TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Wow" - Moby Grape (1968)

"Wow" - Moby Grape (1968)

     "Wow" was Moby Grape's second album and though I didn't find it as strong as their debut, it's pretty good.  The good stuff is really good. The mellower hippie stuff is nicely psych-dusted and trippy in places.  There is a killer funked-up hard rocker and a couple of West Coast vibe-ish tracks that are very cool.  And, as you would expect, the vocals and playing are top-notch.  Unfortunately, there are also a couple of wankers on the square that pulled me right out of my dream.  

The worst offender is the interruption by Skip Spence informing the listener to get up and change the turntable speed to 78 in order to listen to the next song...an old-style number the band mixed at a different speed.  Skip makes another silly appearance on a much better song but with an unnecessary duck voice.  This probably all sounded like a good idea on paper and reefer, but the two songs go over like snails on salt.  An example of too many fingers in the studio pie.  Still, there is much more to like on this square, than not.  I'm glad I picked it up.  I don't see it often.  And I'll be keeping an eye out for some of their other albums.

"Wow" - Moby Grape (back)

"Wow" - Moby Grape (inside gatefold)

Favorites include:
"Can't Be So Bad"
"He"
"Murder In My Heart For The Judge"

My gatefold copy is a Terre Haute pressing on the Columbia 2-eye label with the album title AND artist name printed on the label. (Versions exist without the band name.)  The cover has some blackish scuff marks on it that I just can't seem to remove and a little crumbling at the top, but the vinyl itself looks great and plays a strong VG.  I found it for $5 at a record swap.  

Columbia (360 2-eye) label

Cat #
CS 9613
SIDE A  DEADWAX
XSM135371 - 1C  I  T  AA  
SIDE B  DEADWAX
XSM135372 - 1C  I  T  B5

"He" - "Moby Grape / "Wow" (1968)

TRACKS:
A1  "The Place And The Time"
A2  "Murder In My Heart For The Judge"
A3  "Bitter Wind" 
A4  "Can't Be So Bad"
A5  "Just Like Gene Autry; A Foxtrot"
B1  "He"
B2  "Motorcycle Irene"
B3  "Three-Four"
B4  "Funky-Tunk"
B5  "Rose Colored Eyes"
B6  "Miller's Blues"
B6  "Naked, If I Want To" 

PERSONNEL:
Peter Lewis - guitar, vocals
Jerry Miller - guitar, vocals
Alexander "Skip" Spence - guitar, vocals
Bob Mosley - bass, vocals
Don Stevenson - drums, vocals

Good stuff.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interview:-- Joan Staley (Actress - Classic Movies & Television)

Image
  "Elvis,  do you really want me to slap you?"  ~ Joan Staley ~     So my friends and I were talking about first crushes. First tv and movie crushes.  For me, it was easy.  It was Alma. (Joan Staley)   I broke into the double-digit age of 10 in 1993.  That was the summer I discovered my favorite Don Knotts movie while flipping thru cable one Saturday morning... "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." Everyone has seen it.  It was a funny haunted house story similar to an episode on Andy G. with a cast of familiar characters, trippy organ music, and the prettiest girl I had ever seen...Alma. She was beautiful alright.  I was love-stung so bad, I swear I could smell flowers coming out of the TV set.  And best of all, she was nice.  She didn't like the smart alec, the wise guy, or the show-off.  Alma was digging Luther (Don Knotts) and that just made her that much prettier.  And from then on... But unfortunately, time and puberty wouldn't let her wait
Read more

Interview:--> Terry Kirkman (The Association)

Image
"...Not only learned to think, but to care.  Not only learned to think, but to dare." ~ The Association ~  With one of the most bad-ass songs about the herb that no one was quite sure about, yet everyone understood...to the anti-war homage that was both beautiful and pointed... The Association . From gentle psych pop spinneries that tease the mind...to the lush vocal and instrumental arrangements that melt the heart... The Association. The Association were all of these and none of these. Lead by co-founder Terry Kirkman, it was never an "either/or" about the music.  No pigeonhole here.  It was simply "all" about the music.  And having at least 3 of the most radio-played songs in history...I'd say The Association were on to something. TERRY KIRKMAN INTERVIEW  01/26/2015 Casey Chambers:  In the summer of '67, The Association had the opportunity to perform at the iconic Monterey Pop Festival.  How cool was that? Terry Kirkma
Read more

Interview -- Henry Lee Summer (Singer/Songwriter)

Image
"I just always have played music.  For better   or worse, I banked my whole life on it." ~ Henry Lee Summer ~     It's strange how music lets you travel through time as if there truly was no time.  I played the shit out of this album growing up.  Nothing deep or complicated.  Nothing outta bounds.  Nothing to get hung about.  It's deceptively simple.  But here's the thing... Henry Lee Summer  is serving aces all over this heartland square. This is the 35th anniversary of Henry Lee Summer's self-titled album and this one falls under that sweet spot between raucous and chill.  It's a large cup of iced coffee with a nice soulful blend.  Not usually my type of go-to and yet this album easily fills a void I didn't know I had.  Let this spin be your own private Idaho.  " Check it out, Leroy!"   Henry Lee Summer... Go get you some. Henry Lee Summer Interview -- August 2023 Henry Lee Summer Casey Chambers:  Well, this is the 35th anniversary of you
Read more