Thirty Years of Funk: 1969-1999
Leave it to music critics to completely miss the train. Despite a uniformly bad reception from the press and initial cold shouldering from radio DJs, Grand Funk Railroad became the ultimate word-of-mouth legend, emerging from a nonpaid opening gig at the Atlanta Pop Festival on July 4, 1969, to rack up 10 platinum albums and a host of Top-40 singles. The chemistry between Mark Farner, Don Brewer, and Mel Schacher percolated into a soulful, heartland rock & roll style that made them one of the quintessential American bands in the post-Woodstock era.Thirty Years of Funk--an anthology selected with loving care--maxes out its three CDs to offer an unusually comprehensive anthology of Grand Funk. Though fans might quibble over details of the selection (more dubious efforts such asWhat's Funkare simply passed over), this remastered compilation traces the power trio's evolution with an epic sweep. Intermingled with the obvious choices ("I'm Your Captain" instantly evokes Vietnam resistance nostalgia) are numerous cuts from the early, heady days, charisma-drenched live concert takes, and examples of the band's reconstituted, singles-driven sound with the addition of keyboardist Craig Frost. Even the most knowledgeable funkheads will find room for discovery. There's a bonanza of previously unreleased material: songs from Mark and Don's pre-Funk quartet the Pack, outtakes from studio sessions, plus three tracks from GF's '96 reunion (where the boys play off each other's lines, grooving back into their old sound as seamlessly as a spliced tape). With a custom-made CD package--including a booklet-length history of the group, discography, and rare photos--this set is nirvana for even the most casual of GF followers.--Tom May