Johnny's Life on Earth
The track Remember,
midway through this excellent album, is a talking blues with Mars blowing the
finest harp, and the reminiscences with Martin and Kennedy indicate the stellar
platforms Mars has shared: remembering ’67 to ’68 in the Bay Area, he mentions
the following – Jesse Fuller and Magic Sam, Earl Hooker, Joe Louis Walker,
Albert Collins [‘The Ice Man’], Charlie Musselwhite, and a wonderful anecdote
about playing the blues with Alice Cooper on the back of a flatbed truck in
Speedway Meadows. As Mars reflects, those
were the days, everything was love and peace. And all the time Mars is
playing sublime harp. Then more recalling: Elvin Bishop, Mike Bloomfield, The
Sons of Chaplin….
As I said here, I hadn’t heard of Mars before seeing him at
this great gig, and discovering more of him now, and the impressive history, is
such a joy. Mars spent much of his time living here in England, and this album
was meant to help him revive his career in the States. I don’t know how successful
this was.
In addition to the brilliant blues played on this album –
fair to take that as read – Mars demonstrates a broader and fine songwriting
ability: It Takes Time, a soulful and
funky pop-blues that also demonstrates his great vocal, a soul-chorus backing
this, reminding of The Chamber Brothers. Have
You Heard About the Blues is a a beautifully sung ballad, the lyrics
expressing concern about the world’s ills – earnestly expressed – and the harp
playing is empathetically blown.
Elsewhere, the band – which is excellent – and Mars
blues-stomp across wonderful tracks, Stateside
a perfect example and expressing his desire to return home and make it where the blues came from. Fifth, instrumental
Move, showcases that band’s great
playing [even if invoking the 80s!], and another instrumental Harp Dance does just that. Penultimate Home Sweet Home – Reprise ramps it up
with an ecological message, and closer London
Blues displays Mars as singer and harpist par excellence.
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