| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Track Structure | 9 |
| Interest | 8 |
| Melody | 8 |
| Performance | 7 |
| Lyrics | 8 |
| Enjoyment | 8 |
| Recording Quality | 8 |
| Commercial Appeal | 8 |
| Overall | 8 |
Well, here I go again…apologizing for taking so long to do this review. However, Mr. Holley assured me that he still wanted me to do the aforementioned promised review…so here we go. The artist(s) this go round are Mark Holley and Mark Alexander. The song that Mark H. asked me to review is “Blinded By The Blues”. This is the first time for me to encounter Mark Holley and my second go round with Mark Alexander.
Right from the start, this song reminded me of Leon Russell, Little Feat, and also The Band. Very loose, bluesy, soulful. Holley said they were going for a live feel, and I think for the most part, the duo has accomplished this. I like the structure, and I like the lyrics. Great bridge, and good use of dynamics, which is very often overlooked in music. It’s very authentic. The piano is nice and the organ is just the right touch. The mix and production is pretty good, too. I think the vocals are a little too far back in the mix. I had to really listen to catch some of the lyrics, because Alexander is so covered up by the competition of the other instruments. The guitar solo is real raw, but it works in the context of the song, and that’s what it’s all about. For this to have been such an effort to get an authentic blues/RnB feel, I felt that some of the horn section synth patches were out of place in the composition…just too artificial sounding. The drums are the main thing I had a problem with. It was like they couldn’t decide on a 6/8, 4/4, or a shuffle feel. If they had segue-wayed between these times, that’s one thing. But, they are all going on at the same time! After a few measures into the song, it kind of straightens itself out…but not quite. Oddly, this is kind of what reminded me of Little Feat ! Their music always sounded like it was about to stumble over itself, but came out on top in the end. “Blinded By The Blues” is like that.
This is a very good blues or RnB tune. And by that, I mean the old school soul songs of the 60’s and early 70’s…not what RnB has mutated into now. I miss this kind of feel in most new music. The songs you hear now for the most part have no soul or heart to them…too sterile and overproduced. This song has heart and soul in abundance.
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