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m Hootie’s Mark Bryan celebrates his past with friends by Boyd Fulmer Jr. Gamecock Critic Since the beginning of Hootie and the Blowfish, Mark Bryan has not been a front man, but his ability to shine comes through very strongly in this “labor of passion.” His first solo album, 30 on the Rail, came about from the abun dance of songs that were put aside after being offered to the rest of the band, but didn’t quite make it onto albums. In writing songs with Hootie, Bryan commented on the amount of compromise necessary in their collaborative efforts, but with this album, able to have most of the say on how things should sound. Bryan took the trip back down the road into the history of Hootie and the Blowfish when he took his makeshift band to Reflections Studios in Charlotte, N.C., in 1997. This seems to be a return to his roots, considering this studio is the very location of the recording of Hootie and the Blow r .. ! _ 11 _ _ 11311 3 in3t liio/vji aiuuui, Kootchypop, in 1993. At that time, in 1997, the band had decided to take a small break just after returning from ex tensive touring for Fair weather Johnson (their critically acclaimed “sophomore- effort). The guys in the band were ready to take a break, but Bryan was too anxious to get back in the studios and crank out more music. So he de cided to go ahead with the songs that he had put aside over an 8-year pe riod. Within two weeks, all of the songs that were to appear on the album had been recorded. This collaborative effort mainly consisted of Fred Leblanc, drummer and lead man for Cowboy Mouth; Peter Holsap ple, of the Continental Drifters; and Don Dixon, producer and bass player. Bryan said that these people were chosen be cause of what they could contribute to the album; long-term friendships . J _ -_ OilU 311CC1 CUIUUUU. “I’ve never seen a drummer put more energy into a song than he does, and this session was no different,” Bryan said on choosing Leblanc to be the drummer. Holsapple was chosen for the album mainly because of the amount of recording experience Bryan had with him. “He has that knack for coloring in a song with the perfect in strument or just the right texture,” he said. Dixon was chosen to do a lot of work on the album because of his ability on bass, but he also contributed greatly by teaching Bryan how to soften the rough edges of his singing. One recording of “City by the River” was done solely by Dixon himself to show Bryan what he thought the phrasing of the song should sound like. Though Bryan enjoyed working on this solo effort, he wants peo ple to understand he is not leaving Hootie. “This is not about a solo career or about being a front man. I’m already in a band that I love being a part of. For me, this pro ject is about songs,” he said. This passion for all types of music shows, especially when peo ple ask how to classify this album. It is definitely a guitar-driven rock album, with heavy folk influences, as was Musical Chairs, Hootie’s most recent album. “If It Happens” sets off the album with its rough-around-the-edges guitar sound, but shows its lyrical bril liance. This song shows the anticipation of moving forward in fife, and it shows a lot of the ability that has been developed in his years of being lead guitar. “All That I Believe” is a settling into the major themes of the al bum, yet it is a major changeover from the guitar-driven sound to one driven mainly by drummer Leblanc. lne third song on the album, 1 he Sto ry Goes On” is one of the album’s highlights. In the rough mix, Bryan’s dog, Ripkin, can be heard barking in the background between songs. At this point in the album, the mood changes dramatically, in “City By A River.” With Danielle Howie singing backup, the local flair of the album takes the forefront. It seems to be a perfect reminder of sitting on the side of the river one night and watch ing the reflection of the moon. “I wrote about inspiration, support and belief in oneself,” Bryan said about “City By A River.” Further into the album comes “Drinkin’ You Pretty,” which came about with the support of Hobex from North Car olina and a new addition to the FishCo. Group (to which Hootie belongs). The in spiration for this song admittedly came from “alcohol-sodden blues” at a party that Bryan went to in Shandon. This song is likely to be the first released song off the album, which will hit AAA (Adult Album Alter native) and college radio stations. “I’ll Fade Away” comes as the next track, in which the length of time that Mark has been playing with the rest of Hootie is obvious. In this track, the references to Co lumbia continue to flow. The reference to a long-passed bar shows the amount of time that has passed since the inception of many of these songs, and the time in which Bryan was able to get them into a polished groove. With “Fall Into Fall,” the direct cor relation between the vibe that directed Mu sical Chairs to be considered one of Hootie’s best albums, takes tins song ana snows me anility to create a aown home” sound to the album. Mark taps into the personal yearning held by just about everyone to spend some time just relaxing on the front porch of some old farmhouse. The same feeling continues to the short but intricate “Hallway to Nowhere,” in which Blue Dogs’ bassist Hank Futch and others turn the vibe into one of homespun bluegrass. This final song of the album, “She Stays In Love,” comes out of the final offering of musical influence on Bryan. A very fast-paced song, it’s comparable to the type of punk you can hear from out side a local club (at least, as much as is expected from a member of Hootie and the Blowfish). He said the purpose of writing this song was to show how finicky the girls of Five Points could be when he used to tread those very streets. The end of the album contains prob ably the best thing one person will ever hear Leblanc say. Through the pickups on his drumset, you can hear him scream, “I cannot play Photos Courtesy of FishCo. Mark Bryan of Hootie and the Blowfish records with members of the Blue Dogs, Cowboy Mouth and Hobex on his first solo album. In 30 On The Rail, Bryan pays homage to a younger time in his life from which most of these songs come. this shit anymore!” From the catchy pop to bluegrass/folk to the more intense rock, this album has something that will attest to the abilities of at least one member of the Hootie cast. Bryan said the influences of this album are the experiences he had in his 20s. They show the evolu tion and the maturation process he went through. Each song could be used to represent one small segment of his life, and to rewrite those would probably affect the entire sound of the songs. The title of the album, in itself, provides the veritable closing chapter on this segment of his life. While out for the celebration of Dave Armstrong’s 30th birthday, Bryan watched him frequently jump out of his seat and yell, “30 on the rail” while in Group Therapy. .Bryan attributes the inspirations in his music to several of to day’s legends in the pop/rock and independent music world He directly credits the likes of Pete Townsend Bruce Springsteen, Paul Westerbeig and the great Bob Dylan. In a press release, Bryan notes that he “hasn’t been much of a lead singer, but you know what they say, ‘If Dylan can do it....’” Today, he said he looks to artists such as the Foo Fighters, Lauryn Hill, the Old 97’s and Wilco for in fluence. As much as he looks to the inspiration of other artists on his music, he also holds a great deal of passion for his days at WUSC. His strong feelings toward the future of rock music can be seen as something that probably gained a lot from this period Talking to him, I got the feeling that he still remembers the days when he used to be a disc jockey for 90.5, which was notorious for its sup port of local artists. This passion for college radio has led him into the early stages of cultivating a station on the campus of the College Bryan seepages