Reviewed by Paul Poulton

Mark Farner used to be front man in Grand Funk Railroad. They were to American parents what the Rolling Stones were to British parents in the 70s. I remember seeing pictures of Mark in Melody Maker performing bare-chested with a thick bracelet encircling his right bicep and long, long hair. Unfortunately, some of his hair, with the passage of time, has come adrift but he does now wear a shirt - and the fear of some parents may be further allayed by hearing these songs. Although there's no way the lyrics on 'Wake Up' could be called deep or philosophical they would, however, fit very nicely into any southern American pulpit. Mark's faith shines through with excitement and enthusiasm. The music is economically played, sounding like a three-piece; although there are keyboards they are mixed very low. It reminded me of 'Free', in fact, Mark sings like Paul Rogers but in a slightly higher register and with more vocal gymnastics (impressive for a white man). He also plays guitar like the late Paul Kossoff used to - not very fast but with plenty of feel. It's a good album.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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