Mark Lindsay Albums (8)
'You've Got a Friend'
Release Date 2/20/2008
Tracks 10
Label Sony / BMG Japan
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What The Critics Say
The last Christmas album with which Mark Lindsay was involved was Paul Revere & the Raiders' 1967 LP A Christmas Present...and Past, one of the more unusual efforts in the genre. Recorded during the Vietnam War era, the disc was imbued with the turmoil of the times, and Lindsay, as the band's lead singer, played a major part in its construction. Decades later, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, on which he shares billing with backing group the Michael Lewis Trio, is a far more conventional collection. Lindsay offers straightforward renditions of seasonal standards in arrangements that sometimes have a cocktail jazz feel, and at other times rock out lightly. Only piano, bass, and drums are mentioned in the credits, but there are some other instruments here and there, notably an electric guitar and certainly some keyboard effects, making for a fuller sound than just the trio could have provided. Lindsay is, perhaps, a bit more comfortable on numbers like "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," than he is on the older songs, and he gives a slight Elvis Presley swagger to "Blue Christmas." His performances are always animated and enthusiastic, particularly on the album-closing recital of the poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." (The album is available from www.MarkLindsay.com.) ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This 1996 solo entry from former Paul Revere and the Raiders lead singer Mark Lindsay proves that the intervening years haven't chipped any platinum off of his pipes while simultaneously delivering an album that's all of one piece, just like the man who sings it. Rather than using studio hotshots, he was smart enough to cut it with his regular working band (Tom Kolb's guitar work is top notch), bringing a trio of guests to spice it up, then loaded it up with top notch material, over half of them emanating from his own pen. If you're expecting a bunch of Vox Continental organ noodlings or recuts of "Just Like Me," save your bread and pick up any of the groundbreaking recordings by Mark's old band, Paul Revere and the Raiders. If you wanna check in with an old friend and find out what's he's up to these days while being more than pleasantly surprised, this is the one. In a day when new albums by veteran artists are usually something to be winced at, Lindsay has come up with something totally rockin' and contemporary without donning a flannel shirt or a MacDaddy outfit and making a total ass out of himself. And that is to be commended as well as listened to, repeatedly. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
When Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders fame made his solo debut in 1969, he explained that the album did not reflect "a change in [his] musical tastes, but rather an extension of them." Arizona, produced by Jerry Fuller, moved in the direction of adult pop, with songs by John Denver ("Leaving on a Jet Plane") and Rod McKuen ("Love's Been Good to Me"). The dynamic title track, with its hushed verses and bombastic chorus, became a Top Ten hit and Lindsay's most successful solo single, while the album's lone original composition, "Man From Houston," adopted an enticing country flavor. "First Hymn From Grand Terrace" and "Miss America" performed better on the adult contemporary than pop charts, which gives some indication of the album's tone. Lindsay's album isn't far removed from his contemporaneous work with the Raiders, but bears a certain similarity to Bobby Sherman. His stab at becoming a hip but broadly appealing mainstream vocalist met with only a couple of years of moderate-to minor success before petering out, only shortly ahead of the Raiders' own commercial demise. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide
'Live At Rick's Cafe'
Release Date 1/1/2003
Tracks 12
Label MarkLinsday.com Sounds
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What The Critics Say
In an interview promoting his album It Had to Be You�The Great American Songbook, Rod Stewart said that singing pop standards was easier than singing his usual repertoire. While idiotic on its face, the remark was probably intended to refer to the technical demands of the material; Stewart, who had recently faced throat problems, simply meant he found it easier physically to croon ballads than to belt out rock songs. In fact, of course, standards are notoriously hard to sing well, especially for vocalists not brought up on them, presenting demands in terms of range, melody, interpretation, breath control, and intonation, and all that before one encounters the recorded competition from the likes of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, and others. If any greater evidence of the challenge were required, it is provided by the album Live at Rick's Caf�, which finds Mark Lindsay, former lead singer of 1960s rock group Paul Revere & the Raiders, fronting a piano-bass-drums trio in a collection of standards of the 1930s, �40s, and �50s. Though a versatile singer capable of adapting himself to a number of styles, Lindsay has never had a strong vocal personality of his own to make him identifiable, and that is a drawback to begin with in arrangements that put his voice front and center. But that's only the beginning of what's wrong with this album. Recording for his own Website label, Lindsay appears to have treated the session (probably not recorded live, despite the title) as no more than a busman's holiday. He doesn't seem to have done much of any preparation, but just decided to wing it, since he doesn't know where to breathe or how to phrase; indeed, he often doesn't seem too clear on the lyrics or melodies of the songs. He adopts a breathy tenor of uncertain pitch throughout, always struggling just to get through. The result is a hopeless muddle and a considerable embarrassment. Singing standards may be harder than Rod Stewart thinks it is, but for Mark Lindsay, it seems to be virtually impossible. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'Looking for Shelter'
Release Date 1/1/1990
Tracks 10
Label Mark Lindsay
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What The Critics Say
Mark Lindsay released his last major-label recording, a single, on Warner Bros. Records in 1977. But his last commercial success, as a solo act and as a member of Paul Revere & the Raiders, dates back to 1971. When he began hawking this new solo album at the start of the 1990s, he was looking for a new deal in a new era. (He didn't find one, but he eventually made the disc available on his www.MarkLindsay.com Website.) So, it is perhaps not surprising that Looking for Shelter doesn't sound anything like his 1960s rock hits with the Raiders or like the adult pop he made early in his solo career. What it does sound like is a contemporary pop/rock album, circa the mid-to-late 1980s, when it was recorded. Followers of Lindsay shouldn't be surprised, anyway, since the singer-songwriter was always chameleonic, consciously shaping his Raiders singles to sound like the latest work of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Here, he has clearly been listening to the synthesizer-dominated rock of the �80s, particularly acts like Thomas Dolby, Howard Jones, Starship, and Thompson Twins, among others. (Lead-off track �Man on a Mission" utilizes a riff that recalls Rick James' �Super Freak" and Falco's �Der Kommissar.") And his vocal versatility is equally adaptable. Old fans will occasionally recognize his voice, especially when he growls, but he has been listening to Phil Collins and Sting, and some of their sound comes out of him. The focus on style dominates an assessment of the album since the songs are more production ideas than anything else. �Back to You" is an attack on someone who betrayed the singer, whether an old lover or an old associate (Paul Revere?) is not clear, and �Smoking Gun" is a seriously intended call for environmental responsibility. But most of the songs are slight, if not outright novelties. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'The Best of Mark Lindsay'
Release Date 1/1/1985
Tracks 10
Label CBS Special Products
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What The Critics Say
In 1969, Mark Lindsay, lead singer, songwriter, and producer of Paul Revere & the Raiders, launched a solo career (while continuing his duties with the group) as a singer of middle-of-the-road pop. The market-savvy Lindsay, recognizing his band's declining fortunes, had also identified a new direction for himself. In the late '60s, horn-driven bands like Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago were succeeding, while, simultaneously, a new style of rock-influenced, country-tinged adult pop was being purveyed by such performers as Glen Campbell, Neil Diamond, and Tom Jones. Lindsay saw himself in this mold as a solo singer. He turned over production duties to Jerry Fuller, who had recently handled the board for a series of hits by Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, and he got Jimmy Webb, who had penned hits for Campbell, the 5th Dimension, and Richard Harris, to write his debut solo single, "First Hymn from Grand Terrace." It was only a minor chart entry, but the follow-up, "Arizona," hit the Top Ten and went gold in early 1970 and the next year Lindsay focused more on his solo career than he did on Paul Revere & the Raiders, resulting in another six singles-chart entries through the fall of 1971, among them the Top 40 hit "Silver Bird" as well as three chart LPs. But the singles did progressively less well and the surprise Raiders hit "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)" in the summer of 1971 caused Lindsay to turn his attention back to the group. He still released occasional solo singles over the next few years, but they didn't attract any attention. This budget-priced best-of gathers all eight of his chart singles as well as "Problem Child," a 1975 non-charting single, and "Counter Clockwise," which seems to be a previously unreleased track. "Problem Child" and the funky rocker "Are You Old Enough" (Lindsay's last charting single) have not been released on an album before. Thus, Lindsay and Raiders fans will want to pick up this collection; but more casual fans should also be interested, since Lindsay is a credible pop singer, and here is effectively performing songs written by Webb, Diamond, David Gates, and Mac Davis, among others. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
