Grand Funk Railroad
Closer To Home

THE REVIEW

The Grand Funk Railroad are among the lesser-known bands in the 70s hard rock scene, but they are a band deserving the attention of genre enthusiasts. The trio born in Flint, the industrial suburb of Detroit, recorded "Closer To Home" in 1970. The difference with the three previous albums is a greater sophistication in the compositional phase. An acoustic guitar introduces us to the riff of "Sin's a Goodman Brother," a song that exudes power and seems on the verge of exploding into a chorus that never arrives, but in this case, it's not necessary, given the excellent inspiration in the verses with chilling vocals and the entire band grinding out notes. The second track is "Aimless Lady," a compelling rock-funky-soul tune in which Mark Farner's particularly soulful voice (who is also the band's guitarist) and Mel Schacher's ever-present bass brimming with excellent rhythmic ideas stand out. It's the bass that introduces the third song, "Nothing Is The Same," another truly powerful song with a great performance by the entire band. "Mean Mestreater" is the ballad of the album, introduced by electric piano. The vocal interpretation is very beautiful, adding an extra touch to a simple yet impactful song. "Get It Together" is a fairly repetitive song but contains beautiful female gospel choirs that perhaps save the most forgettable episode of the album. The music returns to a "Funk-Soul-Rock" with "I'Dont Have To Sing The Blues," another powerful and melodic song that is very successful. "Hooked On Love" starts slow and then moves to a more rhythmic and engaging part. The highlight of this seventh track is the exchange of vocals between the leader and drummer Don Brewer, who has a truly interesting voice. The last track, perhaps the most sophisticated on the platter, is: "I'm Your Captain/Closer To Home," a more than nine-minute song that is very well-structured, complete with string arrangements in the middle part and sustained this time by the acoustic guitar.  In conclusion, a very good album from a band that has always been mistreated by critics because they are considered too raw and noisy; but true hard rock fans should not miss it given the great dose of energy and melody that coexist in Grand Funk's songs.