It's tough work being a jack-of-all-trades. For one-time-carpenter-turned-unofficial-Beastie Boy Mark Ramos-Nishita, keeping up appearances alone is time consuming at best. When not collaborating with the aforementioned superstars, contributing his keyboarding aptitude to everyone from Femi Kuti and Santana to Mary Lou Lord, Money Mark writes, produces, and plays almost every instrument for his own solo releases. His albums are increasingly becoming stereo standards for the slick bars and slicker parties where the patrons and guests have better hair, better credit, and more impressive portfolios (in every sense of the word) than you do.

But don't hold that against him. It's not Money's fault the high dollar tapas bar down the street plays his discs on endless repeat. If anything, Change Is Coming is a sort of musical guidebook for how to throw your own exclusive soiree in the privacy of your own home.

And no worries about the relative provincialism of your whereabouts. "Information Contraband"-- the album's second track with its samba style beats, swirling traffic simulating keyboards, and Ill Communication-style downtown funk-- creates a big city feel, perfect for that moment early in the party when all the guests have arrived, had at least two cocktails a piece, and have begun mingling loudly in your living room.

You'll want your first course to be sweet and sour, a conflicting, yet pleasant taste to complement the airy space-age-meets-metal-guitars-meets-sleazy-funk of "Glitch in Da System." Don't worry about scaring off your guests. The combination is unusual, though mild enough to be palatable, even in its moments of dissonance.

The high point of the evening comes with the main course: "Another Day to Love You." Money Mark would probably recommend something hot and spicy-- an excellent Paella, or some ingenious Cuban concoction-- guaranteed to get the guests riled up, perhaps for an impromptu dance halfway through the meal. "Another Day to Love You" sounds something like a 21st century revision on the Buena Vista Social Club, complete with jazzy piano and intricate Latin guitar. The combination is a little sexy. If at all possible, season it with an aphrodisiac, because things are gonna stay pretty steamy throughout the rest of the album.

Even on the dance numbers. "People's Party (Red Alert)" comes off like uptown disco, despite its jazzy horns and squealing flute. The crowd can migrate to the dancefloor to sweat off dinner before you serve dessert. Something with a tropical flavor is recommended to accompany the cruise-line Muzak of "Use Your Head"-- your guests are guaranteed to like it, even if you integrate leftovers. "Use Your Head" originally appeared on the 1996 Red Hot Compilation, Red, Hot, and Rio. Money Mark understands a great party doesn't always necessitate completely original material.

Bid farewell to your guests and get to work on those dishes with "Rain (NYC)." The background recording of an actual rainshower will prove a soothing counterpart to your faucet. The melody here bears a remarkable resemblance to a certain George Gershwin penned standard/lullaby, especially when supplied by Ulises Bella's trill-heavy clarinet. So, even after all the excitement of the evening, falling asleep shouldn't be too much of a challenge.

A perfect party. A perfect soundtrack to your perfect party. You'll sleep like a baby, and inevitably wake to realize that Change Is Coming doesn't play so well by the light of day. Stripped of its social-hour context, it sounds like a kitschy, ersatz reproduction of a Beastie Boys album without the vocals, and a little too much like that Cocktail Nation disc you found in the used rack at your favorite record shop for $3.00 a couple years back. You remember immediately why you bought that disc ("This is gonna be great at a party") and why you never played it ("When do I have those kind of parties? In fact, do I even want to have those kind of parties?") And then you remember the novelty of Mark's Keyboard Repair. You liked it. You really did. But this seems dull by comparison, hopelessly tied to the role of background music. And that's okay. I mean, everybody needs good-- even exceptionally good-- background music from time to time. But is it really worth it to pay full price for this CD?

Here's another drawback: if you're not careful, you'll be expected to throw these parties again, and again, and again, regardless of the rapidly depleting funds in your bank account and the mysterious curry dust that has seemed to permanently settled over your whole kitchen. It's a bitch being so multi-talented-- an ideal host, an excellent chef, a friend to the stars, a masterful party DJ. Just ask Money Mark.

-Alison Fields, December 20th, 2001