Customer Reviews

E Pluribus Funk

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I remember listening to this album in high school and bringing the Lp to class when my English teacher let us bring an album. I played PEOPLE LET'S STOP THE WAR and a lot of feet were moving and hands were clapping by the end of the song. I recommend this CD to anyone who wants to know the true GFR sound. Excellent sound on the remastered version.

With growing up with Funk in my early teens I had always enjoyed GFR. Knowing that the music critics came down on the band (shows how much they know)I wanted to put in my 2 cents. Mel, man, can you flat lay down those floor shaking bass riffs! If you do not understand, listen to "People, Lets Stop the War". Mel SHOULD be rated as one of the top bassest in rock and roll. I rate him with Chris Squire, Tim Bogert, and Jack Bruce. His riffs carried the band through out all their albums and made them interesting. In this album he simply out did himself on the riffs. THANK YOU MEL!

The album was loud and very political. "People Lets stop the war", "Save the Land" and the beautiful "Loneliness" are Mark Farner songs that not only say what he wants heard, they pretty much yell it. This aside though, it rocks like no other GFR studio album. Only on "Loneliness" do they let up a bit adding in an orchestra that works well with the drums, and bass. Jon Lord of Deep Purple named this as one of his favorites and said that GFR were the first band to incorporate an orchestra into rock music where neither was over powered. Even if critics didn't appreciate what GFR were doing, their peers did. It is amazing how much sound three guys can put out. This was one of the first GFR albums I ever heard, and the first CD I bought of the band. The CD sound is good and powerful. It is a MUST if you are even a casual fan of GFR.

This album brings out the strong feelings that people had at that time. We had the Viet Nam war, and willingness to stay strong as a country, but yet not letting the government think they had us fooled. GFR brings out in the music, great rock and roll, and the statements we all wanted to say as the youth. Thanks you Mark, Don and Mel. You gave us strength, and put it to music. I still sing the songs with pride,strange enough the words still hold true today. Love you guys Mean Jeanne Mistreater

This album is quintessential Grand Funk. The album captures the full creative spectrum of the band's style more than any other. From the hard-driving "Footstompin' Music" to the deeply textured "Loneliness". This album also reflects the maturity that Mark Farner's songwriting had reached by this time. The songs "People let's stop the War" and "Save the Land" show that the band was deeply concerned with the political issues of the time and that there was alot more to Grand Funk than just feel-good party music. The music on this album approximates the great "live" sound of the band. I saw them perform the material on this album when it was released and they always delivered their music with the same energy and crowd-pleasing gusto. This is probably my favorite Funk album because it was recorded at a time when their music still had that raw edginess but was more refined than the earlier material and yet not as overproduced as some of the material to follow. The music on this album holds up very well even today. So if you're a classic rock fan, and even if you're not, get it and you won't be disappointed.

I don't know how many rocords, cassettes I have worn out listening to. CD's do last longer. If you're not a big Funk fan, I invite you to listen to this one. I think you will become one. I got the unique oportunity to meet and visit with the band a few years ago, and they are just as real and genuine as their music. I saw them in concert last year and they haven't lost anything, if anything, they have meshed their spirit, soul and talents even more. I believe this is one of their best recordings, and hope you will too.

Grand funk returns to form, after a lackluster spate of two albums with little creative drive and energy. But after having gone on the road with, and given a swift kick in the pants by upstarts Humble pie, and even given guitarist Steve Marriott's Gibson SG to record this album, Funk returns to the sound that made them famous for one last time with producer and manager Terry Knight at the helm. Mark Farner's style really works well when playing the Gibson guitar and it's a shame he didn't use it for subsequent albums. But everyone's playing is at peak form, and plays as if they were playing live. Overall, this album ranks up there with AC/DC's "Back in Black" and Journey's "Escape" as one of the most exciting rock albums from start to finish

I don't remember why I bought the cassette back in 1972 since I knew absolutely nothing about GFR, but I fell in love with "Loneliness." When the orchestra comes in, I am just carried away. The cassette is gone, the album is old -- just like me -- and now I'm going to get E Pluribus Funk on CD for myself for Mother's Day (I have five kids, six grandkids now). I can hardly wait to be carried away again with "Loneliness."

A lot of great GrandFunk on this one.Sound quality is good and every song a real rocker.A must have for GrandFunk fans.

Let's have it straight right from the beginning, this is a pretty good album. It may be not the best introduction to the band's music, but it stands quite strong in GFR discography. And it was selling pretty well, too. #5 in Billboard's chart, plus 2 singles from a 7-songs-long LP. Nice, eh?

However, to me this CD marks the beginning of Grand Funk Railroad's fall into mainstream and generic arena-rock realm. "E Pluribus Funk" shows the band that doesn't want to develop songwriting, but instead chooses to implement very simple melodic hooks, primitive groove and very plain singing. Even attempts to spice the things up with some funky guitar riffing and studio jamming doesn't help much. The band still shows inspiration for the most part of this album, but, as I said, the mainstream trend already shows itself too obviously here.

"E Pluribus Funk" is good to listen to, but once it's over, you don't have much to recall, with about the only exception being the fastest song here and the best single, "Foot-stompin' Music". GFR only went downhill from here, and their unsurpassed masterpieces are "Closer to Home" and "Survival". To the newcomers I'd recommend to start with them.