Marakesh were a mid 1970s Dutch band that came and went without much notice. Band leader Dick de Jong had played in the final incarnation of Supersister and with that experience created his own collective. Marakesh is typical of many bands from the Netherlands, where the focus is on the melody more than chops, or complex composition. At times I'm reminded of the same-era German bands such as Indigo and Fly. Especially the latter, considering the saxophone presence. Keyboards are made up of the trusty Hammond organ and an ARP String Synthesizer. What gives Marakesh a slight edge over other albums of its ilk is the inspired and overly amplified electric guitar work. This is especially apparent on two of the longer (and better) tracks 'Autumn / DY 49' and 'Hounted Man', the latter named for guitarist Evert Houtman. 'I Will Stay' is another highlight and the album closes in funky fashion with the overly sexualized 'Will You Do It'. One can see the transition from the early 70s Netherlands bands like Pantheon, Cargo, and Earth & Fire to Marakesh - and then onto the proto neo-progressive groups like Saga, a style that seemed to be an enormous influence on all modern era Dutch groups. The duo of Mirror and Lethe are also guideposts, though Marakesh weren't quite the masters of melody as those groups could be. Overall Marakesh proves to be an excellent album, one that requires a few listens to penetrate due to its diversity of sound.
Priority: 2
8/30/10
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