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Listen My Friends! The Best of Moby Grape

 
Album Review: Listen My Friends! The Best of Moby Grape

  • Artist: Moby Grape
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: May 15, 2007
  • Type: Compilation (best of)
  • Genre: Rock

Review

As a single-disc, 20-track compilation of some of Moby Grape's best material (with a radio ad for their Truly Fine Citizen album tacked on at the end), this works fine. As something that should really be worthy of the name "best-of," it's more problematic. For Moby Grape really is a group best appreciated by a more extensive (yet still selective) overview of its most enduring work, an excellent one of which was compiled in 1993 for the double-CD Vintage: The Very Best of Moby Grape. This briefer anthology includes just two songs, "Changes, Circles Spinning," and "If You Can't Learn from My Mistakes," that didn't appear on Vintage, and can't help but suffer in comparison. That's not least because it includes just six of the songs from their self-titled debut album -- universally hailed as their strongest record by far -- where Vintage has every track from that LP. Listen! My Friends still has plenty of good stuff, judiciously cherry-picking their erratic post-Moby Grape albums for their strongest cuts, though the more melodic country- and folk-oriented songs hold up far better than the bluesier rockers. Indeed, almost every track is impressive, making a case for the band as one of the '60s outfits who most adeptly blended rock, folk, blues, and country with touches of psychedelia, as well as showing their post-1967 stuff (at least the best of it) to be sturdier than is usually remembered. If you remember the original releases, though, you'll find yourself wondering why highlights like "Someday," "Lazy Me," and (from the post-Moby Grape days) "It's a Beautiful Day Today" and "I Am Not Willing" aren't here. Unless you're an extraordinarily impatient listener, then, Vintage remains the comp to find. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Hey Grandma Moby Grape (2:46)
Mr. Blues Moby Grape (2:01)
8:05 Moby Grape (2:22)
Omaha Skip Spence Moby Grape (2:46)
Sitting by the Window Moby Grape (2:46)
Indifference Skip Spence Moby Grape (4:16)
Bitter Wind [Version One] Moby Grape (2:40)
Murder in My Heart for the Judge (Lyrics) Moby Grape (3:00)
Can't Be So Bad (Lyrics) Moby Grape (3:27)
He Moby Grape (3:39)
Motorcycle Irene Skip Spence Moby Grape (2:26)
Rose Colored Eyes Moby Grape (4:03)
Sweet Ride (Never Again) [#] Moby Grape (5:57)
Ooh Mama Ooh Moby Grape (2:30)
Ain't That a Shame Moby Grape (2:32)
If You Can't Learn from My Mistakes Moby Grape (2:36)
Going Nowhere (Lyrics) Moby Grape (2:05)
Seeing Skip Spence Moby Grape (3:47)
Changes, Circles Spinning Moby Grape (2:27)
Truly Fine Citizen Moby Grape (2:48)

Credits

David Rubinson (Producer), Howard Fritzson (Art Direction), Bob Irwin (Producer), Jeremy Holiday (Package Manager), Jim Marshall (Photography), Steven Berkowitz (A&R), David Fricke (Liner Notes), Bob Irwin (Mastering), Bob Johnston (Producer), Adam Farber (Project Director), Bob Johnston (Original Recording Producer), Jud Cost (Liner Notes), David Rubinson (Original Recording Producer)
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more