March 02, 2014
When one is known as the sax man for an icon like Billy Joel, as the music director for Ringo Starr, or has played with the likes of John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Foreigner and countless others, it’s safe to assume that they have a solo album buried away in their soul.
Such is the case with renowned multi-instrumentalist, Mark Rivera, and what a solo album it is!
Let me say right up front that this album is some of the greatest, new rock and roll that you’re going to hear this year!
Yeah, it’s that good, and chock full of musical genius.
Case in point: The opening cut, Loraine, conjures up audio visions of the Allman Brothers and CSN, yet, it’s got a unique sound that one quickly learns is Rivera’s signature, musical touch.
Following closely on Loraine’s heels is the good time rocker, Sticky Situation. Loaded with gritty vocals, driving guitar and, of course, some down and dirty sax work, this tune will undoubtedly burn an earworm into your cranium that will last for days.
While every cut on the CD is noteworthy, Boomerocity would like to call attention to a couple of other tunes in particular. One being Rivera’s brilliant cover of Hendrix’s Spanish Castle Magic. Mark’s vocals are interpretive to the mystical lyrics and the music driving in the back ground is nothing short of amazing. If you think you’ve heard it all when it comes to Hendrix covers, you’re wrong. This tune alone is worth the price of the entire album. Hint: You’ll want to hear the cool intro as well as Rivera’s solo. I’ll leave it at that.
The closing cut, Rise, is a lonely, brooding tune that is worth a ton of slaps of the repeat button. Mark’s vocal range is bang on. The piano is foundational to the mood of the song while the bluesy guitar licks are beautiful icing on the cake. This song is the perfect end to an amazing album by a brilliant musician.
Pick up this CD (or download it) immediately. Go ahead and by two or more. You’ll want to give to friends who appreciate great, new music.
Keep up with the latest with Mark Rivera at www.markrivera.com !
