“Mark Campbell ~ Soulshaker Date: Saturday, August 25, 2001 @ 22:26:01 EST Topic: Reviews Mark Campbell/ Soulshaker (1997) Artist: Mark Campbell CD: Soulshaker Style: Rock Quote: "If you like Skynyrd, The King and modern country (i.e. classic rock with a slightly more emphasized twang), you deserve to give Mark a listen". By Mike Moore My preliminary pass through Soulshaker took place at work, and as I plunked through a status report and copy edited a pamphlet for the eighth time, I thought, "Hmm, standard classic rock. Ho-hum." But seldom do I hear a record for the first time and see it for what it really is, and even more seldom do I think anything's a hit from the very first time it soaks into my consciousness. Unfortunately, I'm not quite that gifted. So, I brought Mark Campbell's CD home, and after drinking most of my first beer on an empty stomach, I slipped on Soulshaker for a second go-round. The shuffling country rock of "Little Black Dress" started up, and in the context of my own home, after work, and heavily into "unwind" mode, I now thought, "Wait a minute, this stuff's kinda fun." The second track borrows much from the Allmans and Skynyrd, but in a great way, especially when Mark growls, "I'm in LOOOVE with you-ooh-ooooh" just like Gregg Allman. Mark often gets a little deeper as he second-guesses some particularly tough life decisions he's made over the years. By the time I got to rockin' ramblers like "Drive This Train" and the throwback tune "Hot For Elvis," it was pretty obvious that seeing Mark Campbell in a live setting would probably be the ultimate environment in which to experience his brand of down-home blooze-rock. Even if Soulshaker covers nearly zero new territory, there are certainly enough grooves and jams on this record to boogie down with while you wait for Mark's band, also called Soulshaker, to pass through your town. * Quote: "Baby, come fix me. I've got a broken heart." * Highs: The first four songs are strong, soulful and expertly performed. Plus, Mr. Campbell is quite a guitarist, a fact showcased on "Drive This Train" , among other tracks. * Fans: If you like Skynyrd, The King and modern country (i.e. classic rock with a slightly more emphasized twang), you deserve to give Mark a listen. * Indie-Notes: Packaging is adequate. There's a cool little Soulshaker symbol appearing throughout that's kind of neat and professional looking. Indie-Music.com received no real bio information from Mark, but with a CD like this one, the music does just fine speaking for itself. This article comes from Indie-Music.com http://www.indie-music.com” - Mike Moore