Out In The Mountains : Arts & Entertainment

The fact that I’m always looking to expand my musical horizons may have been what landed me the assignment to review Mark Islam’s debut CD The Recent Past. (Of course, it might also have been the fact that I was wearing a blue plaid flannel shirt and faded blue jeans as assignments were handed out.)

Whatever the reason, I was pleasantly surprised by what I heard.

Mark Islam is probably best classified as a hybrid artist whose music is a wonderful blend of country, rock, folk and pop. If you are looking for songs with “nothing but ‘moon/June, love/above’ rhymes,” you won’t find them here.

What you will find is a fascinating mix of songs that explore and celebrate everyday life. Mark Islam has his eyes and heart wide open as he uses what we all see in our lives or, in some instances, what we try not so see to find inspiration for his song writing. His songs speak of the bag lady drinking in the park, the office worker, world peace, homophobia, depression, friends, and of course, being gay.

The Recent Past is a musical journey through Mark’s life. From “Beat-Up El Camino” which he wrote in his dorm room at Boston University to “Just One Paycheck Away,” which tunefully speaks to trying to live during the post-Gulf War recession. “Get Used To It,” the most outspoken song on this CD, was partially inspired by an incident in the dorm elevator at UC/Berkeley and is written for “the shrill, hysterical Bible-thumpers that spout anti-gay sentiments on TV talk shows”. Mark specifically omitted songs that he wrote for other artists and focused on songs he felt he had to write. “If I was going to make an album,” he said, “then it was going to be an artistic statement about me, my life, my encounters, my sensibilities.”

Being a child in the ‘70s, Mark Islam was inspired by the singer/songwriter movement of that period. Artists such as Carole King, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Jackson Brown helped shape Mark as a songwriter and performer today.

In 1995, Mark released his first recording on cassette, The Calloused Heart Collection. Included on this collection was one of his most requested tunes, “Everything Is Gonna Be Alright”, which Mark hopes to include on a future release.

Ironically, as Mark worked to get his music noticed, he got a break when “Everything Is Gonna Be Alright” began receiving air time on Dr. Laura Schelessinger’s nationally syndicated call-in advice show. If Mark ever decides to release “Get Used To It” as a single, I think the first copy should go to Dr. Laura with a thank-you note.

The Recent Past has something for every taste. Whether you like upbeat steel-guitar driven tunes (“Lose These Blues”), broken-hearted laments (“What’ll I Do About Loving You?”), songs that address striving for world peace (“Peace On Earth - What Is It Worth?”) or being a woman in the ‘90s (“Always The Bridesmaid,” “The Only Thing That Makes Her Feel Alive”), Mark Islam delivers with his smooth tenor voice and a collection of some of Southern California’s finest musicians. What is most amazing about Mark Islam, the songwriter and performer, is that he is a wonderful storyteller, and like any good story, you’ll want to hear his songs again and again.

Mark Islam is currently considering two new concept albums. One will include songs that talk about dealing with life’s unforeseen tradeoffs in getting to where one needs to be. The other will focus on songs relating to the spirit. When Mark isn’t writing and performing his songs, he can be found on stage. He is playing the disciple, Thomas, in Terrence McNally’s controversial play “Corpus Christi,” which opens in Philadelphia’s Theater Double in mid-March. This summer he will reprise his role in the hippie tribe in a production of “Hair” in Nashvile.