Grand Funk Railroad Albums (16)
What The Critics Say
After making a comeback in 1981, the revamped 1980s version of Grand Funk Railroad took one last stab at the '80s rock market with What's Funk? This time, the band enlisted Gary Lyons (producer for Foreigner and the Outlaws) to create an updated version of the kind of slickly produced album that made the group into a pop hitmaker during the mid-'70s. The end result is an improvement over 1981's underproduced Grand Funk Lives, but it still suffers from some uneven moments. Lyons adds plenty of early-'80s frills to the group sound, the most notable examples being the synthesizers and drum machines that dress up tunes like "Innocent" and "I'm So True." This approach doesn't always work (the Gary Numan-like programmed synthesizers that underpin "Borderline" clutter up what could have been an effective slice of guitar-driven hard rock), but the group turns in the kind of songs and energetic performances that help make What's Funk? an engaging album. Good examples include "Still Waitin'," a straight-ahead rocker that seamlessly blends heavy guitar riffs with a catchy chorus, and "Borderline," a soulful power ballad that balances the group's instrumental power with plenty of smooth harmonies. Another highlight is the group's cover of the James Brown classic "It's a Man's World," which cleverly rearranges the tune to fit the band's power trio format. In the end, What's Funk? lacks the kind of exceptional songs and breakout hits that would have made the album cross over to the mainstream, but it remains a solid batch of tunes that will please the group's fans. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Rising like a Phoenix, which was the title of one of their previous albums, perhaps Mark Farner is sending a subliminal message with opening track "Good Times" that his "Bad Time" is over? The song "Testify," track three, sums up this very good album from Mark Farner, Don Brewer, and bassist Dennis Bellinger replacing the MIA Mel Schacher. It's a hooky rock tune with Farner's religious overtones. All these tracks are strong, from "Can't Be With You Tonight" to the glorious ending of "Wait for Me." The no-nonsense production of manager Andrew Cavaliere -- shades of Terry Knight! --- and Bob Destocki, lets Farner and Brewer shine. This album is like a subdued version of the Grand Funk classic Survival. In fact, both Survival and Grand Funk Lives are underrated, not just among Grand Funk fans. Where the first Mark Farner solo album, produced by Dick Wagner, had more of a bluesy feel in 1977, and 1978's Flint by Brewer and company sounded like a stab in the dark, this collection rocks. "Queen Bee" has riffs taken from Black Sabbath and Uriah Heep, specifically the ending of the song; "Black Sabbath meets Heep's "Easy Livin'," with Farner's pop influences glossing it up. "We Gotta Get out of This Place" has more in common with a hard-rocking Young Rascals than the Animals or David Johansen. "Y.O.U." is almost there, halfway to a hit, missing the strength of producers Jimmy Ienner, Todd Rundgren, heck, even Frank Zappa might've lifted this track into the Top 40. The restrained production on the rest of the album is a plus except for "Y.O.U.," which needed just a bit more. "Stuck in the Middle" is fun Mark Farner, and is perhaps the best track on this excellent outing. Heavy keyboards, a great hook, and thick chorus -- a nice sequel to Funk's 1975 hit "Bad Time." "Greed of Man" goes back to the harder preaching of original GFR. All tunes except the cover of "We Gotta Get out of This Place" were written by Farner, who closes out the album with the introspective "Wait for Me." In a world mutated by Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, and Aerosmith gone pop, Grand Funk Railroad kept the flame of hard rock lit with this solid disc. It's too bad it didn't reach a larger audience. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
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. ~ Jeff Schwachter, All Music Guide
'Good Singin', Good Playin''
Release Date 1/1/1976
Tracks 12
Label EMI
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What The Critics Say
After the surprisingly dark and subdued Born to Die, Grand Funk Railroad's original lineup rallied to record one more album in 1976. Also onboard was an unlikely choice of producer, avant-garde rock king Frank Zappa. As odd as this marriage may seem, the end result is one of the best albums in the Grand Funk Railroad canon. Zappa's production forsakes the high-gloss style that dominated the rest of their mid-'70s output, instead opting for a live-in-the-studio approach with minimal overdubs. This style works well, allowing the group to funnel the solid songcraft they had developed during their hitmaking years into a loose, energetic soundscape that harkens back to the finest moments of their early power-trio output. Indeed, songs like "Can You Do It" and "Out to Get You" (featuring a guest guitar solo from Zappa) crackle with the kind of hard rock energy that had been lost on All The Girls in the World Beware and Born to Die. However, the songs do not get buried under the power-trio theatrics: "Just Couldn't Wait" is a dynamic fusion of pop hooks and rock firepower that highlights the group's oft-underrated harmonies and "Release Your Love" injects catchy singalong choruses to a country-inflected slice of rock. Another highlight is "Miss My Baby," an anguished, epic power ballad that shows off the group's sound at its most subtle and atmospheric. To sum up, Good Singin' Good Playin' is an album that will please the group's fans and may even win over other classic rock enthusiasts with its combination of well-crafted songs and gutsy, no-frills production. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
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. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
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. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide
'All the Girls in the World Beware!!'
Release Date 1/1/1975
Tracks 10
Label Capitol
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
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. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
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. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide
'We're an American Band'
Release Date 1/1/1973
Tracks 8
Label Capitol
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
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. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
