From the early to mid-'70s,
John Hartford let his eccentric genius run wild, creating the cult favorite
Aereo-Plain and the lovely, straightforward
Morning Bugle.
Mark Twang, released in 1976, proved to be the pinnacle of
Hartford's artistic run. Unlike the previous albums though, it was stripped down to only
Hartford recording live in the studio. The album's themes circle around the Mississippi river, steamboats, and river men. The songs, as usual, run from sentimental to strange, from the romantic to the weird. "Let Him Go on Mama" is a tribute to a river man with the wonderful refrain, "you say he's old fashioned/well that ain't no big deal." "Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew" pays joyful foot stomping, fiddle sawing homage to the mighty river with a barrage of old-fashioned imagery.
Hartford's unconventional side rears its head on "Don't Leave Your Records in the Sun," a song complete with imitations of skips and other odd noises a record might make after becoming warped. "Tryin' to Do Something to Get Your Attention" is a fun, if downright peculiar song, that will, for better or worse, get the listener's attention. Perhaps the most bizarre contribution, though, is "Tater Tate and Allen Mundy," a homage in which
Hartford attempts to string together every important name that ever graced a bluegrass stage. This song, and album, may seem at odds with the artist's image as a progressive bluegrass musician, but he never drew lines between the old and new -- he just followed his muse.
Mark Twang may not be the first stopping place for the new
Hartford fan, but for those already familiar with his unique talent, it's a must have. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.