Capitol
2002
Classic Masters
About This Album
Capitol Records launched a midline-priced series called Classic Masters and the 2002 entry for Grand Funk Railroad is meant to appeal to the casual fan. It is intended to replace 1991's Capitol Collectors Series title -- an earlier budget line from the label -- although track-wise it's identical except for one song. Both have 15 cuts, but Classic Masters includes "Take Me" whereas Capitol Collectors Series has "Inside Looking Out." Looking back, it's amazing to realize just how enormously popular these Michigan hard-rockers were in the late '60s and early '70s. For Grand Funk Railroad, popular meant populist blue-collar appeal, and vocalist/guitarist Mark Farner, bass guitarist Mel Schacher, and drummer/vocalist Don Brewer (and, later on, keyboardist Craig Frost) were despised by critics, of course. The merits of anthems like "We're an American Band," "I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home," and the cover "The Loco-Motion" are obvious, but a compilation such as Classic Masters enables deeper appreciation of songs like "Time Machine," "Shinin' On," "Mean Mistreater" (recorded live in 1970 at the Atlanta International Pop Festival), and "Bad Time.
Track List (try tracks 1,4,8,9,12 and 15)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

 
report abuse