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Unsung Forum » "Grand Funk To Grace" |
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IanB 6761 posts |
Jun 17, 2006, 09:13
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Anyone read Mark Farner's book? At £17 from Amazon I am not inclined to take a chance on it being terrible. On a related subject has anyone come across any books or authoritative features about the life and somewhat violent demise of Terry Knight?
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The Seth Man 1240 posts |
Jun 17, 2006, 10:04
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Hey, IanB, I too am scared to venture forth and pick it up at ANY price I did read "An American Band : The Story of Grand Funk Railroad" by Billy James a few years ago. Unfortunately, it was so-so; not enough time spent on the good period; the whole Terry Knight "controversy" kept fairly muffled The VH-1 "Behind The Music" documentary was far better, and the interviews with Terry Knight were enlightening -- turns out GFRR were signed to HIM and not Capitol Records (uh-oh...) You can just *feel* where the schism twixt Mark and Brewer/Schacher was heading (But were Brewer's lead on vocals "American Band" the cause? I suppose we'll never know) Damn -- talk about a band that needs a decent bio. I suggest Mark's first wife get this thing on the move!
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IanB 6761 posts |
Edited Jun 17, 2006, 12:59
Jun 17, 2006, 12:58
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Thanks for that. A warts n all Terry Knight biography would probably be the one to read - how he came to forge that Larry Parnes meets Bernie Rhodes / John Sinclair schtick and his rather untidy demise. He pretty much did for GFR vis a viz MC5 what Leber and Krebs did for Aerosmith in relation to The Dolls. No small achievment if neither a wholly righteous nor beautiful thing. I also want to know how the band got from 'Are You Ready' to the sub-Todd 'Just Couldn't Wait' in an era when stadium ramalama was at its peak. What were they thinking? Thanks for the tip on the VH1 thing. I was not aware. Will go seek on You Tube right now. Anyway If I brave the dough on spec for Farner's effort I'll come back and let you know.
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The Seth Man 1240 posts |
Jun 17, 2006, 18:16
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IanB wrote: I also want to know how the band got from 'Are You Ready' to the sub-Todd 'Just Couldn't Wait' in an era when stadium ramalama was at its peak. What were they thinking? IanB, Hey, I want to know if they WERE thinking hahahaahaha...(I mean: "Take Me"? "Big Buns"?!!) If you ever get the chance, view that Los Angeles 1974 GFRR footage, it will provide a lot of clues I think a lot of it was losing Knight as producer/mentor/hustler -- along with adding Craig Frost on clavs, Mark trading in his Messenger guitar/getting a haircut and toning down the bombast, etc, etc. I fear it wasn't enough to navigate the prevailing cultural trend of rock'n'roll as big bucks commodity. Plus, 1976 was a horrible year for all rock bands who had formed in the late sixties who were still going strong as airbrushed fantasies, colder and slicker production, cocaine and disco had taken hold as the new values for an era of alienated, selfish indulgence. But even before that, Grand Funk were already going through the motions, as evidenced on that recent Live 1971 CD (w/ some material from the famous Shea Stadium concert). I love many GFRR studio tracks post-1970, but I feel "Live Album" really did cap off their initial burst in a big way. Terry Knight, man: I would have loved to have read THAT autobiography, dammit!
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IanB 6761 posts |
Edited Jun 17, 2006, 20:24
Jun 17, 2006, 20:21
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The Seth Man wrote: 1976 was a horrible year for all rock bands who had formed in the late sixties who were still going strong as airbrushed fantasies, colder and slicker production, cocaine and disco had taken hold as the new values for an era of alienated, selfish indulgence. Extremely well put though "Spirit of 76" has its moments as do the two VdGG records from that year. "Free For All", "Zoot Allures" and "Tejas" also have their charms but it is slim pickings from the old guard and they are merely exceptions that prove the rule. No wonder that "Modern Music on my radio" sounded more like an expression of hopes dashed than a celebration.
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Mrs Ahab 1138 posts |
Jun 17, 2006, 20:39
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i only just saw American Band on Youtube, what a pile of crap.
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machineryelf 3681 posts |
Jun 17, 2006, 20:46
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76 wasn't that bad http://rateyourmusic.com/top_albums/year_is_1976?stop=1000&year=1976&show=100&start=0 probably the year i started chucking out my disney records and listening to ostensibly ''proper music'' always thought Grand Funk had one good idea, brilliantly executed it must be said, but once they used that one up they were up a tree and paddleless.A dearth of ideas, management screw-ups and following the fashion rather than if not leading then at least being frontrunners left them looking a rather sad and sorry bunch come the latter part of the decade.Certainly they made enough ripples for me to be well chuffed in 76/77 to find a doubler of the first and second albums and the live one, not so happy at finding one of the very bad later lps later on, most upsetting it was.
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The Seth Man 1240 posts |
Jun 17, 2006, 20:47
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And that's the best part of the '74 LA footage...! Mark: High on a horse...that doesn't KILL, brothers and sisters! "E Pluribus Anus" more loike, hahahahahahahahahahaha
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keith a 9570 posts |
Jun 17, 2006, 22:57
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I kept going till I found Futuristic Dragon - in with a bullet at no. 353!! It's a sobering thought though that someone reckons there were 214 better albums in 1976 than The Abyssinians 'Satta Massagana'! ; )
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machineryelf 3681 posts |
Jun 18, 2006, 10:03
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keith a wrote: I kept going till I found Futuristic Dragon - in with a bullet at no. 353!! It's a sobering thought though that someone reckons there were 214 better albums in 1976 than The Abyssinians 'Satta Massagana'! ; ) almost as worrying is the fact that Foghats Night Shift is 5 places below, how stupid are these list compiling people makes note to find who the Abyssinians are to avoid potential public embarassment at failure to acknowledge the greats of '76 in a dinner party situation.
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