Blakely-Martinez
BLAKELY-MARTNEZ
©2007 Independently Released
Review by Lucky Boyd

Sometimes the motive is as important as the result.  It speaks to the driving force behind something and gives you insight into why a certain thing becomes what it is.  This album has a pure and simple motive; to be an artistic and heartfelt connection between Mike Blakely and his fans, john Arthur martinez and his fans, and the masses that love hearing them perform together.  Artists often release a disc in the hopes of changing their career somehow, but these two already have the dream career.  They both do what they love doing and have garnered a wide base of fans doing it.  I’ve always said there’s a great career to be had in this business without becoming the next Garth Brooks.  Well, these two prove my point.  Each has achieved national and international acclaim while remaining friendly, accessible, good guys from Marble Falls, Texas.  They love their fans and this disc is a love letter of sorts to them all.  The music is what you would expect from the pair, pristinely engineered by none other than Larry Nye, and expertly performed by a minimal group of rock-solid musicians.  The feel throughout most of the album is certainly South Texas, which has become a discernable genre largely due to the efforts of Blakely and jAm.  The writing, vocal performances, and arrangements are classic Blakely-Marinez and you’ll enjoy the bonus cuts.  If you’re an old rocker like me, listen to “Sweet On You” (written by Kent Finlay and Mike Blakely) and imagine it being covered by the rock band AC/DC.  I can’t help it; I hear Angus Young shreddin’ this song up!  Check out the blues diddy “You Don’t Have To Go Home” and you’ll know why these two are playing sold-out shows all over Texas.  Fellow MTM member Mike Siler co-writes a couple of the tunes, and fellow MTM member John Greenburg appears playing harmonica as well.  It’s no wonder this is such a great album since Blakely, Martinez, Siler, and Greenburg have all been honored at the Texas Music Awards for their efforts.