Moby Grape

Moby Grape | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 9, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sundazed Music Inc.
• ASIN: B000UVPJRI
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,839 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Hey Grandma

2. Mr. Blues

3. Fall on You

4. 8:05

5. Come in the Morning

6. Omaha

7. Naked, If I Want To

8. Someday

9. Ain't No Use

10. Sitting by the Window

11. Changes

12. Lazy Me

13. Indifference

14. Rounder (instrumental)*

15. Looper (audition rec.)*

16. Indifference (audition rec.)* previously unissued

17. Bitter Wind* previously unissued

18. Sweet Ride (Never Again)*

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Availability may be short lived., November 8, 2007

By 

David Hoeltje (Mariposa, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Moby Grape (Audio CD)

I checked the Sundazed site today and as of November 8, 2007 they are stating that Sony/BMG (at the behest of Matthew Katz?) has pulled the plug on their dist. rights to first 3 Grape CD's - Moby Grape & Wow/Grape Jam (originally a double LP set, but released as two seperate cd's by Sundazed). Not sure if it's permanent but you might want to pick these up now as Amazon seems to have stock that may either sell thru quickly or be pulled from circulation.

The remastering on "Moby Grape" in particular is just wonderful. You can hear subtle vocal and instrumental parts that were buried in all previous incarnations of this essential recording. So don't hesitate...buy it now and cross your fingers and hope that the surviving band mambers actually make something off of this latest developing, but hopefully short-term, debacle.

12/11/07 - Looks like the Grape have gotten screwed again. Amazon and the rest of the world seem to have sold thru the stock that got out before the title was pulled from distribution. What a shame, this is one of the top 30 Essential recordings from the '60's and it should be available for the uninitiated to discover.

I don't know the particulars, but if this latest screwing of the band was done by or because of Matthew Katz he should be ashamed. Having this music available for posterity is more important than his ego or his needing a new BMW every year. As a buyer for a major Distributor in the mid 1970's I had to deal with him on several occassions (he owns the San Francisco Sounds label) and he certainly seemed to be as big a d*** as everyone makes him out to be. What a sad, tragic affair.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!!!!!!, October 10, 2007

By 

E.I.E.I. Owen (Philadelphia, Pa United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Moby Grape (Audio CD)

After years of being trapped in the clutches of former manager Matthew Katz, the entire catalog is getting a complete overhaul and the remaining members can now use the name Moby Grape. However, that is another story.

If you want to know what the perfect debut album sounds like than here is a perfect example. Moby Grape was a band that had it all: musicianship, songwriting ability, 5 part vocal harmonies, and a perfect three-guitar attack that was hard to duplicate (although the Buffalo Springfield tried with various degrees of success). What boggles the mind is how Columbia records could screw this up. What should have been a slam-dunk turned out to be one the biggest bungles in American and pop music history.

The entire album has been re-mastered, contains five bonus tracks along with liner notes by Gene Sculatti. The sound is an improvement over previous versions and David Rubinson's production techniques is better appreciated, especially on the vocals. This is also available on vinyl containing the mono mix.

UPDATE: 12/27/2007-Matthew Katz does it again. You may have heard that Sundazed pulled the first 3 albums from circulation due to Katz and an issue with the ownership of the artwork. Honestly Katz let it go, how many times do you have to screw these guys over I mean reallly, it isn't like the reissues shipped platinum. F&%* MATTHEW KATZ

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Listen my Friends, October 9, 2007

By 

J. DiMoia (Singapore, SG) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moby Grape (Audio CD)

A Five star Masterpiece, the best thing ever to emerge from the San Francisco scene (with apologies to Deadheads, Airplane and Quicksilver Fans . . . )

The Moby Grape saga as a whole, accompanied by the spectacular demise of individual group member Skip Spence, has often been told; so I won't need to revisit it here, leaving the curious reader to Gene Scullati's excellent "San Francscan Nights" for more details. (Scullati adds the liners for this set (and others in this reissue series), which is highly appropriate.)

No, what remains of inestimable value here is the music, which this Sundazed reissue has captured in fine form, with a mono vinyl copy (which I haven't heard yet) available for those who prefer the form. In any case, the CD captures the stereo in its full glory, from the opening riff of "Hey Grandma" (later to be covered by the Move), the phasing effect which opens "Omaha," and the every last bit of finger-picking in "Ain't No Use." While my earlier CD copy was okay, this remastered version hits on minor, but key nuances, giving an even greater appreciation of the rhythm section.

The bonus cuts include "Rounder" and "Looper," both of which are presumably the same versions appearing on the Columbia two-disc retrospective "Vintage." An alternate "Indifference" captures the band in rough form, almost garage-like, and the set closes with "Never Again" (from the little scene flick Sweet Ride). The only complaint here is the absence of any longer material--where is "Dark Magic"?--although producer David Rubinson reportedly chose to cull such longer material from the Grape's live set. More details re the band's audition tape (from which the bonus cuts are drawn) would also be hlepful: is this the entire audition?

Those quibbles aside, this is the one which Robert Christgau included among his five star reviews in his 1970's volume, a review repeated in the most recent Rolling Stone (yeah, it's a rag, but they at least got this right) review for this reissue campaign. Not just for purists, this is not so much psychedelic, as newcomers might expect, but roots rock, country, and psych touches all melded into thirty plus minutes of sonic glory--all this, and you're no longer contributing to Matthew Katz's coffers (or such is my understanding) when you buy it.