Now that the Higgs boson has been detected, explaining the popularity of Grand Funk Railroad is one of last big questions. To my ears, there must be a thousand bands playing a thousand frat parties every weekend who are no better and no worse than GFR. (Well, at least there were back in my school days...)
Oh yay, good band. They had some rockin' tunes all the way up to 1976. Especially the first three albums which had nice tight songs that established them for their way up. Heartbreaker, TNUC, Paranoid, High Falootin Woman,Mean Mistreater, good cover of Inside Looking Out and of course I'm Your Captain.
Saw them twice Live at MSG back in the early 70's. Good stuff!
They produced some good-enough meat-n-taters rock in their day. But then, they also produced "I'm Your Captain", which is a sublimely great song and found its way onto my very first cassette comp of my all-time favorite songs (along with Savoy Brown's "Train To Nowhere", Elvis' "Mystery Train", Mountain's "Nantucket Sleighride), "Pipeline" by the Chantays, CCR's "Ramble Tamble", Canned Heat's "On The Road Again", Blues Image's "Ride Captain Ride".....I'm obviously American, what with a theme of movement in all these songs). C in California
Ken D...explain GFR's popularity? Therein lies insanity. Best to leave the question to future Sociologists. Perhaps, in the fullness of time, they can puzzle it out. My approach is to view that question with a small sense of wonder, tempered with a soft disgust.
Now, having said that, I do love the big four GFR songs: I'm your Captain, American Band, Bad Time and Some Kinda Wonderful. None of that makes up for their version of Gimme Shelter, mind you. Some sins stain you deep in the soul. Deep.
They were always everyone's guilty little pleasure, even some of the critics who castigated the hell out of Farner & Crew... and, c'mon, Todd even produced a couple of their albums
GFR get slagged off, Joan Jett takes Cobains's place at Nirvana HOF induction show.
Please explain this to me, but first listen to Jett's brilliant "Fake Friends." Truly a song for the ages. If your age is 7.
By the way, why didn't they get Salman Rushdie to induct Cat Stevens? Would have been highly appropriate.
Anyway, I will defend GFR - a product of their time, as were many bands of that era - to my last breath. They were huge in their time, their hits sounded great on the radio. Jann Wenner can blow me.
About a year ago I decided to check out GFR to see if I had mellowed (or whatever) at all... I got thru the first five albums and gave up, it all sounded so wooden and contrived to my aged ears.
I'm a fan. Mark Farner is a great old-school front man with powerful pipes and a great sense for classic guitar riffing. And I think Don Brewer is as solid as they come. Like KISS, the critics have always hated them. GFR are just are what they are, and in my book there's nothing wrong with loud, blues-based piece rock and roll.
One thing I noticed in the comments is a judging of the music and bands with modern eyes. It's 1969 and the air is full of music. Grand Funk filled that slot that bands like they did, loud, rocking and accessible. Come on, Jed Clampett hat and a polka dot shirt. The essence of 1969. Grand Funk was a midwestern band and they were helping to breakdown those barriers built up against the Left and Right Coasts. Sophisticated, no. Background music for doobs and beer out in the fields, absolutely perfect. Especially that bass that was so cranked up it sounded like the speakers were cracked.
Judging the music of yesterday with the eyes of today is like saying today's phones are sooo much better than the phones were 45 years ago.
100% Nay - in college (about a decade ago) I was recording a decent indie rock band and the guitar player was OBSESSED with GFR. He would go on and on and on about how their version of 'Some Kind of Wonderful' was THE definitive version. Of course he also prefered the Manfred Mann version of 'Blinded By the Light', so what the hell did he know.
I can't imagine a reason to ever voluntarily listen to them. I would rather listen to Three Dog Night and Foghat. And I absolutely HATE Foghat.
First album I ever bought. It is what it is. Good mindless rnr. Mr. Limousine Driver!! They were so bad they were good. Can say that about a few bands. Long live the Funk!!
Grand Funk was the band everyone pretended not to like after finding out that they weren't supposed to like them. Their music does not hold up well, but at the time if was good fun to listen to.
"I'm Your Captain" is high on the list of songs I remember from the dorm freshman year. Before I found out I wasn't supposed to like this band. Or Humble Pie. Or Deep Purple.
20 comments:
Now that the Higgs boson has been detected, explaining the popularity of Grand Funk Railroad is one of last big questions. To my ears, there must be a thousand bands playing a thousand frat parties every weekend who are no better and no worse than GFR.
(Well, at least there were back in my school days...)
It's no "Bad Time".
I vote Nay (and I say this as somebody from the Detroit-area who has a soft spot for all Detroit-area rock bands -- including GFR...)
Oh yay, good band. They had some rockin' tunes all the way up to 1976. Especially the first three albums which had nice tight songs that established them for their way up. Heartbreaker, TNUC, Paranoid, High Falootin Woman,Mean Mistreater, good cover of Inside Looking Out and of course I'm Your Captain.
Saw them twice Live at MSG back in the early 70's. Good stuff!
Oh and, great Song Of The Day, as usual.
They produced some good-enough meat-n-taters rock in their day. But then, they also produced "I'm Your Captain", which is a sublimely great song and found its way onto my very first cassette comp of my all-time favorite songs (along with Savoy Brown's "Train To Nowhere", Elvis' "Mystery Train", Mountain's "Nantucket Sleighride), "Pipeline" by the Chantays, CCR's "Ramble Tamble", Canned Heat's "On The Road Again", Blues Image's "Ride Captain Ride".....I'm obviously American, what with a theme of movement in all these songs).
C in California
Hello all...no, please remain seated,
Ken D...explain GFR's popularity? Therein lies insanity. Best to leave the question to future Sociologists. Perhaps, in the fullness of time, they can puzzle it out. My approach is to view that question with a small sense of wonder, tempered with a soft disgust.
Now, having said that, I do love the big four GFR songs: I'm your Captain, American Band, Bad Time and Some Kinda Wonderful. None of that makes up for their version of Gimme Shelter, mind you. Some sins stain you deep in the soul. Deep.
Oh...Sal...the song sucks. To me, anyway.
Best regards,
RichD
Definitely Yay.
They were always everyone's guilty little pleasure, even some of the critics who castigated the hell out of Farner & Crew...
and, c'mon, Todd even produced a couple of their albums
I love this tune. Crap lyrics, but who cares? GFF were always half good, half crap. But the half good stuff kicks ass.
GFR get slagged off, Joan Jett takes Cobains's place at Nirvana HOF induction show.
Please explain this to me, but first listen to Jett's brilliant "Fake Friends." Truly a song for the ages. If your age is 7.
By the way, why didn't they get Salman Rushdie to induct Cat Stevens? Would have been highly appropriate.
Anyway, I will defend GFR - a product of their time, as were many bands of that era - to my last breath. They were huge in their time, their hits sounded great on the radio. Jann Wenner can blow me.
About a year ago I decided to check out GFR to see if I had mellowed (or whatever) at all... I got thru the first five albums and gave up, it all sounded so wooden and contrived to my aged ears.
I'm a fan. Mark Farner is a great old-school front man with powerful pipes and a great sense for classic guitar riffing. And I think Don Brewer is as solid as they come. Like KISS, the critics have always hated them. GFR are just are what they are, and in my book there's nothing wrong with loud, blues-based piece rock and roll.
Yay.... from the Funk of Grand
And a bigger"YAY!!!!!" for seeing a new Burning Wood post.
Oh, I remember the introductory, "Red Album."
One thing I noticed in the comments is a judging of the music and bands with modern eyes. It's 1969 and the air is full of music. Grand Funk filled that slot that bands like they did, loud, rocking and accessible. Come on, Jed Clampett hat and a polka dot shirt. The essence of 1969. Grand Funk was a midwestern band and they were helping to breakdown those barriers built up against the Left and Right Coasts. Sophisticated, no. Background music for doobs and beer out in the fields, absolutely perfect. Especially that bass that was so cranked up it sounded like the speakers were cracked.
Judging the music of yesterday with the eyes of today is like saying today's phones are sooo much better than the phones were 45 years ago.
Yay. I can't hate on Homer Simpson's favorite band.
"The wild, shirtless lyrics of Mark Farner, the bong rattling bass of Mel Schacher, the competent drumming of Don Brewer!"
I appreciate it for what it is, but I never want to hear it again.
100% Nay - in college (about a decade ago) I was recording a decent indie rock band and the guitar player was OBSESSED with GFR. He would go on and on and on about how their version of 'Some Kind of Wonderful' was THE definitive version. Of course he also prefered the Manfred Mann version of 'Blinded By the Light', so what the hell did he know.
I can't imagine a reason to ever voluntarily listen to them. I would rather listen to Three Dog Night and Foghat. And I absolutely HATE Foghat.
Cheers Sal - always a pleasure.
I think it's great. Crap lyrics and who cares? The London Souls care. Thanks for this!
@Mason, I prefer Manfred Mann's "Blinded By The Light."
A big hell Yea!
First album I ever bought. It is what it is. Good mindless rnr. Mr. Limousine Driver!! They were so bad they were good. Can say that about a few bands. Long live the Funk!!
Grand Funk was the band everyone pretended not to like after finding out that they weren't supposed to like them. Their music does not hold up well, but at the time if was good fun to listen to.
"I'm Your Captain" is high on the list of songs I remember from the dorm freshman year. Before I found out I wasn't supposed to like this band. Or Humble Pie. Or Deep Purple.
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