Martin Rev

by Martin Rev

Overview

Though it's nowhere near as confrontational or abrasive as his work with Suicide at the time, Martin Rev's self-titled 1979 solo album takes many of the elements of the group's sound and explores them individually: The crisp drum pattern and pretty, naive synth melody in "Mari" sounds like an extrapolation of the proto-synth pop Rev and Alan Vega were working on at the time, while "Nineteen 86" features the insistent, sibilant drums and ominous drones that became Suicide trademarks. "Baby Oh Baby" could've easily appeared on one of the group's albums, though it's interesting to hear Rev's whispered, monotone delivery instead of Vega's alien-beatnik howl. But Marvel isn't just a Suicide album by another name; on many of the songs, Rev indulges his experimental leanings in different ways. "Temptation," the album's seven-minute centerpiece, mixes a wind chime-like melody and gusty synths into a hypnotic, though far from serene, meditation. "Jomo" and "Asia" mine similar territory, juxtaposing layers of synths and stiff percussion for a mechanical but still melodic feel. Overall, Marvel sounds like an enjoyable working holiday for Rev; it features lots of interesting ideas that aren't quite fully developed but are still well-worth hearing, especially for Suicide fans -- as long as they don't expect Suicide-caliber material. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	03/22/2024
Label:	Bureau B
UPC:	4015698764598
Rank:	67047

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Martin Rev   Primary Artist,Vocals

Technical Credits

Martin Rev   Composer,Producer
John Dodge   Digital Remastering
Greg Curry   Engineer
Charles Ball   Producer
Cynthia Fetty   Producer,Layout Design
Earl Klugh   Composer
Steve Barker   Liner Notes
Nacio Herb Brown   Composer