Grand Funk

Grand Funk – We’re An American Band (1973) [Japanese SHM-SACD 2014]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 40:00 minutes | Scans included | 1,62 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 829 MB

Having made several changes in their business and musical efforts in 1972, Grand Funk Railroad made even more extensive ones in 1973, beginning with their name, which was officially truncated to “Grand Funk.” And keyboardist Craig Frost, credited as a sideman on Phoenix, the previous album, was now a full-fledged bandmember, filling out the musical arrangements. The most notable change, however, came with the hiring of Todd Rundgren to produce the band’s eighth album. Rundgren, a pop/rock artist in his own right, was also known for his producing abilities, and he gave Grand Funk exactly what they were looking for: We’re an American Band sounded nothing like its muddy, plodding predecessors. Sonically, the record was sharp and detailed and the band’s playing was far tighter and more accomplished. Most important, someone, whether the band or Rundgren, decided that gruff-voiced drummer Don Brewer should be employed as a lead singer as often as guitarist Mark Farner. Brewer also contributed more as a songwriter, and the results were immediate. The album’s title song, an autobiographical account of life on the road written and sung by Brewer, was released in advance of the album and became a gold-selling number one hit, Grand Funk’s first really successful single. Despite the band’s previous popularity, for many, it must have been the first Grand Funk record they either heard or bought. Elsewhere on the album, Farner contributed his usual wailing vocals and guitar, singing of his heartfelt, if simpleminded, political concerns. But We’re an American Band really belonged to Brewer and Rundgren, and its success constituted a redefinition of Grand Funk that came just in time.

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Grand Funk – Shinin’ On (1974) [Audio Fidelity 2017]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 33:56 minutes | Scans included | 1,37 GB
or DSD64 2.0 (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Full Scans included | 1,35 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 735 MB
Mastered by Kevin Gray | Audio Fidelity # AFZ-251 | Genre: Rock

After racking up their biggest success to date with We’re an American Band, Grand Funk Railroad decided to keep a good thing going by retaining Todd Rundgren as their producer and continuing to push their sound in a pop/rock direction. The end result has its moments but is not as strong as We’re an American Band. Although the songs are tight and benefit from a strong performance by the group, the material simply isn’t as inspired this time out: songs like “Please Me” and “Getting Over You” are energetic but lack the infectious hooks and clever arrangement touches that would make them stick in the listener’s memory. Shinin’ On’s best songs are the ones that became its single releases: the title track infuses its hard-driving, spacy rock groove with some surprisingly ethereal vocal harmonies and the cover of “The Loco Motion” turns this dance classic on its ear with a stomping beat and a screeching guitar lead from Mark Farner. Other tracks make up for their lack of hooks by experimenting with the group’s sound in interesting ways: “Mr. Pretty Boy” is a creepy slow blues that features an atmospheric Mellotron backing and “To Get Back In” is a full-fledged soul song built on thick combination of organ and horns. In the end, Shinin’ On is too unfocused and uneven to win over non-fans but Grand Funk Railroad fans will find plenty to enjoy on this album.

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Grand Funk – All The Girls In The World Beware (1974) [Audio Fidelity 2017]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 39:31 minutes | Scans included | 1,59 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 852 MB
Mastered by Kevin Gray | Audio Fidelity # AFZ-252 | Genre: Hard Rock

Grand Funk Railroad continued to move further into the pop/rock mainstream with this hit album. They are aided considerably in this aim by the ultra-slick production of Jimmy Ienner, a producer best known for his work with the Raspberries: songs like “Runnin'” and “Memories” boast rich yet punchy horn and string arrangements that beef up the group’s sound without softening its energetic edge. The album’s combination of high-gloss production and the band’s energy resulted in some impressive hits: “Some Kind of Wonderful” is an exuberant, organ-drenched soul song that highlight’s the group’s strong harmonies while “Bad Time” mixes a delicate, string-laden melody with a pulsing beat from the rhythm section to create a one-of-a-kind power ballad. None of the other songs on All the Girls in the World Beware have hooks as compelling as these hits, but they are energetically performed and often push the band’s sound in interesting new directions: “Memories” is a moody ballad with a country-styled melody and the title track is a humorous portrait of a would-be lady-killer delivered over a funky Santana-esque jam driven by lightning-fast organ riffs and congas. “Good and Evil” is another big surprise, a moody mid-tempo track whose creepy distorted vocals and gothic organ effects create a sound reminiscent of mid-’70s Alice Cooper. In the end, casual listeners would probably be better off seeking this album’s hits on a compilation, but All the Girls in the World Beware will definitely appeal to any Grand Funk Railroad fan who enjoyed We’re an American Band or Shinin’ On.

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