I can’t even remember the first time I heard the name Marco Mendoza, but over the years I’ve followed his career with various bands, interviewed and met him a few times, and for someone so obviously busy it’s remarkable that he’s always remembered me. Musically of course Marco has played with some real heavy-hitters from Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy to current main band The Dead Daisies. But if you want to hear the real Marco it’s always his solo albums that shine brightest and reflect the man best of all: both 2007’s ‘Live For Tomorrow’ and 2010’s follow up ‘Casa Mendoza’ are well worth giving a listen but it’s new album ‘Viva la Rock’ after a seven year gap that really captures the man at his best.
Indeed it’s been a while since Marco’s last solo album but on ‘Viva La Rock’ it feels like he’s picked up just where he left off with a nice, lose and diverse collection that not only showcases his talents as both a player and a song-writer, but also displays a maturity that comes from striding out on some of the world’s biggest stages. Recorded in Copenhagen with the multi-talented Soren Andersen (Glenn Hughes/Mike Tramp) at the helm ‘Viva La Rock’ is the album that proves that Marco is far more than to ‘go-to’ man for some of the world’s biggest Rock acts.
Title track ‘Viva La Rock’ comes bursting out of the speakers like a freight train and gives an instant hard rocking hit before ‘Sue Is On the Run’ takes it down just a notch to tell the tale of a troubled teenager in great lyrical fashion. It’s a song with real bite, resonance and a show’s that Marco is quite a lyricist to boot.
‘Rocket Man’ that follows isn’t a song about North Korea or even Elton John but a wild and wicked stomping rocker that picks up the pace again before ‘Sweetest Emotion’ kicks in some raucous soul replete with hand-claps and horns. The half way point is marked with a nice cover of Thin Lizzy’s ‘Chinatown’ (complete with a guest appearance by Guns N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus and Danish star Mike Tramp on additional vocals).
Side 2, if you buy the vinyl, kicks off with ‘Burned’ a chunky song which tells a tale of regret and not learning from mistakes and sports some fine wails before finding it’s soulful groove. ‘Love 2 U’ cuts like a funky knife, leaving the listener loved up and satisfied with some smooth melodies. It’s the restrained blue sky melodies of ‘Leah’ though, a song for Marco’s soulmate, that peaks the emotions with its gentle refrain and heartfelt lyric.
The album closes out with the Ted Nugent cover ‘Hey Baby’ (which was oddly the only song on Nugent’s 1975 solo debut penned by Derek St. Holmes) and the mid-tempo AOR groove of ‘Let It Flow’ which rounds out this exceptionally fine album in some real style. Marco Mendoza has produced a great album here proving that there’s a lot more to the man than his exceptional bass skills.
Marco Mendoza will support the “Viva La Rock” album with a European tour, which is currently being booked:
17.2. GER-Schwerin, Speicher
24.2 DK-Copenhagen, Halmtorvet 9
09.3. GER-Bückeburg, Schraub-Bar
10.3. GER-Isernhagen, Bluesgarage
13.3. GER-Hamburg, Hardrock Café
14.3. GER-Düsseldorf, Pitcher
16.3. GER-Viersen, Rockschicht
More dates across Europe to be added very soon.
