Customer Reviews

Closer to Home

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

On this, their third album, Grand Funk Railroad's own unique sound became fully evolved. The band had started with re-written and refined material from their days as another group when they debuted as GFR in 1969 with "On Time." With their second album, "Grand Funk," the band gave birth to a unique entity of music: a hybrid of edgy hard rock, quirky pop, and soulful blues. However, their music, though catchy, was still very infantile. It was clear that the band was still learning to crawl. With "Closer to Home," they officially carved their niche into the musical world with a vengeance. The pulsating rhythms of Mel Schacher's bass, the primal yet deeply spiritual melodies of Mark Farner's guitar, and the much-underrated beat of Don Brewer's drumming came together to paint a picture of how society should be.

The songs, though sometimes mistaken for party fare, are very conceptual. One the A Side, the band examines the world as it was in 1970 (and still is today): a cold place where humanity is in danger of being wiped out by its own desires. On the B Side, Mark Farner's lyrics shift from an observation to a warning: that our best chance for survival as a species depends on adopting an attitude of peace, love, and mutual respect and tolerance for one's neighbors, be they friend or foe. This idea is slowly built upon until it reaches a head with the band's magnum opus: "I'm Your Captain," a ten-minute tour de force of quiet yet explosive rhythms, and some of Farner's best lyrics. The band spends the last half of the song pleading with society to find its way back to the light (accompanied by a flutist and a string section, a first for the group).

What really makes these songs stand out from Farner's earlier efforts is more of a devotion to words with a meaning. In the past, songs that touched upon Farner's personal philosophy were often outnumbered by songs that had more of a pop feeling to them, as far as lyrics were concerned. His abilities as a songwriter matured, so that even on songs like "Aimless Lady," the words and music do a better job of blending into a symmetrical whole. This idea is carried into the next song about a broken releationship: "Mean Mistreater." This song is entirely about rhythm, as Mark Farner takes off his guitar and trades it for an organ. Combined with Schacher's bass and Brewer's fiery percussions, you won't even notice that the guitar is gone. As for the rest of the songs, there is a purity to the band's musicianship that is more refined than it was on earlier albums. Don Brewer manages to keep the beat without hitting the cymbals every five seconds, and both he and Mel Schacher feed Mark Farner a rhythm which Farner uses to sculpt magnificent chords on his guitar: every bit as edgy as the last album, but with just the right amount of pop. And as for Mel Schacher: if his bass doesn't get your feet tapping (especially on "Nothing Is The Same"), you might be legally dead. All in all, the band delivers more than just a message that people must learn to live in harmony. They're saying: "Look out, world. We've learned how to rock, and we're not taking any prisoners."

I was over a friend's house and she put a CD on and I had no clue what band it was. I soon found myself listening to the songs and becoming enthralled at the quality of the sound from not only the CD, but the music itself which was just amazing.
After listening to the entire CD I decided to buy it even though I had never even heard of the band before (that's how good it was). I bought it at B&N and listened to it at least 2 times every day for about 2 months. If someone is interested in classic rock with early heavy metal and blues influences, this is the CD for you. The live bonus tracks are great, especially the sound and energy of the crowd.
However, the three tracks of Mean Mistreater are a little excessive, and after a while I found myself skipping over the re-mix and the live version.

I happened to hear the song "Sin's a Good Man's Brother" played by a DJ at a club recently. While the song was playing I had to go ask the DJ what it was, and couldn't believe it was Grand Funk. I didn't know much about them, but the song sounded like it was from a current hard rock/metal band.

Right away I ordered the cd and I couldn't believe the sound - so ahead of its time! Big bass, guitars and drums, and great riffs. Except for the vocals, you would never know that this album was from 1970.

It was also a treat to hear "I'm Your Captain" - never knew who that song was by, and its quite epic and monumental.

Great cd.

This album is one of the all time heavy metal classics. Don's drumming is out of this world! The album is so clear now. It was high time capitol remastered GFR's albums. If you like this album, or if you have never heard it, you must buy this NOW! The clarity is beyond any other pressing of this album's past. GFR RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We all have our favorite bands, Beatles, Deep purple, James gang, 80'd music and 90's music. We have my beloved Grateful Dead, and the Moody Blues. So many bands, so much music, our lives are permeated with it.

But no band in history stood up and slapped you sillier than Grand Funk Railroad. There was no thrill like setting 5 rows back and having Mel's bass go right through you on its sonic trip to oblivion. No thrill like watching Mark's lead guitar frenzies and the words he sang. At one time GFR was the loudest band on earth.

Grand Funk Railroad in its later years fought against drug use amongst teens, started the Pheonix House in NYC, did free concerts to advertise not living on drugs, donated monies to rehabs and in general cared about every person that came into contact with them, either through the music or their "ministry" against drugs.

Get one of their live CD's, turn it up very loud, until the wife screams, back it off just a touch and let the 70's come home.

Come on, ride the railroad one more time. Love the music.

(In case you think I am predjudiced, I come from a very small town outside Flint Michigan. I seen GFR before they were famous, when part of them was the Pack. Heck yes I am!)

I've always thought Closer to Home was Grand Funk's best album, but unfortunately I also felt the sound was quite possibly the worst of any Grand Funk record, with the possible exception of their first one, On Time. Terry Knight would certainly not rate on anyone's list of greatest rock producers in history; he did alright on a few Grand Funk records, but really botched some others, Closer to Home being among them. I don't normally upgrade from an original release to a remastered CD, but I thought this one was certainly worthy of an upgrade so I picked it up last night at a local independent retailer. I was very pleasantly surprised with the results. Everything is much more clear as opposed to muddy on the original, especially Mark Farner's guitar and voice. Songs which benefit the most from this new remastered version: I Don't Have to Sing the Blues and I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home).

There are four bonus tracks, starting with an alternate studio mix of Mean Mistreater. When I first heard it, I thought, "why did they leave out that organ part on the original? This sounds better." Reading the liner notes, it's obvious I'm not the only one who feels that way: "On this long-awaited, fully-remastered CD reissue, we are treated to a Mean Mistreater bonus track that features Mark's organ part as well as the electric piano. Why they chose to strip the organ part off the song when the album's track order was set in stone is something of a mystery. Many will no doubt now agree that the track sounds even better with the organ part intact."

Three LIVE bonus tracks follow: In Need, Heartbreaker and Mean Mistreater. In case you Funk fans are wondering, all three were recorded 6/25/70 at Orlando Sports Center, Florida. They are different live versions of the same three tunes which appeared on Grand Funk Live Album, all three of which were recorded only two days earlier at Jacksonville Coliseum, Florida. Great stuff, but I could have done without three versions of Mean Mistreater on the same record.

The Closer to Home remaster is a must have for any Grand Funk fan. FYI the entire Grand Funk collection (or most of it anyway) was remastered in 2002. I'm just now getting around to picking some of them up, but they also did a great job on Live Album, Phoenix and Survival.

Everyone reading these reviews already knows "I'm Your Captain" but to stop there you would be missing two of Grand Funk's heaviest tunes ever: "Sin's A Good Man's Brother" and "Nothing Is The Same". These make the purchase of this CD worthwhile alone. However, be forewarned; the sound quality sounds barely above AM radio quality on this Capitol domestic release. It is very muddy and wooden sounding-I wouldn't make such a fuss except my old album copy of this sounds MUCH cleaner! If Capitol would remaster this CD as they did on the new box set, it would become an instant 5-star rating!

I discovered this album when I was 16 years old, and it really hit me on the nerve. Already a fan of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple, I really took to Grand Funk as well--after all, they did the heavy early 70s rock thing too, and they were an American band to boot! If you are a fan of great grooves (Hooked on Love and Nothing Is The Same will have you playing "air drums") and 70s wah-drenched guitar playing, check out Closer To Home.

Grand Funk Railroad has gotten a bad rap for being too simple and predictable. Well, what some call simple, others call raw and pure. Pump up the volume and rip off the knob for "Sin's a Good Man's Brother". But kick back and let "I'm Your Captain" (a soldier's lament to the Vietnam war) take you back to the 1970's where true classic rock lived and bands used REAL orchestral arrangements! This disc will bring back a flood of memories for some us older rockers and introduce young, headbangers to, ahem, their parents music. Yes. It's that important.

There is no doubt that GFR was really on fire when they recorded Closer To Home. This is truly GFR's creative peak. From the album opener "Sin's A Good Man's Brother" to the FM classic "I'm Your Captain" this album is GFR's best studio effort. This is a must have in any GFR fans collection and an excellent introduction to any new listener of Mark, Don & Mel. A rockin' classic!