Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
To live at liberty is perhaps the aim of us all, to live without authority or control, to observe freely, have the right of self-determination, and above all to have our stories told without prejudice or the judgement of intolerance rearing its ugly head as the world listens to a thousand souls yearning to be heard.
Every street, every close, block of tenement flats, run down and neglected housing estate, posh and hedge constantly trimmed country house, has a story within its bosom, an ant in the spider’s web trying to free itself from the sticky mess and be free, using its influence to help others avoid the traps set, passing on the message of the observational and The Road To Liberty we all wish to witness for ourselves.
The new double album by Mark Harrison is one such set of observations set to the heartbeat of humanity which exemplify the struggle of narrative freedom being taken seriously. In a world that is often gorging itself and consumed by the art of the conspiratorial silence, where they say to ‘open up’ and be yourself and then damn you for doing so behind, Mark Harrison’s sense of joy at the reveal of the secrets of ‘the streets’ is fascinating, overwhelmingly cool, and encouraging.
The sixth studio album by the lauded troubadour is one that is not afraid of the conflict and turmoil we seek to address the falsehood and veneer imposed by others, and for Mark Harrison the liberty comes from cross examination of the moments observed and the pleasure of turning them in to vocalised novellas, of buoyant musical modern parables.
A double album can at times be an exhausting affair for the listener, and it is only human to lose track of the experience unless your concentration levels are kept in trim and exercised regularly, but if the listener can bypass the side streets and smaller alleyways that beckon, the diversion of ginnel and the empty wide-open space, in The Road To Liberty the way to heartfelt greatness will be revealed.
Through tracks such as the opener Tribulation Time, Passing Through, Club Of Lost Souls, the excellent Toolmaker’s Tools, Wheels Going Round, Last Bus Home, Hard Life, Go Nice, Curl Your Toes and the supreme Don’t Let The Crazy Out Of The Bag (Too Soon), Mark Harrison delivers a double album that is exceptional, mind changing, and one that allows the listener more than just a peep through the curtains, it welcomes them in to the home, pours a cup of tea and relates the tales that make the street come alive.
The Road To Liberty is not paved with gold, for such gilded treasures are worthless when you have the greatest currency of all, the freedom of expression, the autonomy of self.
Ian D. Hall