Search - Moby Grape :: Wow

WOW

E.I.E.I. Owen | Philadelphia, Pa United States | 10/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After the release of Sgt. Pepper, almost everybody in the music world tried to copy it with mostly disastrous results. Overblown production, forced strings, and goofy sound effects showed up in most pop music afterwards. Everybody wanted to ride on that multi colored bus called Psychedliea, especially the major labels. Few groups were able to pick up the gauntlet that the Beatles threw down and the Moby Grape was one of them.



"Wow" is the group's second studio album. It is a lot more varied than its predecessor is but it also shows that it is a product of it's time. Not many groups could pull off an album that goes from the madrigal-like "The Place & the Time", to a soulful rocker "Murder In My Heart For The Judge", to the sound collage in "Bitter Wind", to a shuffle with horns in "Can't Be So Bad", to the ode to vaudeville in "Like Gene Autry; A Foxtrot", all in the space of one side of an album (note: on the original vinyl version of the album "Like Gene Autry" was actually mastered at 78rpm.). The rest of the tracks give more evidence that the Grape had what most of their San Franciscan brethren did not, songs.



Again the re-mastering job is better than expected and a vast improvement over previous incarnations. Unfortunately, the bonus album "Grape Jam" is not included. When "Wow" was initially released, record buyers got the "Grape Jam" album as a bonus. Now "Grape Jam" is available separately and like "Wow," it has bonus tracks and liner notes from Gene Sculatti. So pick it up and enjoy.



UPDATE: 12/27/2007-Matthew Katz does it again. You may have heard that Sundazed pulled the first 3 albums from circulation due to Katz and an issue with the ownership of the artwork. Honestly Katz let it go, how many times do you have to screw these guys over I mean reallly, it isn't like the reissues shipped platinum. F&%* MATTHEW KATZ





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Fascinating period piece, but flawed, indulgent in conceptio

J. DiMoia | Singapore, SG | 10/17/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Wow," recorded mainly at Columbia's New York studios in late 1967-early 1968, represents the beginning of the left turn that Moby Grape would take for the remainder of their career. Like other reviewers, I had not heard the album in its entirety before now--listening only to the relevant tracks contained on Vintage--and am now hearing it with "fresh ears," so to speak. The above rating may change in the near future, somewhere in the range of a 3.5 or 3.75, after giving it several listening experiences.



So what's different from the first album? For one, there's the post-Pepper syndrome, the tendency to layer strings, horns, and assorted sound effects over a set of otherwise strong songs. This works wonderfully at times, as with the string section on "He," but can result in sophmoric comedy at others: do we really need to hear the lead singer's voice distorted to sound like Dondald Duck on "Funky Tunk"? And what the heck is that psychedelic middle section doing on "Bitter Wind," a plaintive ballad meriting a stripped, low-key production? This tendency to include everything but the kitchen sink places the album squarely within its era--and indeed the album needs to be taken seriously, not relegated to obscurity--as a minor masterpiece of late psychedelia. In this sense, it leans toward the "After Bathing at Baxter's" end of the scale, a group let loose in the studio to indulge their every whim, with fascinating, if flawed, results.



Thus, what's ultimately frustrating about this one is its departures from the group's strengths in country, roots rock, and a three guitar attack, strengths to which it would return to in another interesting, if equally flawed, album, Moby Grape '69.



Highly recommended to fans of the group, as well as those who like '67-'69 excess, and just plain weirdness--(added later)in fact, after repeated listening, I will amend my original assessment to a 3.5, as the strengths outweigh the flaws."

Moby Grape's "Wow"

James Choma | 10/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before I ever heard any of their songs, I knew of Moby Grape by reputation -- the quintessential 60's band that had an incredible first album, the success of which they could never top, and they flamed out big time. I always wondered how that momentum was halted and how such a highly regarded band could flop.



That brings us to "Wow." Until recently, I had never heard anything other than their first album, which was pretty darn good and serves as a great late 60's timepiece. When getting ready to listen to "Wow," I prepared myself for dull, boring, tuneless 60's psychedelia. I must say I was truly blown away by how good this entire CD was. I dare say it's just as good as the debut album. Great harmonies, tight playing and arrangements, and great instrumentation throughout. I swear listening to this made me feel like I was transported back to 1968. It's one of those rare albums that does live up to it's title.



This prompted me to find out more about the band and see exactly where things fell apart. And after searching, I found that with Moby Grape, what could go wrong, did go wrong. At the root of it all lay horrible management on the business and personal side. Moby Grape was a wonderfully constructed boat without a rudder; and when they crashed, they quickly sunk.



If you're interested in the band, all you really need is this album and the self-titled debut. I think "Vintage" (a double CD collection of their best) may be out of print, but it certainly would give you a taste of the band as well.



Stand out songs: "Murder in My Heart For the Judge," "Bitter Wind," "Rose Colored Eyes," and "He.""