Mahogany Rush 4 / World Anthems

No matter what merits he may have or not have, the truth of the matter is simple in the fact that Frank Marino is a very talented guitarist who didn't get the recognition he deserved. His output is forgotten about for the most part and I for one don't think that's fair. True, in terms of vocals he's very hit-or-miss and some of his music could use a little more dynamics, but he is an absolute stunner on guitar and is not the Hendrix-clone that he's been accused of being. In this release you have what are probably his two most well known studio recordings; "IV" and "World Anthem". On extremely rare occasions "Dragonfly" from the former would be played as a Deep Cut on WDVE back where I grew up and it would bring in a lot of calls asking about the artist. Other than that, nothing. I don't know why, there are riffs for days on these records. The other release "World Anthem" to me has Marino's hallmark piece. "World Anthem" itself (the instrumental title track) is an explosive dynamo of harmonized guitars and planet-shaking vibrato. All critiques on the rest of the album aside, this one is a stone-cold classic. "In My Ways" is another good track with a really cool main riff that is also worth attention but the rest of the album does sort of have a "paint-by-numbers" feel to it. To be honest, if you are going to get into Marino's work then this is the best place to start. He was arguably at the height of his game here and if you can dig these records then you can probably dig the rest of the catalog as well.

I saw Mahogany Rush in 1979 at the Florida Jam in Orlando. They kicked ass!!! Nugent,Aerosmith,etc. were also there.They didn’t give anything up to those bands.I’m not sure whyI lost contact with Frank but other than his live album I did. I’m now a 59 year old guy and rediscovering how great they were and criminally underrated Frank Marino is as a guitarist. Yes does he have some Hendrix sounding songs?! So what who better to compare to?! Compared to a lot of the music today he is a a maestro. Buy these cds you will not be disappointed if you like real musicianship!!

I've owed these 2 great 'Mahagony Rush' albums separately and to have them together is toooo cool to put into words. Frank Marino is an incredible guitarist with a back-up band that holds the bottom end down tight and hard. 'Mahagony rush 4' is a peak period for the band. 'World Anthem' was just as good and 'What's Next' which followed these 2 releases was a great run. Being a big fan, I love almost every release from 'Child of Novelty' in 1974 up to 'The Power of Rock & Roll' in 1981 leaving out the 'Live' album & 'Tales of the Unexpected'. As for the 2 best albums, these are them. Psychedelic & rockin'....A must buy!

Great music. 2 cd set saves space,lol. But seriously,it's a great purchase. Fits nicely in my collection( music wise). If you are a fan,you need this set.

The package arrived in perfect condition. The 2 CD set is well done with thought and intent. The digital remaster sounds good. I have MR's first three albums on CD and never thought I would find IV and V, but here they are!

No dislikes, all purely awesome music with Hendrix influences

These are the two best Mahogany Rush albums, in one dual-CD package. For some reason they seem to have been forgotten, but if you listen to these two albums you'll hear why they should be ranked among the best hard-rock groups from the 1970's. Extremely original songwriting, world-class lead guitar, and outstanding vocals are backed by virtuoso bass and drums in this power trio. If you like Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, you'll love this band. Sample the cut "Dragonfly" from the album IV or the song "Requiem For A Sinner" from World Anthem and you'll know what I'm talking about.

If you're a fan of 1970's stadium stoner rock, this is for you! Frank Marino is a great musician and a fabulous guitarist. His singing on his first 3 recordings (not included in this package) was not the best, and vacilitated between sounding like Hendrix or Bob Dylan. But his playing and his band have always delivered.

Sorry I'm biased, It's Frank Marino and it's brilliant

Great thanks DC

I really liked IV when it came out and it was a nice pleasure rediscovering it.Frank Marino, although not as inventive as Hendrix (who is), is a fine musician that I listened to often, along Robin Trower.Nice cd transfer, although the bass in missing something.

This is great hard rock music with a sparse use of keyboards: fantastic mellotron on ...Emperor (the memorable closing number of IV) and moog on a pair of tracks on World Anthem. The first album certainly is the better. That closer is really haunting (in a positive way)! A must have.

Un très bon groupe de rock ,comme y s'en fait plus ,de bon souvenir,de bon moment et surtout une très bonne musique, bravo Frank Marino,du bon rock à son meilleur.