AMG Review of Ashes and Light

Dave Sleger
All Music Guide

Mark Heard always had a preference for acoustic-based pop music, but most of his early said efforts were either wimpy or sketchy affairs that lead to understandable yet unshakable comparisons with James Taylor and other uninteresting singer-songwriter types. After a mediocre Eye of the Storm in 1983, Heard took giant steps in perfecting his craft with this album, his most consistent to date. Here he enlists the services of ex-Alpha Band and Bob Dylan picker and future Bruce Hornsby sideman David Mansfield to adorn his intelligent pop songs with acoustic guitar, dobro, and fiddle. While Heard concentrated on rock-oriented material for the next several years, this recording would be the foundation for his early '90s masterpieces Dry Bones Dance and Second Hand.