Moby Grape – MOBY GRAPE****

Hey Grandma/Mr Blues/Fall On You/8:05/Come In The Morning/Omaha/Naked If I Want To/Someday/Ain’t No Use/Sitting By The Window/Changes/Lazy Me/Indifference

Solid debut album from San Franciscan rock band Moby Grape that was effectively sabotaged by their record company with the simultaneous release of the tracks as singles, all of which flopped. (US:24)

"Really good late 60s album, one of the best albums to come out of the San Francisco scene. The songs are short and to the point and there’s not a dull number here. It’s mostly upbeat rock numbers with a little country flavour thrown in. The guitar playing is excellent, the band is very tight, and the vocal harmonies are great."

"Moby Grape's 1967 magnum opus is the perfect debut album. Weaving stunning and impassioned vocal harmonies against a dense frontline of three guitars and a seriously rocking rhythm section the album exudes energy and sun-soaked optimism. The album kicks out a series of killer two and a half minute gems that effortlessly fuse rock, folk and country influences with hook laden pop."

"A standout of '67 psychedelia, Moby Grape's debut is tighter, brighter, and lighter than albums by competing outfits, and also leans a bit more on blues influence than Jefferson Airplane or Country Joe & The Fish did. Everyone in the band plays and sings and writes, and they're all pretty good at it. This is a tremendous album that still stands its ground."

"Among the pillars of the west coast psych scene, this debut displayed all of the promise that this wonderful band held, promise that would go ultimately unrealised through over-hype and mismanagement. The music is primarily country flavoured pop, with strong use of vocal harmony, somewhat similar to The Byrds at times. An excellent example of period flavour, unquestionably their crowning glory."

"Moby Grape's debut is among the finest late 60s LPs released. It's so chock-full of greatly executed ideas and talent. No other band matched their versatility. What a shame they never matched this again."

"This record successfully shows a band at their most youthful and at their prime. They excelled in all departments, vocals, instrumentation and songwriting."