Money Mark
Change Is Coming
[Emperor Norton; 2001]
Rating: 6.5
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