| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| lemonade kid |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 22:39:39
MOBY GRAPE--WOW! 1969
Sometimes panned for being overproduced after their lean opening lp & masterpiece, it is now considered a great one and a must have.
HE, by Peter Lewis. Just beautifully brilliant!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78c5vwjIC4
Wow/Grape Jam is the rock band Moby Grape's second album. It was unusual and significantly different from most double album releases. It was released in 1968 as two completely different albums in separate covers but packaged together and sold for the price of a single LP.
Grape Jam was originally intended to be a free bonus album to be given away with Wow. Each album was later released as an individual CD with bonus tracks. Wow originally had a color gatefold sleeve, while Grape Jam had a color non-gatefold cover. This was Moby Grape's highest charting release in the U.S., peaking at #20 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Wow has a more heavily produced sound than the first Moby Grape album. String and horn arrangements were added to many of the songs by producer David Rubinson. Recording started in Los Angeles in late 1967, but most of the album was recorded in New York City in late 1967 and early 1968.
"Murder In My Heart For The Judge" is a thumping blues rock tune written by drummer Don Stevenson that was later recorded by other rock musicians such as Lee Michaels, Three Dog Night and Chrissie Hynde. "Bitter Wind", written and sung by Bob Mosley, has remained one of the group's most popular songs. The acoustic version heard here contains an ending that includes harsh wind noises and backward vocal. Other standout tracks include Jerry Miller's rocking shuffle "Can't Be So Bad", Skip Spence's darkly comedic roots rocker "Motorcycle Irene" and Peter Lewis's lush ballad "He". The album also includes an electrified re-arranged version of "Naked, If I Want To", which was heard on the first album as an acoustic track. "Just Like Gene Autry: A Foxtrot" is the most unusual song here, a 1930's style tune written and sung by Spence. It was given a spoken introduction from Arthur Godfrey and cut onto the LP record at 78 RPM with added scratchy sound effects to give it an authentic period effect. (As a note to collectors, some copies of Wow omit the band's name from the record label, for unknown reasons.)
Grape Jam has been criticized for its rather loose and mostly improvised performances which contrast sharply with the heavily produced material on "Wow". However Grape Jam is also notable in that it features guest appearances on piano by Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield. This studio album was recorded in New York City in January and February 1968. Skip Spence plays guitar on "Never" and piano on "Boysenberry Jam".[1] Peter Lewis does not appear on this album. The opening track "Never" is the best known song and has often been cited as a probable source for Led Zeppelin's song "Since I've Been Loving You": the opening lyrics, the bluesy arrangement and some melodic elements are almost identical. "The Lake" is a strange combination of poetry submitted by a fan (the winner of San Francisco radio station KFRC Songwriting contest, Michael Heyworth) and avant-garde psychedelic Musique concrète sound effects somewhat like side four of Freak Out! or Revolution 9. The album was the inspiration for a number of other studio "jam" albums during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Later examples of this trend included Al Kooper's Super Session and the 3rd LP of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.
CD editions
The first CD of Wow/Grape Jam was a single disc edition on the San Francisco Sound label, owned by Moby Grape's former manager. It has unnecessarily edited versions of "Bitter Wind" and "Marmalade." It also completely omits "Just Like Gene Autry: A Foxtrot" and "The Lake". This version should be avoided because if its mediocre sound quality and poor packaging. The group has never been properly compensated for this CD release.
Many of the songs from Wow also appear on the 2 CD collection Vintage: The Very Best of Moby Grape released in 1993. This collection includes "Foxtrot" and the complete acoustic version of "Bitter Wind". It also includes a few Wow out-takes, notably an alternate earlier version of "Bitter Wind" in a completely different rock arrangement.
The complete version of Wow was first released on CD in Japan in 1995. A newly remastered version was released by Sundazed Records on October 9, 2007 featuring a number of bonus tracks, most of which are previously unreleased. At the same time Sundazed also released the CD debut of Grape Jam in its entirety with 3 previously unreleased bonus tracks.
Both Wow and Grape Jam were taken out of print on November 3, 2007, along with Moby Grape for reasons that were not officially specified. It has been widely circulated on the Moby Grape mailing list that former manager Matthew Katz, whom the band has been in legal battles with since the late 1960s, threatened to file a lawsuit against Sundazed claiming ownership of the albums' artwork.
Artwork
Artwork of the Wow album (design and illustration) was done by Bob Cato. Cato proposed a surreal image without any input from the band. Cato was influenced by various Victorian woodcuts. According to Peter Lewis the title was left off the cover because "What was in the box was more important than the box."[2] It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package in 1969.
Track listing "Wow"
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars [3]
Side one
1. "The Place and the Time" (Miller, Stevenson) - 2:07
2. "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" (Miller, Stevenson) - 2:58
3. "Bitter Wind" (Mosley) - 3:09
4. "Can't Be So Bad" (Miller, Stevenson) - 3:41
Complete LP and CD versions of the album conclude with a brief, spoken message from Skip Spence reminding the listener to change the turntable speed to 78 RPM for the next track.
(On a separate band of the LP, cut at 78 RPM)
1. "Just Like Gene Autry: A Foxtrot" (Spence) - 3:05
This track includes a guest appearance by Arthur Godfrey, who reads the spoken introduction and plays ukulele.
Side two
1. "He" (Lewis) - 3:36
2. "Motorcycle Irene" (Spence) - 2:24
3. "Three-Four" (Miller, Spence) - 5:01
4. "Funky-Tunk" (Spence) - 2:11
5. "Rose Colored Eyes" (Mosley) - 4:00
6. "Miller's Blues" (Miller) - 5:22
7. "Naked, If I Want To" (Miller) - 0:52
Bonus tracks on 2007 CD edition
13. "The Place and the Time [Alternate Take]" (Miller, Stevenson) - 2:27
14. "Stop [Demo]" (Lewis) - 2:24
15. "Loosely Remembered" (Mosley) - 3:27
16. "Miller's Blues [Alternate Take]" (Miller) - 5:23
17. "What's to Choose" (Lewis) - 2:03
18. "Seeing" (Spence) - 5:11
* Tracks 14 - 18 Previously Unreleased
CD time for Wow 59:04)
Track listing "Grape Jam"
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3.5/5 stars [4]
Side one
1. "Never" (Mosley) - 6:16
2. "Boysenberry Jam" - 6:03
3. "Black Currant Jam" - 7:11
Side two
1. "Marmalade" - 14:05
2. "The Lake (M. Hayworth & Moby Grape) - 4:01
Bonus tracks on 2007 CD edition
1. "Grape Jam #2" (previously unissued) - 9:24
2. "Grape Jam #9" (previously unissued) - 9:14
3. "Bags' Groove (previously unissued) - 13:24
(CD time for Grape Jam 69:30)
Personnel
* Peter Lewis – rhythm guitar, vocals
* Bob Mosley – bass, vocals
* Jerry Miller – lead guitar, vocals
* Skip Spence – rhythm guitar, piano, vocals
* Don Stevenson – drums, vocals
Motorcycle Irene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMvIIHFr4dA
Bitter Wind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaEZvk0eJhM
Murder In My Heart For The Judge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xEbbyKJ0mk
Rose Colored Eyes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkkshpLproc
Three-Four
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnM7f972bd4
Grape Jam
Never
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tmgXG0bXXU&feature=related
Lake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04I0bRj7Q8Q
________________________________________________
Only after the last tree has been cut down,
Only after the last river has been poisoned,
Only after the last fish has been caught,
Only then will you find money cannot be eaten.
~ Cree Prophecy |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Joe Morris |
Posted - 08/11/2012 : 23:15:02
Doubt if it did as well as the 1st album, which made top 40 |
| lemonade kid |
Posted - 08/11/2012 : 21:26:18
quote:
Originally posted by Joe Morris
Actually most of that side (2) is perfect. You got the throwaway (Naked if I want to) on side 1, but as thats only a minute long you can't get too upset. The rest of it is fiery balls to the wall rock and roll (Lazy Me, Changes, Hey Grandma, Omaha, Fall on you)
I like Wow (most of it is included on Vintage, the best Moby Grape compilation, probably out of print by now) though the Gene Autry track must've been a nuisance to have to change the turntable speed
Yes..it was a hassle switching to 78 speed for one song & then to switch it back. Of course if one left it at 33 1/3 it was a hoot sounding like the chipmunks!
________________________________________________
Only after the last tree has been cut down,
Only after the last river has been poisoned,
Only after the last fish has been caught,
Only then will you find money cannot be eaten.
~ Cree Prophecy |
| Joe Morris |
Posted - 08/11/2012 : 21:09:14
Its actually a good album that, Peter Lewis, that you burned me
I'm assuming its only available on import these days, or out of print. The reason to pick it up is of course the "SItting by my window" cover (from the 1st Moby Grape album) but I don't really think the retread adds too much to the song, personally, what with it being perfect and all
Actually most of that side (2) is perfect. You got the throwaway (Naked if I want to) on side 1, but as thats only a minute long you can't get too upset. The rest of it is fiery balls to the wall rock and roll (Lazy Me, Changes, Hey Grandma, Omaha, Fall on you)
I like Wow (most of it is included on Vintage, the best Moby Grape compilation, probably out of print by now) though the Gene Autry track must've been a nuisance to have to change the turntable speed
Rose Colored Eyes is superb and glad it turned up on the recent Sundazed compilation (Listen My Friends) of course
Is their manager dead yet? ha! 
(the much beloved Matthew Katz. Rather like that Allen Klein creature, scuttling between tree branches. Played by John Belushi in the parody |
| lemonade kid |
Posted - 08/11/2012 : 16:54:08
quote:
Originally posted by Joe Morris
STILL not available on Sundazed!
this is nice;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spqqb7ggHu8
from Peter Lewis solo
Beautiful video dedicated to Peter's sister. From Peter's solo album...just beautiful. Thanks, Joe.
His sister looks so much like Loretta (Young)....stunning. RIP.
________________________________________________
Only after the last tree has been cut down,
Only after the last river has been poisoned,
Only after the last fish has been caught,
Only then will you find money cannot be eaten.
~ Cree Prophecy |
| Joe Morris |
Posted - 08/11/2012 : 02:58:35
STILL not available on Sundazed!
this is nice;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spqqb7ggHu8
from Peter Lewis solo |
|
|
