- Vinyl (17 Oct 1990)
- Format: Import
- Label: Rounder Select
- ASIN: B00008FPEF
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Audio Cassette | Vinyl
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,044,885 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
Jubilee Offer: Patriot Classics for £2.50 |
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Product Description
CD Description
During his late '70s stint with the David Grisman Quintet, Mark O'Connor recorded this, his first solo guitar album, with support from some of the best, including guitarists Tony Rice and Dan Crary, and mandolinists Grisman and Sam Bush, in a programme of original "newgrass" compositions and traditional tunes.
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9 reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
A Showcase of Flatpicking Fortitude
18 Jun 2000
Format:Audio CD
This late-70's recording is one of the best official releases of Mark O'Connor that showcases his unprecedented skills as a bluegrass flatpicker. Although Mark is now most renown for his prodigal fiddle virtuosity, he is also an excellent guitarist. This album sees a teenaged O'Connor exploding with creativity and youthful zeal, attacking the fretboard in a style unparalleled even today. These songs (all instrumentals) are mostly original compositions leaning towards jazz-grass or "Dawg music," but included are some fiery executions of classic bluegrass numbers that Monroe himself would be proud of (i.e., Blackberry Blossom and Dixie Breakdown). Not only do we have Mark absolutely devastating his dreadnought with ingenious improvisation, blistering speed and uncanny accuracy, we have legendary flatpicker Tony Rice backing the young O'Connor up on his infamous Clarence White D-28 (even taking a lead or two), and the innovator of Dawg music himself, David Grisman on mandolin. David was so impressed by Mark's performance on this record that he soon after recruited Mark into his Dave Grisman Quintet on guitar and violin. If you're a fan of bluegrass music, acoustic music, flatpicking or guitar in general, you must add this title to your musical library! It's not only an absolutely extraordinary 40 minutes of music, but it's a significant piece of bluegrass's evolutionary history. You won't be disappointed!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Mark's only guitar album is one of the best ever
28 Sep 2002
Format:Audio CD
To begin, few musicians have attained a level of virtuosity that Mark O'Connor has. A champion fiddle player AND a champion flatpicker in his early teens, he decided to cut his first and only guitar album at the young age of 16. Recruiting the best bluegrass players in the business (Tony Rice, Sam Bush, David Grisman), Markology was recorded and stands in my mind as one of the best if not the best "dawg" bluegrass album ever.
The first few tracks blew me away when I heard them, especially the jazzy title track, but the album attained an even higher level of virtuosity with Fluid Drive. Layer after layer of tone are added one by one until after two minutes, you have every musician playing and Mark soloing over the top. Tony Rice even takes a lead at the end which is comparable to his top soloes. Sam Bush and David Grisman display their chops with fine soloing in Beserkeley, another great track on the album (there really are no bad tracks to be found here). A few covers, including the fiery Blackberry Blossom and the oldie Top of the World are found on this album as well.
Mark abstained from playing the fiddle on this album at all, stating that this was his "guitar album." And although there are other Mark O'Connor albums where he will pick up his dreadnought, this is his only true "guitar" album, and it remains one of the best albums ever. A must-own for any bluegrass fan or aspiring flatpicker. I can't say enough good things about this album.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Still fresh after all these years!
28 Nov 2000
Format:Audio CD
This CD has been in my collection for how long I do not know. I have followed Mark O'Connor's career since the late 70's, about when he recorded this album. I had a long trip to take and wanted some road music, so I put it in the CD changer. I was pleasantly surprised by the first three cuts, and just cruizing along, until I "heard for the first time" FLUID DRIVE. This original by Mark blew me away, brought tears to my eyes, woke me up to every passing instant, every passing note, every nuance of the communication between the musicians, an all star cast of Tony Rice, Dan Crary, David Grisman, and Bill Amanteek. The fact that he was a mere 15 years old when he was given the headliner, and creative control shows how mature he was at the time. Norman Blake writes liner notes, saying how he regretted not being able to make the recording session. This is a gathering of guitar greats, who are caught jamming as if live, in concert. It is not rehearsed to death, you can almost hear the eye contact between the musicians as they trade off the breaks. I love this album, even after all these years. Way to go, Mark.
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