Mark Zeus - Thunderboltz Stone Face Records

By William Michael Smith

	Former Chicagoan Mark Zeus may not be a household name on the Texas music scene, but don't underestimate Mr. Zeus. A 20-year veteran of the Chicago music scene who has played everything from punk to alt-country to blues to folk, Mr. Zeus has a reputation as a journeyman performer, an insightful songwriter and a musician's musician. He also has a significant catalog of releases in numerous genres and has been in more bands than I've got fingers. Probably best known for his work on the bristling folk/coffeehouse circuit around Chicago, Mr. Zeus has a degree in Performing Arts with a minor in music from Northeastern Illinois University. On his recently released album, "Thunderboltz," he proves he knows what to do with that educational background. The album is an eclectic mish-mash of styles and tempos with some well-considered lyrics. Poetry seems to run in the family, as Zeus's brother is a respected published poet and professor back in the home state. Since his arrival in Houston less than a year ago, Zeus has become one of the busiest musicians on the Houston scene. Not only does he gig with his band, Thunderboltz, he also plays mandolin and sings backup vocals in Clay Farmer's acoustic lineup that holds court every Thursday happy hour at The Continental Club and he plays with the popular OKOM bar band, Tequila Cowboys. Although he's only been in Houston a short while, the Chicago transplant has already gained widespread respect among his musical peers on the local scene for his versatility and professionalism. Mainly recorded in Chicago but finished at Mark Shannon's Bungalow Studio in Houston, Zeus's new album is more musically ambitious than most of our local recorded product. Zeus can take us from a soft and thoughtful folk song to the edges of Pink Floydianism in the space of a few bars. His stated goal with this album was to fuse together the folk, blues, and rock genres with "American" rhythms, so we hear strong Latino influences on several of the tracks. And on other tracks we get some dirty downtown Chicago blues licks and suggestive lyrics. Zeus begins the album with a highly personalized, look-inside-my-head folk ballad, 'Put On A Dream.' All musicians and artists are dreamers at heart and they often see their dreams broken rather than fulfilled, but the true artists just keep dreaming. After 20 years of critical praise but little financial success or public recognition for his work, Zeus is as qualified as anyone to expound upon an artist and his chase of the dream. So you make it your life and you're making it still And when it all comes down around you there'll be so much time to kill So much time to kill, so much time to kill ... your dreams. Zeus makes an abrupt transition from quiet introspection to funky alt-country jam on 'Austin City Girls,' mixing blues, rock and fiddle to provide a rocking background for his take on the Austin scene. He even fires off a verse of commentary on the new Yuppies that populate our Capitol City with their penchant for Beamers, flashy jewelry and party nights. With his outsider's view, he may have nailed the phenomenon as well as any of our local songwriters, and the musical arrangement provides the perfect background canvas for his vocal gyrations. She's got the money if you've got the moves If you get it all together she's lookin' at you You get the notion and she makes the call Go step to the boogie at the Barnyard Ball 'Top Shelf,' inspired by a waitress at a Chicago rock club, is a Chicago big-city blues number filled with nasty Buddy Guy electric guitar by Tom O'Brien, a gripping, well-oiled rhythm track from bassist Scott Kassal and drummer Ron Barnes, and a rough-and-tumble, longing-for-the-untouchable-woman lyric that carries on one of the great traditions of the Chicago blues. Steve Wozny's organ battle with guitarist O'Brien is strong as witchs' brew. 'Ruby Red Lips' is another smoking blues number with desire for the opposite sex on center stage. Rico Russell renders some very tasty saxophone fills against Zeus's T. Rex electric guitar riffs. This is a turn-off-the-lights-and-let's-party track. Zeus and his Chicago mates stretch their musical imaginations on the funky but dark Leonard Cohen-like number, 'All We Don't Know.' They combine Latin rhythms and Ken Arlen's eerie recorder with some of Zeus's finest lyrics, which stand like a giant spiritual question mark as the track evolves. Trade a soul for the inside information, trade 'em all as the digit counters move Open wide for the floods of fornication that lubricate the groove Sellin' out to the masters of mediocre, sellin' short, squeeze the lemons dry Maybe it's more or less the lunar mystery of kissing it all goodbye. Another of Zeus's goals with this album, as well as one of his personal songwriting characteristics, is to deal realistically with political subjects. His 'Post Cold War Boogie,' a funky political rap with a mystical baritone saxophone and a Doobie Brothers backing vocal told from the point of view of a CIA agent whose career has took him "first to Sweden, then La Paz," mocks the spy mentality of all political sides. The commie agents of the KGB More and more they're lookin' just like me We survived the battle, won the war But who dies next, why, what for? If I'm born to kill, born to die Why am I so screwed up inside? We won the battle, won the war Who dies next, why, what for? One of the strongest songs on the album from both the songwriting and arranging sense is the epic, 'Ghosts of Galveston.' Zeus convincingly projects the paranormal tale of a musician passing through foggy Galveston on the way to a local gig with a dramatic and bluesy Harry Chapin voice. The pace is perfect to give the eerie touch needed to put the song across properly and Rico Russell's subtle oboe solo adds the necessary mystic underworld spookiness. As a new arrival on the third coast, Zeus may have written as good a song about Galveston since...well, 'Galveston.' 'Lima Dudes' is another unusual but outstanding politically inspired tune on which the Thunderboltz stretch out musically, with Rick Purro working some deep Latin percussive rhythms on timbales and Zeus playing some very stylish Latin guitar and mandolin licks. This track is a hot one, both musically and content-wise. The bluesy, deep-grooving 'Swamp' (complete with chirping frogs, staccato crickets, and buzzing mosquitoes) by the Houston version of the Thunderboltz (Tequila Cowboy Pat Neifert on guitar, Robert DiBanco on bass, Johnny Cavasos on drums, Kristen Jensen on fiddle, Melinda Mones and Lisa Novak on backing vocals) will put a knowing smile on the faces of listeners from the Bayou City. Houston, which Zeus describes as one of the most vibrant and friendly music scenes he's ever encountered, has always been known for its heat and humidity, often the primary "first impression" of most new arrivals. Zeus has not only fully captured that essence, he has also captured the musical basics of Houston and South Texas with this funky blues-rock number filled with low-down drumming and a lazy bass groove, with Neifert's slide guitar and Kristen Jensen's bluesy fiddle providing the heat and humidity required for any true portrayal of "the swamp" that is Houston. Judging by this cut, we have a lot of exciting music to look forward to as Mark Zeus gets more acclimatized Houston's musical swam. There are sounds on "Thunderboltz" that will remind listeners of everything from Muddy Waters to Pink Floyd to Harry Chapin. Zeus is a fine musical amalgamator, with the ability to combine Chicago blues with T. Rex rock, to weld Doobie Brothers backing vocals to Latin beats. On one cut, "Big Hair" a highly unflattering look at a certain segment of Chicago womanhood, he even uses dueling hair dryers to evoke the proper aesthetic tone. Zeus has a rubbery, supple voice that can sound like voodoo-hoodoo man Dr. John or some of the great Chicago blues shouters on one tune, then switch gears into a voice that evokes the vocal timbre of Chapin, Tom Russell, or even Hoyt Axton. He can sing rough and bluesy or he can sing with the clarity and emotion of the finest folk balladeers. With his music education and years of experience, Zeus's arrangements are unlike any others I've encountered recently, certainly here in the Bayou City. In fact, he has brought a whole new element to the Houston music scene. I'll certainly be looking out for the next stage in his musical development as he absorbs more of Texas' musical traditions and sounds. In the hands of Mark Zeus, the result should be something quite heady and most likely something we've never heard before. *Mark Zeus's latest CD, as well as two previous releases, can be purchased by visiting Mt. Olympus at www.markzeus.com Contact William Michael Smith at: wms-at-rockzilla.net

View My Guestbook Sign My Guestbook

The opinions expressed by Rockzillaworld columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rockzillaworld or Rockzilla. All content ©2001Rockzillaworld. All rights reserved.No part of this site may be reproduced or copied without the permission of the site owner. This includes html code. No animals were harmed during the creation of Rockzillaworld.