Customer Reviews

Legendary Grape

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a the final Moby Grape reunion album which they released in cassette tape form only in 1990, under the name of the Melvilles. The Melvilles was as close as they could come to the Moby Grape name without being sued by Matthew Katz, their original manager, who still owns liscening rights to the Moby Grape name and much of their music. I was aware of the Melville tape but never could find it until it was released in 2003 on CD as "Legendary Grape". Mr. Katz should reliquish the rights to all things Moby Grape he owns. He has single handedly destroyed the legacy of a group, that deserves a whole lot more than Mr. Katz's ruthless exploitation of thier name and musical catalog.

I had some misgivings about buying "Legendary Grape" when it became available in CD form. Skip Spence didn't participate in this project, and for me, Skip was the keeper of the flame for this amazing band. I didn't want the final chapter of Moby Grape's history to be tainted by a lifeless and weary parody of their former glory. From the opening chords of "All My Life", a Skip Spencer song which he contributed despite his non participation, the reconstituted Grape plays with passion and power evoking the muscular guitar crossfire and delicate choir boy harmonies that was the signature sound of Moby Grape. Skip may have passed on this project but his fingerprints and DNA are all over it. The "Legendary Grape/Melvilles" project melts away the years to the heady days of San Francisco, 1967, when few bands wanted close a show with Moby Grape on the bill, because this band's volcanic charisma and take-no-prisoners approach to playing music, simply blew away every other band in their path.

Peter Lewis, Bob Mosely, Don Stevenson, Jerry Miller and even Skip Spence, despite his many demons, never gave up on the dream. Each member of Moby Grape never defined themselves as anything other than a working musician. This inspiring coda to the Moby Grape legacy deserves to be heard on it's own terms as a great rock and roll album. No matter who Matthew Katz and his lawyers sue, he cannot steal what was never his to take; the hearts and minds of Moby Grape and their fans; who will one day do justice to the Grape legacy. This is a great Moby Grape album and deserves to carry Moby Grape name.

Any fan who caught the Grape during their '89 to '00 run knows how hard they tried to get back on the horse that bucked them so roughly in the past. This album was a work of great ambition and hard work that, unfortunately did not lead to the new recording contract they richly deserved. The songs represent the rip-roaring old Grape sound of the Sixties as well as the more lyrical sound of their late Seventies "Live Grape" recording. Its all good and some of it is magnificent, particularly the extra track "Changing". It loses one star only because of the sound. DIG did well with what they had , but apparently the masters of these sessions were not in the best condition. That should not stop any fan from getting this CD , either as a more permanent replacement for the original, fragile, casette version or as a sorely missed addition to the Grape's legacy.

this is a good, solid cd . it is not as spectacular as moby grape's debut album (which ranks high on my top 20 all-time favorite list), but it holds up well with repeated listening. the skip spence tune, "All My Life" starts things off with a big, full sound, and lots of multi-voiced harmony."On The Dime" is a fun song, as is "Bitter Wind in Tanganika", and the bonus track(not on the original release) of "Changing" by peter lewis is a charming look backward and forward. "Took It All Away" is a reminder of how management always seems to get the profits while the musicians fade from fame and fortune. the biggest surprise in this album was "Talk About Love", a cover version that really rocks and brought back memories of that glorious debut album. this is a worthwhile addition to anyone's collection.

What a pleasant suprise to find this! This is the real Grape doing what they do best. My favorites include "It don't take much", "You can depend on me", "Telephone love", yeah I know they're all sung by Bob but hey, what a voice. The guy sings like Otis Redding. A big suprise to me was how funky Pete's rhythm guitar playing is, and good vocals too. Jerry Miller is STILL one of the premier and under-rated guitar players in rock and he does it all with one guitar. Don drumming is great, check out "Depend on me" and the fat groove he provides for the band. Is there a better soulful singing drummer ANYWHERE? I have been a fan since seeing them first in 1966 and let me tell you they were killer then and they still are now. They are the BEST SAN FRANCISCO BAND I ever saw, and I saw them all. RIP Skippy.
P.S. forget about MK, he is a bitter old man.

I have been a fan since the opening chords of NAKED IF I WANT TO...and have ridden the MG roller coaster. I even did a favorable editorial on them in CREEM MAGAZINE back in '72 or '73. I know the history of the band as well as any true follower. I must now make a bold statement: This 'album' is a continuation of the work of the first four original LPs.
This could seriouly have been entitled "MOBY GRAPE '89". I put it on the level of MOBY GRAPE '69 and TRULY FINE CITIZEN. I know of the existence of GRAPE JAM and "SILVERWHEELS"... (and I am excluding for the moment, "20 Granite Creek") but those two albums had too much outside influence. "LEGENDARY" is just the Grape...just the four (5) of them.
The playing, singing and songwriting is excellent. My favorite tunes (I love them all) are YOU'LL NEVER KNOW, CHANGING and GETTIN' USED TO BEING TREATED WRONG. BUY THIS LP IF YOU ARE A TRUE FAN...AND IF YOU ARE NOT YET ONE...WELL, YOU JUST MIGHT BECOME ONE.
Vince Lucie (aka Vince DeLucia)

What makes me mad in listening to this CD is that with all the people involved in recording Moby Grape and all their friends and family, no one cared enough to maybe mention to them they needed to practice a little more and work on their individual singing. When the first few songs begin to play, I thought this is sort of taking up where "69" and "20 Grantite Creek" left off.
Moby Grape was a GREAT band back in their day. Bob Mosley's vocals were outstanding - very soulful. This could have been a great CD. Instead, it's decent because it's the original Moby Grape. But they could have taken a little more time to work out arrangements and gotten a little tighter in some areas - although I get the feeling they don't care about how good they are and probably wouldn't have made any sort of serious effort anyways.
Miller, Lewis and Mosley's vocals need help. Personally, I would have brought in a vocal coach (even now) to get their vocals back in shape so that they could sound as close to the old Grape as possible.
Having said all of that, this is a good record. They could have/should have cleaned up some parts here and there better. Most of the songs are typical Grape. Some could have been left out.
Overall, if you're a Grape fan, this CD is good.

I've had this for a couple of years, but with thousands of titles to listen to things get lost in the pack. Thank God for Ipods I put it in a month ago and can't stop playing it. This is without a doubt the equal of their 1st. I do not say that lightly. But from the blistering All My Life to the beautiful Bitter Wind in Tanganika this is Powerful. I won't review each song, not necessary. I'll just say it again the equal of the 1st.

It's the moby grape. If you know who they are, you like them. If you don't, you don't. This album is awesome. These guys are legends, I hope they drink good beer.

I had the cassette for a long time. Now it's on cd with 8 bonus tracks. WOW!
This is as good as the old stuff but sounds better. Like a fine bottle of wine it get's better with age. Any fan will welcome this cd to their collection. Not a bad song on it! The sound quality is fantastic. It's hard to believe this did not re kindle their career. I think if more people had known about it when it came out it would have been a different story.
If you love Moby Grape you need this one for the collection.

If you are looking for the magic of the first three albums by Moby Grape, you won't find it here. Most of the time they don't sound like the original Moby Grape. Instead, they sound like a competent bar band with songs that are just not very interesting, and singing that is often hoarse. Jerry Miller's guitar playing continues to be excellent, but that's not enough to save this material. This reunion album started as a cassette-only issue and had a number of extra songs when it was released on CD. Interestingly, not a single song from the original album is compelling to me. The only songs on the album that are really worth hearing are the "extras" called "Getting' Used to Being Treated Wrong," and "Forbidden Love," both Don Stevenson songs. "All My Life," the Skip Spence song is irritatingly repetitious. "On the Dime" by Jerry Miller is the only song in which they actually sound like Moby Grape. This CD will not be keeping its place alongside my other Moby Grape CDs.