The debut album is excellent and has held up very well. "Hey Grandma", "8:05", and "Omaha" are my favorite songs from the album, but they are all great. I also misheard the lyrics on "Hey Grandma", which I thought were "Going down to Tulsa, make me feel so fine." I figured that if they had a song called Omaha, then it was reasonable that they might be singing about Tulsa as well. I was surprised to learn that it was actually Robitussin. With regard to "Omaha", I always wondered why that title was used. Arlen Lewis's website mentions that the title is a play on words, representing mantra-induced revelation (i.e. Om...Aha!). Only Skip Spence could have seen the word Omaha that way.
A few years back, I would hear "8:05" played at the local Shop-Rite supermarket. I'd stand in the aisle and listen to it, then continue shopping.
not referring to but the Sundazed colleciton of live cuts--it conclures with seventeen plus minutes of "Dark Magic" from the Avalon Ballroom in 1966---remarkable to hear, especially most of what precedes it is tight and economical.
Impossible to compare (as I just did), but they were in the upper echelon of live bands. The Grape just happen to be a band I return to even more often than Hendrix or The Who when pulling out LPs to play. Their "Live" double LP from Rhino proves just how got they were with every listen...
Love that double LP also from Rhino... The Real Potato 2010...mostly all new songs except those by Skip, those are sung by Omar who sounds just like his pop. A practice session in 2007... not the best audio but you get the magic... Dark magic That is Omar and Peter at the mic. Mosely on bass & Stevenson on the kit, I believe. Jerry does appear on the album..searing lead as usual. Just as a teaser, this is a practice session from the Grape in 2007 doing Dark Magic, with Omar Spence on vocals...from a never to be released "new" album--it seems that Peter sells it at live concerts though....well maybe it will be released someday (so says Dane Clark who produced it and who plays the drums also on the album), it is awesome.
I remember reading that the title/lyrics to "Hey Grandma" is a tribute to the pretty hippie ladies who wore those granny dresses they bought at the second hand clothing shops that clothed those hippie kids in the 60's...hence, "Hey, Grandma, you're so young." We freaks, all called our special loves, "my old lady, or, my old man"...we were never referring to our parents!
Personal taste, everyone's is right because it can't be denied, and don't let anyone tell us we're wrong for loving what we love...vive la difference, that's what makes the world go 'round. And music makes the world a better place.
i know everyone probably knows, but that 'Rogers' was placed on the drum by the art dept. they aren't rogers. but cbs had just bought fender, who owned rogers. kinda blatant, but what the heck?
Wow! Thanks to "John" who awakened me from, I don't know where, this thread has thankfully not died! So on with the show! WOW! & Jam Wow/Grape Jam is the second album by the rock band Moby Grape. It was first released in April 1968. It is different from most double album releases in that it was released as two different albums in separate covers, but packaged together and sold for only one dollar more than price of a single LP.[1] This was Moby Grape's highest charting release in the U.S., peaking at #20 on the Billboard 200 album chart.[2] Wow had a color gatefold sleeve, while Grape Jam had a color non-gatefold sleeve. Early copies of Wow omit the band's name from the record label, for unknown reasons. Original US copies of the 2 album package had a large blue sticker on the front of shrink wrap which identified the albums and showed the songs of Wow in the correct order. The song titles for Grape Jam were only shown on the back of that album and were not visible on the outside of the sealed package. The back cover of Wow also showed the song titles in an incorrect order, and again, this was not visible on the sealed package. -wiki
Wow has a more heavily produced sound than the first Moby Grape album. String and horn arrangements were added to many of the songs by producer David Rubinson. Recording started in Los Angeles in late 1967, but most of the album was recorded in New York City in late 1967 and early 1968. "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" is a blues rock tune written by drummer Don Stevenson that was later recorded by other rock musicians such as Lee Michaels, Three Dog Night and Chrissie Hynde. "Bitter Wind", written and sung by Bob Mosley, has remained one of the group's most popular songs. The acoustic version here contains an ending that includes harsh wind noises and backward vocals. Other stand-out tracks include Jerry Miller's rocking shuffle "Can't Be So Bad", Skip Spence's darkly comedic roots rocker "Motorcycle Irene" and Peter Lewis's lush ballad "He". The album also includes an electrified re-arranged version of "Naked, If I Want To", which was on the first album as an acoustic track. "Just Like Gene Autry: A Foxtrot" is the most unusual song on the album, a 1930s style tune written and sung by Spence. It was given a spoken introduction from Arthur Godfrey and cut onto the LP record at 78 RPM with added scratchy sound effects to give it an authentic period effect. Grape Jam has been criticized for its rather loose and mostly improvised performances which contrast sharply with the heavily produced material on Wow. However Grape Jam is also notable in that it features guest appearances on piano by Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield. This studio album was recorded in New York City in January and February 1968. Skip Spence plays guitar on "Never" and piano on "Boysenberry Jam".[3] Peter Lewis does not appear on this album. "The Lake" is a strange combination of poetry submitted by a fan (Michael Hayworth, the winner of a KFRC San Francisco songwriting contest) and avant-garde psychedelic Musique concrète sound effects somewhat like side four of Freak Out! or "Revolution 9".[citation needed] The opening track "Never" is the best known song and has often been cited as the source for Led Zeppelin's song "Since I've Been Loving You", the opening lyrics, bluesy arrangement and some melodic elements are virtually identical.[4] The album was the inspiration for a number of other studio "jam" albums during the late 1960s and early 1970s.[citation needed] Later examples of this trend included Al Kooper's Super Session and the 3rd LP of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass. -wiki Side one "The Place and the Time" (Miller, Stevenson) - 2:07 "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" (Miller, Stevenson) - 2:58 "Bitter Wind" (Mosley) - 3:09 "Can't Be So Bad" (Miller, Stevenson) - 3:41 Complete LP and CD versions of the album conclude with a brief, spoken message from Skip Spence reminding the listener to change the turntable speed to 78 RPM for the next track. (On a separate band of the LP, cut at 78 RPM) "Just Like Gene Autry: A Foxtrot" (Spence) - 3:05 This track includes a guest appearance by Arthur Godfrey, who reads the introduction and plays ukulele. Side two "He" (Lewis) - 3:36 "Motorcycle Irene" (Spence) - 2:24 "Three-Four" (Miller, Spence) - 5:01 "Funky-Tunk" (Spence) - 2:11 "Rose Colored Eyes" (Mosley) - 4:00 "Miller's Blues" (Miller) - 5:22 "Naked, If I Want To" (Miller) - 0:52 Track listing Grape Jam Side one "Never" (Mosley) - 6:16 "Boysenberry Jam" - 6:03 "Black Currant Jam" - 7:11 Side two "Marmalade" - 14:05 "The Lake (Michael Hayworth, Moby Grape) - 4:01
Track 1) The Place & Time This has a Zappa/Mothers-ish feel with cool lyrics and all those crazy times changes. Here to sing our words and song Finger chimes and wonder and losing nothing Nothing, nothing, nothing Nothing, nothing, nothing Nothing, nothing, nothing Nothing, nothing, nothing Mother and father, think for yourself This is the place and the time Make the changes, hear the time All those silly words don't seem to rhyme Now I'm cold and I wonder why My twelfth floor mansions seem to touch the sky Tomorrow I'll be back to see if you can really be here My, what a strange vision I have seen and what a change What's that walkin' through my years And breathin' on your mind? When Sunday drivers come and play with theirs We'll be blowin' out your mind
Thanks, thinking about this a while ago and I couldn’t remember who covered “Judge”. I was thinking Blood, Sweat & Tears, but that was Smiling Phases. Where is Phonolog when you need it? Not a fan of post Kooper BS&T, but that’s another thread. And this is what spurred my curiosity about “Judge”...
2) Murder In My Heart For The Judge A real favorite of mine. Murder In My Heart For The Judge I've got murder in my heart for the judge I've got murder in my heart for the judge Well, that bad old judge wouldn't budge I've got murder in my heart for the judge Walked into the courtroom Know this was gonna bring me down And that big fat bald representative of justice And the prosecutor began to frown I'm sorry, sorry for the things I've done I sure want to change my evil ways And the judge looked down at me and said For getting smart, boy Gonna give you more than a lifetime Murder in my heart for the judge I've got murder in my heart for the judge Well, that mean old judge wouldn't budge I've got murder in my heart for the judge Now he said, if you look like a man I will be your friend, just give me your money And cut off your hair, boy I don't want to see your ugly face again Murder in my heart for the judge I've got murder in my heart for the judge Well, that mean old judge he would not budge I've got murder in my heart for the judge I've got murder in my heart for the judge Murder, murder in my heart Murder, murder, don't take me away Murder, murder, murder in my heart Murder, oh, oh, oh, murder
