Grand Funk

I was a sophomore in high school when this record came out. I remember I won it at one of the game boothes at the county fair. My friend Bob was into them and I liked them too. We had a three piece band and set about learning a couple of the songs from the "Red Album." "Limosine Driver" comes to mind. The albums that came out after this just didn't turn me on and I actually came to look at GFRR as sort of a joke. Recently I bought this cd from Amazon and it blew my mind all over again. It's hard rock, but primal. The guitar solos sometimes verge on psychedelic and it reminds me a lot of Jefferson Airplane's "Feels So Good" from their secon live album. I'm 60 now and for years I've played a Rickenbacker 360 12 and my favorite bands have been the Byrds, Airplane and Fairport Convention...miles away from the Funk. But a funny thing happened when I put this cd into my car cd player. The bands I've been in always played a mix of stuff, from the Byrds to the Stooges and listening to Mark Farner I realized that he is where I learned to play hard rock guitar. I am not bragging because I don't profess to be as good as he is, but that album must have gotten into my head in such a profound way back in 1969 that his playing got wired into my back brain. Now, that's powerful stuff. I almost feel like it's me playing. My friend Dennis played drums and NEVER looked up...hung his head because he was so into what we were playing. Bob wore big bellbottoms and played bass and as I remember, we were good. This album played a part in who I am as a musician. To have influenced one part of my playing style all these years when I hadn't even thought of the band is powerful metaphysically. RIP Dennis and Bob, we'll play "Mr. Limosine Driver" and "Eight Miles High" again someday. Thank you Mark Farner.

RED ALBUM was THE GRAND FUNK RAILROAD in all their raw, nasty, sexual, high energy, Live sounding Power Trio madness. This is a Great second Album surpassing there great debut On Time, and helps rank GFR with the Great's of the 70s like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. This album was recorded live and the only overdubs are putting some rhythm guitar where the leads are (al of GFRs Terry Knight Produced were done the same way, as fast as possible and No Frills). Like On Time its a sledge hammer album, but even heavier with the smash songs that GFR used live such as In Need, Inside Looking Out and Paranoid. Red Album which is what we GFR fanatics call Grand Funk, also has the radio friendly songs Mr. Limousine Driver, Please Don't worry, and High Falottin Women. As well as the Sledge hammer rocker Got This Thing On The Move. This was what GFR was all about, Mel Schacher Playing his BOOMING BASS behind the note. Don Brewer Playing his POUNDING DRUMS ahead of the Note and Mark Farner playing his wild rhythms and screeching leads on GUITAR anywhere; before, after, or in the middle of the note. Or to be more accurate Don playing at the beginning of the note, Mel playing at the end of the note and Mark going wherever he wants with his wild rhythms. This sound made GFR something unique and special and gave them a driven sound that made you feel like your moving. Don and Mark do great Harmonies and both are excellent lead singers as well. Red Album is a special album every hard rock fan should have in there collection. GFRs sound can't be faked or copied, its something natural to the three musicians. This album along with Live, On Time, and Closer To Home, captured millions of fans for GFR who still reminisce about these albums to this day. This edition of RED ALBUM the CD is 24 Bit remastered with New liner Notes, Bonus Tracks, and photos. The Bonus tracks are a demo version of Nothing is the same and an extended version of Mr. Limousine Driver and there very cool. This is the first Time Capitol has released Red Album on CD in the USA and is a must have CD for every GFR fan and Every fan of Hard Rock. Is there someone standing Just out side your door?RickDC :)

Some records stand the test of time; others don't. Grand Funk's Red Album passes with flying colors and a bass lick to the gut for good measure. This record, their second and finest, was recorded in only two days during October, 1969. It's as live as a studio record can be. Indeed, on "In Need," you can hear Farner stop playing guitar, then start playing harmonica, then stop again before coming back in with his guitar The band is in a groove throughout. This is simple but powerful music.Now, I've heard some critics talk about the band's lack of proficiency on the instruments. No, Mark Farner wasn't Eric Clapton. But then Grand Funk weren't aristocracy. They were a blue-collar band from Flint, Michigan. More importantly, they played together well and their sound was good. Besides, Mel Schacher was a monster bass player.I cannot say enough for the sound of this record. It reminds me so much of the sound of live rock bands from that era. Standing near their speakers you could feel the thunder of the bass and the crunch of the electric guitar. So it was not only an aural experience but a physical one too. The music hit you in the middle. That sort of sound seems to have been lost, either by technological development or by fashion I'm not sure. In any case, this recording captures that old sound well.The new CD version of the red album also includes two bonus tracks. "Nothing is the Same" is labeled a "demo" but is sounds like a pretty fine song to me. Also a bonus is an extended version of "Mr. Limousine Driver".

Quick and secure shipping at good price; classic GFR Cd!