A polished, contemporary sound was enhanced by Farner’s electric piano on the excellent ‘Creepin’’ and clever use of acoustic instruments. Suddenly there was a change in the air and We’re An American Band (1973) got grudgingly good notices for once! Produced with his usual sonic eccentricity by Todd Rundgren, his input was vital in recognising that Don Brewer had the soul-rock chops to tackle the title track and the strutting ‘Walk Like a Man’. Yet again the critics panned them but their audience remained loyal ensuring that the single ‘Rock & Roll Soul’ was a hit. Mark Farner now took over all writing controls and added keyboards player Craig Frost as well as Doug Kershaw’s electric fiddle. At this time they beat the Beatles’ previous record for ticket sales at Shea Stadium by selling all 65,000 places in two days.įor Phoenix, the band parted company with Knight (this would become a source of constant litigation over the years) and bossed the deal from within. With bonus tracks to bolster these releases, we believe this era represents the Railroad during their first peak. E Pluribus Funk was notable for being released in a circular sleeve to reflect the coin-like design of the artwork. Survival and E Pluribus Funk positioned GFR at the heart of the album to radio movement as listeners demanded to hear the likes of ‘Footstompin’ Music’ and their gear crunching take on the Stones’ ‘Gimme Shelter’.
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD BASSIST FULL
This rocktabulous disc is now available as Grand Funk Remasters: Grand Funk also look out Grand Funk Remasters: Live Album (1970) which captures the Railroad on the way to double-platinum status in front of a baying Florida crowd who get the full raw power of the event.
Limousine Driver’ and ‘Heartbreaker’ and the proto-grunge ‘Paranoid’ as well as their take on the Animals’ ‘Inside Looking Out, which became a regular showstopper. The second album, Grand Funk (also 1969) pushed even further on the hits ‘Mr. Working with producer and manager Terry Knight the trio kicked ass on ‘T.N.U.C’, the anthemic ‘Can’t Be Too Long’ and the psyche extravaganza ‘Into the Sun’. They wowed unsuspecting crowds at the Atlanta Pop Festival in 1969 and made their debut that same year, selling over a million copies of the aptly titled On Time. Crashing out of Flint, Michigan in the late 1960s the original group, named after the Grand Trunk Western Railroad railway line, were the ultimate power trio with Mark Farner (guitar, vocals) Don Brewer (drums, vocals and Mel Schacher (bass) giving the Cream template an American slant.
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