Martha and the Muffins - Mystery Walk (1984)

Stripped down to just Martha Johnson and Mark Gane, and assorted studio musicians, Martha and the Muffins worked closely with producer Daniel Lanois for the third time. And, once again, it was a very successful combination.

Incorporating more funk and dance sound, perhaps due to being partially recorded in New York City, Martha and the Muffins continue their growth and expand their dimensions as a band. Once again, the album is full of melodic, well-constructed songs. "Cooling the Medium" and "Black Stations/White Stations" have some wonderfully memorable hooks; the latter also features the amazing bass of Tinker Barfield and the horn playing of Michael and Randy Brecker. The incredible beat structures throughout the album (provided, for the most part by Yogi Horton) make it almost impossible to sit still. But as with their previous two releases, this album is sound. Martha and the Muffins create sound through layering, and excellent producing and arrangements. Martha Johnson uses her voice quite effectively on this release, especially on "Come Out and Dance" and the wonderful gem "Rhythm of Life".


01 Black Stations/White Stations
02 Cooling the Medium
03 Come Out and Dance
04 I Start to Stop
05 Big Trees
06 In Between Sleep and Reason
07 Garden in the Sky
08 Nation of Followers
09 Alibi Room
10 Rhythm of Life


Martha Johnson - vocals, keyboards, percussion
Mark Gane - guitar, percussion, keyboards, vocals
Shawne Jackson - vocals
Julie Masi - vocals
Sharon Williams - vocals
Daniel Lanois - guitar, pedal steel
Eluriel Tinker Barfield - bass
Dave Pilch - bass
Michael Brecker - horn
Randy Brecker - horn
Wayne Mills - horn
Rufus Cappadocia - cello
Martin Deller - percussion
Dick Smith - percussion
Yogi Horton - drums
Tim Gane - drums
Fred Maher - drums

flac:
http://rapidshare.com/files/227772930/matm_mw.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/227780633/matm_mw.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/227782602/matm_mw.part3.rar

mp3:
http://rapidshare.com/files/228047458/matm_mw_loss.rar