« Back to Top Level | Mariani

Mariani - Perpetuum Mobile (1970)

Track listing:
  1. Searching For A New Dimension 5:41
  2. Interlude 0:32
  3. Re-Birth Day 5:53
  4. Interlude II 0:30
  5. Things Are Changing 4:45
  6. Interlude III 0:35
  7. Lord, I Just Canīt Help Myself 2:55
  8. The Unknown Path 5:59
  9. Euphoria 11:29
  10. Message 2:22
  11. Windy Planet 6:09
  12. Re-Birth Day (Bonus Single Version) 3:06
  13. Memories (Bonus) 2:08

Notes

Ultra-rare album originally released as acetate only in 1970 by Austin based psychedelic rock-blues combo featuring a 16 year old Eric Johnson, Vince Mariani and Jay Podolnick...contains two bonus tracks from a rare single 'Re-Birth Day' and 'Memories'.

This Mariani album comes in either a plain white cover with MARIANI written at the upper right or a cover with stamped info MARIANI at upper right, PERPETUUM MOBILE at upper right, SONOBEAT STEREO at lower right and ADVANCE COPY with a handwritten number at lower left. Thatīs all.

Labels have the numbers HEC 411 / HEC 412.

The record sold for $10.000 mentioned above had the cover with stamped info

Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck:
A trio called Mariani originally recorded Perpetuum Mobile in 1970. In 2001 Akarma Records resurrected this sought after collectable. A young 16-year-old guitarist was making some noise then, his name was Eric Johnson. Many music lovers found out about Johnson through his breakthrough album Ah Via Musicom in 1990. After The Ventures had initiated me and opened my ears to instrumental rock, I heard Johnson's song "Trademark," which was enjoying a steady rotation on FM radio. Enamored by the new sound, I consequently started my search for all the instrumental guitar music that I could get my hands on.

This reissued classic rock-blues album comes packaged in gatefold sleeve with the original stunning artwork and lengthy and informative liner notes that fill up both sides of the inner sleeves.

I really did not know what to expect when I put this platter on my turntable. I thought it might have been one of those castaway recordings that you hear 30 years after the fact. This however was not the case. Johnson, Vince Mariani (drums, vocals), and Jay Podolick (bass, vocals) were a powerful trio. Johnson was only a 16-year-old kid but he sounded years beyond capabilities as a lead guitar player.

The cuts recorded for this album were not for the faint of heart or meant for top-forty airplay, some are complex jams that run for over five minutes. The beginning of side two starts things off with a Vanilla Fudge/Cactus like blues-rock session. That song was the decisive factor for me. It solidified in my mind that Johnson was indeed big league material long before he received that recognition.

It is time to blow the dust off your turntable and start your LP collection again. This album will inspire you ... I guarantee it. Even if you are not interested in the music, the cover alone is a real eye catcher for science fiction buffs or album art collectors. I loved the entire package myself, and was enlightened once again about an artist I have always enjoyed.