- Moby Grape '69
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Moby Grape '69 Studio album by Moby Grape Released January 30, 1969 Recorded April 22-November 24, 1968 Genre Rock Length 29:17 Label Columbia Producer David Rubinson Moby Grape chronology Wow/Grape Jam
(1968)Moby Grape '69
(1969)Truly Fine Citizen
(1969)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [1]
Moby Grape '69 is third album by the psychedelic rock band Moby Grape.
It is the first album after the departure of co-founder Skip Spence. Spence nonetheless is heard on one song, "Seeing", presumably from the Wow/Grape Jam sessions, and positioned as the final song on Moby Grape '69. As Peter Lewis describes the album, "We made Moby Grape '69, in an attempt to rebound from the Wow album, which was over-produced. And it's a cool album. Although we could have rehearsed it a little more, we still believed in it. But I think we were waiting for Skippy to come back, and he never did."[2]
The album peaked at a disappointing number 113 on the Billboard chart.[3] While it did not sell well at the time of its release, in a recent (2008) review, it is pointed out that the album would be particularly appreciated by persons who like the music of Poco and The Eagles. For Moby Grape fans at the time, the album was perhaps too country in musical orientation.[4] In some respects, the album was ahead of its time, predating the more popular first country rock releases by Poco and The Eagles.[5]
Contents
Track listing
Side one
- "Ooh Mama Ooh" (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson) – 2:26
- "Ain't That a Shame" (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson, Peter Lewis) – 2:28
- "I Am Not Willing" (Peter Lewis) – 2:58
- "It's a Beautiful Day Today" (Bob Mosley) – 3:06
- "Hoochie" (Bob Mosley) – 4:21
Side two
- "Trucking Man" (Bob Mosley) – 2:00
- "If You Can't Learn from My Mistakes" (Peter Lewis) – 2:33
- "Captain Nemo" (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson) – 1:43
- "What's to Choose" (Peter Lewis) – 1:57
- "Going Nowhere" (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson) – 2:01
- "Seeing" (Skip Spence) – 3:44
Bonus tracks on 2007 CD edition
- "Soul Stew" (Bob Mosley) – 2:16
- "If You Can't Learn from My Mistakes" [Demo] (Peter Lewis) – 1:23
- "You Can Do Anything" [Demo] (Skip Spence) – 3:35
- "It's a Beautiful Day Today" [Demo] (Bob Mosley) – 4:12
- Previously unreleased
- "What's to Choose" [Demo] (Peter Lewis) – 3:19
- Previously unreleased
- "Big" [Demo] (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson) – 2:19
- "Hoochie" [Demo] (Bob Mosley) – 3:18
- Previously unreleased
Personnel
- Peter Lewis – rhythm guitar, vocals
- Bob Mosley – bass, vocals
- Jerry Miller – lead guitar, vocals
- Don Stevenson – drums, vocals
- Skip Spence - vocals and unknown instruments, "Seeing".
Charts
Album - Billboard
Year Chart Position 1969 Pop Albums 113 References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Interview with Peter Lewis by Jud Cost, 1995. www.sundazed.com
- ^ For further details, see UAO (pseudonym),Wow: The Moby Grape Story March 30, 2005
- ^ Review of Moby Grape '69 "An Overdose of Fingal Cocoa" music blog, April 21, 2008.
- ^ Poco's first album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, was released in May of 1969, while the Eagles' self-titled first album was released in June of 1972. Moby Grape '69 was also being recorded during similar periods when The Byrds were recording the landmark Sweetheart of the Rodeo album (recorded March to May of 1968). The Byrds' album was completed earlier and as a consequence released six months prior to Moby Grape '69. Sweetheart of the Rodeo, now regarded as a groundbreaking masterpiece, was initially met with similarly mixed public reactions to that associated with Moby Grape '69. Sweetheart of the Rodeo's highest U.S. charting was number 77, and it failed to chart at all in the United Kingdom; see Sweetheart of the Rodeo.
Categories:- Moby Grape albums
- 1969 albums
- English-language albums
- Columbia Records albums
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