One of the 1970s’ most successful hard rock bands in spite of critical pans and somewhat reluctant radio airplay (at first), Grand Funk Railroad built a devoted fan base with constant touring, a loud, simple take on the blues-rock power trio sound, and strong working-class appeal.
The band was formed by Flint, MI, guitarist/songwriter Mark Farner and drummer Don Brewer, both former members of a local band called Terry Knight & the Pack. They recruited former ? & the Mysterians bassist Mel Schacher in 1968, and Knight retired from performing to become their manager, naming the group after Michigan’s well-known Grand Trunk Railroad. They performed for free at the 1969 Atlanta Pop Festival, and their energetic, if not technically proficient…
…show led Capitol Records to sign them at once. While radio shied away from Grand Funk Railroad, the group’s strong work ethic and commitment to touring produced a series of big-selling albums over the next few years; five of their eight releases from 1969 to 1972 went platinum, and the others all went gold. Meanwhile, Knight promoted the band aggressively, going so far as to rent a Times Square billboard to advertise Closer to Home, which turned out to be the band’s first multi-platinum album in spite of a backlash from the rock press. However, Grand Funk Railroad fired Knight in March of 1972, who promptly sued; the band spent most of the year in a court battle that ended when they bought Knight out.
Keyboardist Craig Frost joined the group for the Phoenix LP at the end of 1972. Following that album, the band’s name was officially shortened to Grand Funk, and the group finally scored a big hit single (number one, in fact) with the title track of the Todd Rundgren-produced We’re an American Band. The follow-up, Shinin’ On, contained another number one hit in a remake of Little Eva’s “The Loco-Motion.” However, following Grand Funk’s next album, All the Girls in the World Beware!!, interest in the group began to wane. Reverting back to Grand Funk Railroad, they remained together in 1976 solely to work with producer Frank Zappa on Good Singin’, Good Playin’. Farner left for a solo career, and the remainder of the band released an album as Flint with guitarist Billy Elworthy.
Grand Funk Railroad re-formed in 1981 with Dennis Bellinger on bass and released two albums; only Grand Funk Lives even managed to scrape the bottom of the charts.
Trunk Of Funk collections – actually, given the size of them. Vol 1 spans the years 1969-1971 and includes six discs, beginning with debut album On Time and ending with E Pluribus Funk. Vol 2 takes in 1972-1976 with another half-dozen CDs, from Phoenix to Born To Die.
1969 – On Time
Grand Funk Railroad’s 1969 debut is a wildly uneven affair. Although the exuberant energy and power-trio theatrics that would fuel their 1970s hits are in place, the group’s songwriting and arranging abilities are very much in their infancy. The biggest problems in terms of songwriting are the often-amateurish lyrics: “Anybody’s Answer” is a sincere but muddled attempt at a message song that expends a lot of energy without ever focusing on a particular target and “Heartbreaker” is a love lament that is content to trot out a series of well-worn heartbreak clichés. In terms of arrangements, the band often places an aimless jam where a tight instrumental break should be. The standout example of this problem is “TNUC,” a loose-limbed tune that wears out its welcome with an overlong and unstructured drum solo. Despite these problems, there are some strong tunes in the mix: “Are You Ready” is an exuberant rocker built on one of Mel Schacher’s trademark walking basslines and “Into the Sun” is a clever tune that starts as a mellow mid-tempo jam before blossoming into a stomping rocker with a funky guitar riff. Both of these sturdy tunes appropriately became mainstays of Grand Funk Railroad’s live show for many years to come. “Time Machine” is another highlight, a bluesy shuffle built on Mark Farner’s wailing vocals and a catchy, stuttered guitar riff. All in all, On Time is way too patchy of an album to please the casual listener but provides a few hints of and contains enough worthwhile moments to please the group’s fans.
01. Are You Ready
02. Anybody’s Answer
03. Time Machine
04. High On A Horse
05. T.N.U.C.
06. Into The Sun
07. Heartbreaker
08. Call Yourself A Man
09. Can’t Be Too Long
10. Ups And Downs
Bonus Tracks:
11. High On A Horse (Original Version)
12. Heartbreaker (Original Version)
1970 – Grand Funk
Grand Funk Railroad’s 1970 somewhat eponymous album, their second for Capitol, is characteristic of the classic rock radio sound that would permeate the airwaves of the late 20th century. Grand Funk Railroad was a seminal force in giving the friendlier side of the heavy rock sound its charm and making it stick. Built on fuzzed-out blues riffs, simple lyrics, and at times seemingly unnecessary jamming, Grand Funk’s songs are mild in nature. Far less extreme than Black Sabbath, but slightly toothier than Foghat or Bad Company, Grand Funk’s major influence is from the loose, blues-based power trio formula of bands such as Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Grand Funk combines rawness with radio-friendly melodies and vocal harmonies that would become their trademark sound. Hordes of bands to come, from Foreigner to Bon Jovi, would emulate Grand Funk’s sound and style, focusing on good-time rocking material while attempting a few token social commentary pieces. This is a good album as far as early hard rock goes, and as Grand Funk Railroad would move farther and farther away from the type of roughness and loose arrangements found here, it is well worth picking up as an example of one of their early efforts.
01. Got This Thing On The Move
02. Please Don’t Worry
03. High Falootin’ Woman
04. Mr. Limousine Driver
05. In Need
06. Winter And My Soul
07. Paranoid
08. Inside Looking Out
Bonus Tracks:
09. Nothing Is The Same (Demo)
10. Mr. Limousine Driver (Extended Version)
1970 – Closer To Home
Closer to Home, the trio’s third album, was the record that really broke them through to the commercially successful level of metal masters such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Rather than rushing headlong into their typical hard, heavy, and overamplified approach, Grand Funk Railroad began expanding their production values. Most evident is the inclusion of strings, the acoustic opening on the disc’s leadoff cut, “Sins a Good Man’s Brother,” as well as the comparatively mellow “Mean Mistreater.” But the boys had far from gone soft. The majority of Closer to Home is filled with the same straight-ahead rock & roll that had composed their previous efforts. The driving tempo of Mel Schacher’s viscous lead basslines on “Aimless Lady” and “Nothing Is the Same” adds a depth when contrasted to the soul-stirring and somewhat anthem-like “Get It Together.” The laid-back and slinky “I Don’t Have to Sing the Blues” also continues the trend of over-the-top decibel-shredding; however, instead of the excess force of other bands, such as MC5, Grand Funk Railroad are able to retain the often-elusive melodic element to their heavy compositions.
01. Sin’s A Good Man’s Brother
02. Aimless Lady
03. Nothing Is The Same
04. Mean Mistreater
05. Get It Together
06. I Don’t Have To Sing The Blues
07. Hooked On Love
08. Closer To Home (I’m Your Captain)
Bonus Tracks:
09. Mean Mistreater (Alternate Mix)
10. In Need (Live)
11. Heartbreaker (Live)
12. Mean Mistreater (Live)
1970 – Live Album
Either you love or you hate it. Live Album by Grand Funk Railroad was a smash when released and those who loved it played it to death. A hard rock phenomenon of the waning days of the Sixties, Grand Funk proved over and over that they were the live performing act of the time, and this album is a testament to their in-concert power.
01. Introduction
02. Are You Ready
03. Paranoid
04. In Need
05. Heartbreaker
06. Words Of Wisdom
07. Mean Mistreater
08. Mark Say’s Alright
09. T.N.U.C.
10. Inside Looking Out
11. Into The Sun
1971 – Survival
By the time Grand Funk Railroad came to make Survival in January 1971, Cleveland Recording had moved to new quarters, and the group had become a national phenomenon, its last two albums Top Ten million-sellers. They spent a relatively luxurious six weeks or so on the record, and the results showed; Survival was the best-sounding and the best-played album they had yet made. Such assessments are, of course, relative, however. The group’s playing remained rudimentary, especially in the rhythm section, and its sense of song construction was simple and repetitious. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Mark Farner sang in a strained, limited tenor lyrics that yearned for basic satisfactions (“Comfort Me,” “I Want Freedom”), then led the lengthy instrumental passages with either simple guitar patterns or simple organ patterns. The band’s choice of covers, Traffic’s “Feelin’ Alright” and the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” indicated taste (and that they were short of material), but their interpretations were inferior. This may have been Grand Funk’s first real studio album, but they still sounded like they hadn’t quite figured out how the studio differed from the stage and what added dynamics might be necessary to make a recording successful.
01. Country Road
02. All You’ve Got Is Money
03. Comfort Me
04. Feelin’ Alright
05. I Want Freedom
06. I Can Feel Him In The Morning
07. Gimme Shelter
Bonus Tracks:
08. I Can’t Get Along With Society (2002 Remix)
09. Jam (Footstompin’ Music)
10. Country Road (Unedited Original Version)
11. All You’ve Got Is Money (Unedited Original Version)
12. Feelin’ Alright (Unedited Original Version)
1971 – E Pluribus Funk
Grand Funk Railroad took longer than usual to make their fifth album, Survival, in early 1971, but when they came to make their sixth, E Pluribus Funk, that September, they spent less than a week at the effort. The rush shows. The album, made by a band by now popular enough to sell out Shea Stadium (depicted on the back of the album, its cover designed to look like a silver coin), consisted of a series of simple rock tunes with lyrics devoted to the joys of music itself (“Footstompin’ Music”), social concerns generically expressed (“People, Let’s Stop the War,” “Save the Land”), and claims of romantic betrayal (“Upsetter,” “No Lies”). Lead singer Mark Farner wailed in his limited tenor, joined in unison by drummer Don Brewer, and the rhythm section played in plodding lockstep. Farner added guitar and organ parts that emphasized the simplicity and repetitiveness of the musical patterns. “Loneliness,” the concluding track, made a failed attempt at grandeur by adding a symphony orchestra. Six albums in, Grand Funk were still primarily a live band, able to achieve intensity, but with little sense of the varying dynamics and musical textures that might make a studio album interesting to listen to beyond being a souvenir of their live show.
01. Footstompin’ Music
02. People, Let’s Stop The War
03. Upsetter
04. I Come Tumblin’
05. Save The Land
06. No Lies
07. Loneliness
Bonus Tracks:
08. I’m Your Captain / Closer To Home (Live)
09. Hooked On Love (Live)
10. Get It Together (Live)
11. Mark Say’s Alright (Live)
1972 – Phoenix
Having scored four consecutive Top Ten albums in the previous two years, Grand Funk Railroad may not have seemed to casual observers like a band who needed to rise phoenix-like from the ashes, but the title of the band’s seventh album referred to its re-emergence after a litigious split from manager/producer Terry Knight. Now, they were producing themselves, and they added organist Craig Frost, credited here as a sideman, though he went on to join the band formally. The biggest change, however, was a musical maturity. After releasing five studio albums in a little over two years, Grand Funk waited more than a year before releasing Phoenix, and in that time they managed to come up with more variety than they had displayed before. “Someone,” for example, was a surprisingly gentle ballad, and “Rain Keeps Fallin'” was stronger melodically than most of songwriter Mark Farner’s previous efforts. Unlike earlier albums, Phoenix didn’t seem like one rudimentary rocker after another, which made it Grand Funk’s most listenable album so far. And that’s not to say it didn’t rock, as the leadoff instrumental, “Flight of the Phoenix,” and the Top 40 hit that closed the set, “Rock ‘n Roll Soul,” demonstrated. Unfortunately, Farner’s lyrical abilities had not increased, while his self-importance had. “I Just Gotta Know,” “So You Won’t Have to Die,” and “Freedom Is for Children” all contained political exhortations expressed in simple-minded terms, the worst being “So You Won’t Have to Die,” in which Farner, later to become a Christian artist, claimed Jesus had spoken to him on the subject of overpopulation. After such cringe-inducing foolishness, the band’s return to rocking with “Rock ‘n Roll Soul” could only be welcomed.
01. Flight Of The Phoenix
02. Trying To Get Away
03. Someone
04. She Got To Move Me
05. Rain Keeps Fallin’
06. I Just Gotta Know
07. So You Won’t Have To Die
08. Freedom Is For Children
09. Gotta Find Me A Better Day
10. Rock ‘N Roll Soul
Bonus Track:
11. Flight Of The Phoenix (2002 Remix With Extended Ending)
1973 – We’re An American Band
Having made several changes in their business and musical efforts in 1972, Grand Funk Railroad made even more extensive ones in 1973, beginning with their name, which was officially truncated to “Grand Funk.” And keyboardist Craig Frost, credited as a sideman on Phoenix, the previous album, was now a full-fledged bandmember, filling out the musical arrangements. The most notable change, however, came with the hiring of Todd Rundgren to produce the band’s eighth album. Rundgren, a pop/rock artist in his own right, was also known for his producing abilities, and he gave Grand Funk exactly what they were looking for: We’re an American Band sounded nothing like its muddy, plodding predecessors. Sonically, the record was sharp and detailed and the band’s playing was far tighter and more accomplished. Most important, someone, whether the band or Rundgren, decided that gruff-voiced drummer Don Brewer should be employed as a lead singer as often as guitarist Mark Farner. Brewer also contributed more as a songwriter, and the results were immediate. The album’s title song, an autobiographical account of life on the road written and sung by Brewer, was released in advance of the album and became a gold-selling number one hit, Grand Funk’s first really successful single. Despite the band’s previous popularity, for many, it must have been the first Grand Funk record they either heard or bought. Elsewhere on the album, Farner contributed his usual wailing vocals and guitar, singing of his heartfelt, if simpleminded, political concerns. But We’re an American Band really belonged to Brewer and Rundgren, and its success constituted a redefinition of Grand Funk that came just in time.
01. We’re An American Band
02. Stop Lookin’ Back
03. Creepin’
04. Black Licorice
05. The Railroad
06. Ain’t Got Nobody
07. Walk Like A Man (You Can Call Me Your Man)
08. Loneliest Rider
Bonus Tracks:
09. Hooray
10. The End
11. Stop Lookin’ Back (Acoustic Mix)
12. We’re An American Band (2002 Remix)
1974 – Shinin’ On
After racking up their biggest success to date with We’re an American Band, Grand Funk Railroad decided to keep a good thing going by retaining Todd Rundgren as their producer and continuing to push their sound in a pop/rock direction. The end result has its moments but is not as strong as We’re an American Band. Although the songs are tight and benefit from a strong performance by the group, the material simply isn’t as inspired this time out: songs like “Please Me” and “Getting Over You” are energetic but lack the infectious hooks and clever arrangement touches that would make them stick in the listener’s memory. Shinin’ On’s best songs are the ones that became its single releases: the title track infuses its hard-driving, spacy rock groove with some surprisingly ethereal vocal harmonies and the cover of “The Loco Motion” turns this dance classic on its ear with a stomping beat and a screeching guitar lead from Mark Farner. Other tracks make up for their lack of hooks by experimenting with the group’s sound in interesting ways: “Mr. Pretty Boy” is a creepy slow blues that features an atmospheric Mellotron backing and “To Get Back In” is a full-fledged soul song built on thick combination of organ and horns. In the end, Shinin’ On is too unfocused and uneven to win over non-fans but Grand Funk Railroad fans will find plenty to enjoy on this album.
01. Shinin’ On
02. To Get Back In
03. The Loco-Motion
04. Carry Me Through
05. Please Me
06. Mr. Pretty Boy
07. Gettin’ Over You
08. Little Johnny Hooker
Bonus Tracks:
09. Destitute And Losin’
10. Shinin’ On (2002 Remix)
1974 – All The Girls In The World Beware!!!
Grand Funk Railroad continued to move further into the pop/rock mainstream with this hit album. They are aided considerably in this aim by the ultra-slick production of Jimmy Ienner, a producer best known for his work with the Raspberries: songs like “Runnin'” and “Memories” boast rich yet punchy horn and string arrangements that beef up the group’s sound without softening its energetic edge. The album’s combination of high-gloss production and the band’s energy resulted in some impressive hits: “Some Kind of Wonderful” is an exuberant, organ-drenched soul song that highlight’s the group’s strong harmonies while “Bad Time” mixes a delicate, string-laden melody with a pulsing beat from the rhythm section to create a one-of-a-kind power ballad. None of the other songs on All the Girls in the World Beware have hooks as compelling as these hits, but they are energetically performed and often push the band’s sound in interesting new directions: “Memories” is a moody ballad with a country-styled melody and the title track is a humorous portrait of a would-be lady-killer delivered over a funky Santana-esque jam driven by lightning-fast organ riffs and congas. “Good and Evil” is another big surprise, a moody mid-tempo track whose creepy distorted vocals and gothic organ effects create a sound reminiscent of mid-’70s Alice Cooper. In the end, casual listeners would probably be better off seeking this album’s hits on a compilation, but All the Girls in the World Beware will definitely appeal to any Grand Funk Railroad fan who enjoyed We’re an American Band or Shinin’ On.
01. Responsibility
02. Runnin’
03. Life
04. Look At Granny Run Run
05. Memories
06. All the Girls In The World Beware
07. Wild
08. Good & Evil
09. Bad Time
10. Some Kind Of Wonderful
1975 – Caught In The Act
By 1975, Grand Funk Railroad had reached a new level of fame and fortune thanks to pop-friendly albums like We’re an American Band and Shinin’ On. However, they had not dropped the turbo-charged rock & roll that built their early success and that fact is proven by this exciting double-live album. Caught in the Act covers all the highlights of their catalog up to that point, including both the major hits and a generous sampling of album-track favorites. All the songs benefit from the amped-up live atmosphere and several improve over the studio versions thanks to the consistent high level of energy that the band pours into each tune. The best example is the latter phenomenon one-two punch of the albums’ opening tracks: “Footstompin’ Music” leaps out of the speakers with a galloping beat and pulsing organ that effortlessly outstrips its album version, then the band smoothly segues into a barnstorming, revamped version of “Rock ‘N’ Roll Soul” that tacks an infectious “Nothin’ but a party” chant onto the song’s beginning. Even the hits add new frills that keep them feeling like rote run-throughs: “The Loco Motion” is soulfully fleshed out by the addition of female backing vocals and hard rock muscle applied to “Black Licorice” transforms it into a speedy, fist-pumping rocker. Another big highlight is the atmospheric version of “Closer to Home,” which sports a tighter, more complex arrangement than its studio counterpart and makes an excellent showcase for Craig Frost’s skills on a variety of keyboard (he nimbly recreates the song’s orchestral coda with an elegant performance on the Mellotron). The end result is a live album that is the equal of the studio’s best studio-recorded outings. Simply put, Caught in the Act is a necessity for Grand Funk Railroad fans and may even attract non-fans with its effective combination of energy and instrumental firepower.
01. Footstompin’ Music
02. Rock ‘N Roll Soul
03. I’m Your Captain / Closer To Home
04. Heartbreaker
05. Some Kind Of Wonderful
06. Shinin’ On
07. The Loco-Motion
08. Black Licorice
09. The Railroad
10. We’re An American Band
11. T.N.U.C.
12. Inside Looking Out
13. Gimme Shelter
1976 – Born To Die
The title says it all: Although not steeped in heavy metal riffs or gothic sound effects, this 1976 effort from Grand Funk Railroad creates a mood gloomy enough to rival the darkest moments of Black Sabbath. By this point in their career, the band was feeling run into the ground and this is reflected in the mood of the lyrics: the title track is mournful rumination on the inevitability of death and “I Feel for Your Love” explores the depression created by the end of a relationship. The result is an album that feels like an anomaly in the Grand Funk Railroad catalog: the album’s dark mood sits at odds with the group’s normally energetic style and, thus, robs it of a lot of its punch. Even though the production is solid and the group’s instrumental performance is tight, neither of these elements make it easy to listen to an album of oppressively dreary songs. However, a few bright spots shine through: “Sally” is a country-tinged mid-tempo rocker that highlights Mark Farner’s harmonica playing and “Take Me” is a driving, lusty rocker that briefly adds a shot of much-needed energy to the proceedings. Of the gloomier tracks, “Love Is Dyin'” stands out because it applies a strong, guitar-heavy rock melody to its sad sentiments to create a song that is both driving and emotionally affecting. Ultimately, Born to Die is such a grim affair that it may turn off some of the group’s fans but it remains an interesting curio for the Grand Funk Railroad completist.
01. Born To Die
02. Dues
03. Sally
04. I Fell For Your Love
05. Talk To The People
06. Take Me
07. Genevieve
08. Love Is Dyin’
09. Politician
10. Good Things
Bonus Tracks:
11. Bare Naked Woman (Live Rehearsal)
12. Genevieve (Live Rehearsal)