Mark Newman - Must Be a Pony

All Music Guide

Mark Newman's "Must Be A Pony" seems to be based on that hopefully optimistic joke about so much (expletive) in the room that there must be a pony in there. On a mostly bluesbased album it's actually one of the poppier and mainstream tracks, perhaps subconsciously emulating John Lennon's "I Dig A Pony" from the Let It Be disc. The singer pairs up Wings/Ian Hunter percussionist Steve Holley with the great Anton Fig on the title tune with coproducer Keith Lentin providing bass and piano. It's an intriguing essay worthy of further study. In concert Newman is a formidable presence, a great player who, like Marty Balin guitarist Kerry Kearney and John Sinclair axeman Ted Drozdowski, is dedicated to his craft. He's absolutely eloquent on "Hard In The Rain" which he cowrites and cosings with Domingo Samudio a.k.a. Sam Samudio of Sam The Sham The Pharoahs, whom Newman tours with on occasion. There's another cowrite with Sam The Sham, a pleasant tune entitled "Wanda" featuring Mark Newman on a...ll instruments guitar, bass, keyboard and vocal, along with the Anton Fig again on drums (he appears on three tracks). "Love Won't Ever Pass This Way Again" is introspective and soulful with the singer's passionate vocal front and center. Newman and Lentin weave interesting textures in the production department, a cover of The Bee Gees "New York Mining Disaster, 1941, that group's first American hit from 1967, works well as an acoustic with Gordon Lightfoot overtones. Must Be A Pony is impressive on many levels, 14 entertaining tracks that warrant further exploration. - Joe Viglione, All Music Guide Read more Less