As many of you know,
Mark Weigle is my musical hero. I first encountered -- and fell in
love with --Mark Wiegle's music at a 2004 Arizona Pridefest. It
strikes me as criminal that he is not better known and recognized
for the brilliant and beautiful music he has made since The Truth Is. I
also should add that we have since become friends, enough so that he
gives me a thank you on this CD’s liner notes. (Joe Gage and
Armistead Maupin get mentions, so I am really honored by this.) It
therefore behooves me to add a disclaimer, while it also causes me
to beg of you not to pass by Mark's sixth album just because of my
nepotism. Like a good Bourbon or finely hewn piece of woodcraft,
maturity is adding finesse and luster to the music of Mark
Weigle.
(Information on
purchasing this CD can be found by clicking on the CD
cover.)
Mark is unafraid of calling things as he sees
then. There are songs that take pokes at our own stereotyping, as
when he sings "you gay your way and I'll go mine" on "Rainbow Ride."
Pointing out that not every gay male has a gym-membership or shops
at A&F, Mark makes songs that a large portion of the community
can relate to. It makes the UB40 reggae lead off track, "White Boy,"
an all the more humorous take on het-guy paranoias.
"Women want to cut off
your balls. Us gay guys want to do you,
oh, and you might like it,
too."
Having a future family member make the remark (when he
found us there was one of US in the family) "if he makes a pass at
me, I'll punch him in the face," I can relate to this strain of
silly stupidity. That Mark can take the wind from those sails so
effortlessly makes the chuckles come easier. As our own as
relationships flourish, Mark's songs of love ("Plenty" and "The One"
here) are nakedly emotional. Trying to discover what brings love to
you, as Mark probes in "To Know" and "All Kinds of Love" are also
right on target. So is "The Harry Hay Song," a tribute to a gay icon
and hero that needs to be heard. We so often allow our history to
evaporate without chronicling it, which is why this song (and "Tires
and Gasoline" from Soul Sex: Wrestling the
Angel/Versatile) are so
important.
Nostalgia plays an important role on this CD. "Sweet
Real" and "Used To Be" look back without being cloying or
saccharine, no easy task. There is so much to relate to on "Mark
Weigle," that calling it a step back from "Soul Sex" is difficult.
On that 2005 album, the Versatile half was graphic and grungy, right down to a Judas
Priest cover. This CD harkens back to the introspective
thoughtfulness of All That Matters
or Out of the Loop, all worth owning. But hands down, I am proud
to have this CD in my
library.
PS: There are
two re-recorded songs on "Mark Weigle."
"Your Laptop Screen" was a song I overlooked among the raunchier
material of "Versatile," and Mark's tale of seeing the object of his
affections disappear behind "the daily fresh meat" of the Internet
is worth a second hearing. While not as racy as the bulk of
"Versatile," the new version of "In The Last Five Minutes" is just
as jaw-dropping. In one simple twist, Mark makes the original m4m
lyric into one about a married male and female. While it might
alienate some of his long-standing fans, to me it underscores the
universal appeal of Mark's song writing skills. It may even be the
ballsiest move on Mark's album. There is no doubt in my mind:
This CD is one of 2007's best.
