Red Planet Blue (Sighs Of An Elephant) is the latest album by Marx who is Gary Marx, legendary founder member of Sisters Of Mercy and Ghost Dance, who recorded the album almost entirely with people who were in the same year as him at school in 1972, but not the same school. Recorded and mixed by Mark Sturgess at Sound Station Wakefield, except Tiger Moth recorded and mixed by John Spence at Fairview Studios, Hull. John also mastered the album. The musicians and singers are Daniel Mass, Barry Snaith, Norm Kirby, Mick Stanley, Matt Stacy Sax and Mark Sturgess.
The album opens with Anywhere Any Place Any Time an ambient intro to the wonderful world of Marx, High Brighton Rock is some Bolan bogie style rock for some folks who still need some fisticuffs on a night out, while claiming they are the belle of the ball. Electra Glide is brass led glam rock in love with that snazzy motor bike. Tales Of Vermillion has a groove-based riff for this quest for someone to believe in, Marx decides Vermillion is his own personal guru.
Little Misfits bleeds into Planchette that has memories of 1972 and that Bolan boogie up front in his thoughts and musical inspiration, this stomps along. Hands Up is more like Mott The Hoople but with a string section and a playful edge to why he wants your Hands Up.
Cherry Bomb Love has the feel of Mud or a similar glam pop band, with all the 70's loving they want to be up too, she tastes so sweet and plays so rough. Hull in love with that extraterrestrial band from Hull, the Spiders From Mars and all they stood for, with friends who stand Ten Foot Two and are still alive ready to boogie with Marx.
Red Planet Blue with a sci fi countdown and cartoon feel, for the rocket launch if they want to outdo Elon chasing that ball of fire up in space. Jumbo Mambo is acoustic boogie with a twist or three for the little misfit they are chasing, while the elephants roar.
Paradigm is ready to shift with some handclaps and a heavy brass section in love with America. S.W.A.M.P. is asking all those evil idiots to go and crawl back into their Swamps and leave the rest of us alone and not spread rumours about us, to that louche twangtastic guitar.
Hunk sounds like a classic snippet of a pop gem, before Riot gets going with some very Bolanesque ideas of what might cause you to Riot. In praise of Alan McGee with all the Biff Bang Pow they can muster for the Riff Raff messing up the world.
Schmaltz is like Scott Walker dreaming of Brel and coming up with a chamber pop evocation of George Raft. Suddenly things go all Leonard Cohen husky vocals for Next Stop The Moon. Sweet Heart Attack is obviously caused by the harmonica solo and not that crush on legs he's spotted, letting his jaw hit the floor at her magnificence, that he can never hold onto, so he better Send For The Priest getting sweeter when he can chase that Tiger Moth down Daytona beach, one more flame he can never put out.
Starsky And Hutch is all synth pop energy and the outline for a very weird episode. Gary then talks about Fairview studios with some freestyling guitar to accompany this journey into Gary's past, all the Paper Cut as he discovers his Cri De Claire with some medieval pomp and strings. Have you been Hoodwinked yet into knowing this is a great glam pop album. The coolest bassline of the album drives along Orbit that pulls you into his Orbit for some funky glam fun.
Slingshot is played live at the Old Woolen for this song from the Green Ginger Jive album, a song that's in love with drag racing and Alan Vega's Jukebox baby riff. Gary then introduced Mr Filthy Dirty to sing Babylon Boys with him, he sounds a bit like Dean Jones channelling Lemmy giving this a greasy glam stomp edge to it.
Rattlesnake Boys is deeply in love with that Bolan Boogie and what happens to the noise you make around it, glorious fun had by all. The East Coast Shuffle should be listened too while driving at about 80mph on a coastal road at sunset, while dancing in your seat. Sand La Mere is what you have stuck between your toes on that drive, this is more of a slow lament for a lost love who ought to live in that catholic castle he dreams of building you.
The album closes with High School Highs your trying to tune in that transistor radio, so you can dance along to Bellbottom Blues and Cosmic Dancer, so proud of your flares and platform shoes, those golden days of the early 70's.
Find out more at https://garymarx.bandcamp.com/album/red-planet-blue https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577077865356
