Members have included bassist Paul Harwood, drummer Jimmy Ayoub, and guitarist Vince Marino (Frank's brother); the band has continued with other members, always under Frank Marino's leadership. After a long absence, the band announced plans to tour in the United States in October of 2006.
Discography:
* 1972 Maxoom
* 1974 Child of the Novelty
* 1975 Strange Universe
* 1976 Mahogany Rush IV
* 1977 World Anthem
* 1978 Live
* 1979 Tales Of The Unexpected
* 1980 What's Next
* 1981 The Power of Rock & Roll
* 1982 Juggernaut
* 1987 Full Circle
* 1988 Double Live
* 1992 From The Hip
* 1997 Dragonfly-Best of Mahogany Rush
* 2000 Eye of the Storm
* 2003 RealLIVE!
He was born Francesco Antonio Marino on November 20, 1954 in Montreal, Canada. Half Italian and half Arabic, Frank is one of five children and only has a 7th grade education that even included a short stint in military school. "Those years were the late sixties and everyone was into the hippie peace movement and we were so busy getting stoned that we certainly didn't want to attend school. All we did besides getting stoned was listen to Hendrix, The Doors, The Beatles and a few others as well as getting involved in movements such as peace, love, anti-war etc. Those were definitely the days, not like now where many young people seem to be into negativism and hate".
It was during those days that his experimentation with LSD would lead him to what was later to become the definition of his life. As a young person doing far too much acid, he couldn't really understand when it finally caught up with him and gave him such an incredibly vivid experience that was so overwhelming, that it landed him in the hospital. "This experience became the basis of everything that I was to do in music, including the name Mahogany Rush, which was a description I would use to describe a certain sensation that I was having on the trip. The artwork on the albums, Child of the Novelty and Strange Universe are an artist's rendition of my trip as told by me to the artist, Ivan Schwartz, who has since passed away".
Since this early drug experience later became known to the press that covered his career, and since he played much in the style of Jimi Hendrix who had recently died, these sensationalists created stories that to this very day Frank has tried immensely and unsuccessfully to dismiss. "The most often heard story is that I took an overdose and woke up from a coma in the hospital and somehow became the spirit of Hendrix, or that I met this spirit and it entered me, endowing me with this amazing ability to play a guitar and magically know everything about it. Later on the story changed into a version that said I was in a car accident, died and came back as Jimi Hendrix in my body. They never ask me the truth and when I told them, they wouldn't listen. The short truth about it is that I learned how to play guitar while recuperating from my trip. The guitar became a soothing help for me because of my great fear of letting my mind wander back into the trip if I wasn't occupied and besides it was the only thing in the hospital relaxation room. I never even thought about the guitar before since I played the drums quite well anyway. I had this trip while Hendrix was still alive and began to play his music because it matched perfectly to what I was going through at the time".
It was only a few short years later after many different band members, that Frank Marino recorded his first album. "In the early years I played in a church and even on a float in a parade. I did mostly cover songs by The Doors, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Cream, Johnny Winter, The Beatles and even The Grateful Dead as well as a few originals that I had written".
Frank Marino's music never reached the mainstream of popularity, but has had a devoted fan base that has grown over the years. Being sober now for over 35 years, he still plays with the enthusiasm that he's always had. Frank is into his music and doesn't really care for the business side of it and has always produced his own albums as well as writing and arranging all of the music. If you ever get a chance to see him play live, don't pass it up. I have been a devoted fan for 30 years and welcome any newcomers with open arms.
External links:
* Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush Official Fan Page
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Answer
Mahogany Rush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah!
I'm standin'
Inside a silver room
A sound inside my head
Like a sonic boom
Well, the preacher
Just you don your purple and black
In my naked back
Said, hey preacher
And he smiles in return
I think you wanna' see me burn, Yeah!
You're squeezin' off my blood
Please tell me why
But he proceeded to break down and cry
Yeah!
Aw, does someone know the answer
Aw, Yeah!
Tell me Lord, does someone know the answer
Oh, yeah
Hey!
I'm floatin'
Beyond the cosmic dream
A feelin' in my throat
Makes me wanna' scream
Well, aw, lover
Who has no love to spare
Is rippin' out the roots
Of my lovin' hair
Said, hey lover
And she made a drunken face
Well, put yourself in my place, yeah
Please tell me why you wanna' see me hurt at all
But she proceeded to break down and bawl
Yeah!
Aw please, does someone know the answer
Aw, does anybody know the answer
Well, I'm old
I'm tired and low
I'm feelin' like a rainy day
I'm searchin' for a being
Who's seen what I've seen
And I know I'll find him someday
Oh, I know I'll find him someday
I know I'll find him someday
Mahogany Rush's "The Answer" is a complex and introspective song that deals with the search for meaning and solutions to problems. The lyrics describe a variety of situations in which the singer is seeking help or answers, but no one seems to be able to provide them. In the first verse, the singer is in a "silver room" with a "sound inside [his] head like a sonic boom." He encounters a preacher who is "tearin' sacred pictures in [his] naked back." The singer asks the preacher why he is doing this, but the preacher only smiles and squeezes his blood. The singer then asks if anyone knows the answer, if anyone can tell him why.
The second verse switches to a dream-like state in which the singer is "floatin' beyond the cosmic dream" and feeling like screaming. He encounters a lover who has "no love to spare" and is "rippin' out the roots of [his] lovin' hair." The singer again asks why this is happening and pleads for someone to know the answer.
The third and final verse shifts to a more reflective tone, with the singer describing himself as "old," "tired and low" and searching "for a being who's seen what [he's] seen." He expresses a confidence that he will find this being someday.
Overall, "The Answer" is a deeply personal and emotional song that deals with themes of pain, confusion, and seeking answers. While the lyrics are somewhat vague and open to interpretation, they suggest a mindset of feeling lost and confronting various forms of pain without being able to find any solutions.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey!
Attention-grabbing interjection
Yeah!
Confirmation or agreement
I'm standin'
The singer is in a silver room
Inside a silver room
The artist is currently positioned within a silver room
A sound inside my head
The artist is experiencing a noise within their mind
Like a sonic boom
The noise within the singer's head is as loud and jarring as an explosion caused by the supersonic flight of an aircraft
Well, the preacher
The singer is referring to a preacher
Just you don your purple and black
The preacher is in attire consisting of both purple and black garments
Is tearin' sacred pictures
The preacher is ripping up sacred images
In my naked back
The preacher is damaging the artist's unprotected back
Said, hey preacher
The singer is addressing the preacher
And he smiles in return
The preacher responds to the artist's words with a smile
I think you wanna' see me burn, Yeah!
The singer believes the preacher wants them to experience pain or torment, possibly even physical harm
You're squeezin' off my blood
The preacher's actions are inhibiting the flow of blood within the singer's body
Please tell me why
The singer is requesting an explanation from the preacher
But he proceeded to break down and cry
The preacher begins to weep
Yeah!
Confirmation or agreement
Aw, does someone know the answer
The singer is questioning if anyone knows the answer to their predicaments
Aw, Yeah!
Confirmation or agreement
Tell me Lord, does someone know the answer
The artist is directly asking God if anyone knows the answer to their issues
Oh, yeah
Confirmation or agreement
Hey!
Attention-grabbing interjection
I'm floatin'
The singer is currently in a state of being disconnected or untethered
Beyond the cosmic dream
The artist has surpassed the limits of reality and entered the realm of the infinite
A feelin' in my throat
The singer is experiencing a sensation in their throat
Makes me wanna' scream
The sensation felt in the singer's throat is so intense it is causing a desire to scream
Well, aw, lover
The singer is addressing someone they are romantically involved with
Who has no love to spare
The person referred to in the previous line does not have any love to give
Is rippin' out the roots
The individual the artist is addressing is violently removing the roots of something
Of my lovin' hair
The object being violently pulled out of the singer is their hair, which represents affection or love
Said, hey lover
The singer is addressing the individual previously mentioned as their lover
And she made a drunken face
The lover is reacting to the artist's statement with a face indicative of being heavily intoxicated
Well, put yourself in my place, yeah
The artist is requesting the lover understand their point of view or actions
Please tell me why you wanna' see me hurt at all
The artist is asking their lover why they would want to cause them pain
But she proceeded to break down and bawl
In response, the lover begins to break down and cry loudly
Yeah!
Confirmation or agreement
Aw please, does someone know the answer
The singer is expressing a plea for anyone to have the answer to their complicated situation
Aw, does anybody know the answer
The singer is reiterating their question in the hopes of receiving a response
Well, I'm old
The singer has aged significantly
I'm tired and low
The artist is emotionally and physically drained
I'm feelin' like a rainy day
The artist's emotional state is akin to a dreary, wet day
I'm searchin' for a being
The singer is on the hunt for another being
Who's seen what I've seen
The singer is searching for someone who has witnessed the same things they have
And I know I'll find him someday
The artist expresses confidence in their ability to find this person at a later date
Oh, I know I'll find him someday
The artist reiterates their belief that they will eventually locate this being
Contributed by Julia V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.