Grand Funk Railroad
Survival

THE REVIEW

Despite the crude and aggressive cover, this is the most lyrical and moderate album from the noisy American trio. The peculiar ingredients of their music are all in place... for example, the sharp and gritty voice, halfway between hard and rhythm&blues, of the leader Mark Farner, and then the peculiar 'aluminum-like' sounds of his electric guitar, assembled entirely in aluminum by some unknown builder, characterized by a buzzing distortion circuit incorporated within, and an improbable camouflage paint on the outside. A tool that, some time later, Mark will tire of handling and put aside, in favor of more classic brands and models, thus depriving the group of part of its originality.

The formidable punch of Mel Schacher's bass is as omnipresent and irreplaceable as ever, a musician able to continuously command the overall sound thanks to his grooves of creative simplicity and very robust tone. Finally, the drumming, very agile and fast, of Don Brewer remains in its place, also engaged in providing backing vocals.

The career of Grand Funk develops over a dozen record releases and it's easy to divide it into two phases: the first is youthful, raw, genuine, aggressive; hard rock without compromises with even some sprinklings of progressive, in a trio formation decidedly dominated by Mark Farner, the sole composer and lead vocalist. The second is more aware, quite savvy, still aggressive but less so, oriented towards pop rock with hard compromises, in a quartet formation thanks to the addition of a keyboardist, in which drummer Brewer significantly steps into the spotlight, writing and singing some hits. A real pity that the historical memory of this group largely derives from its second career phase, the most commercial and watered-down, when it's instead the first, with its freshness and originality, that better withstands the test of time.

"Survival" obviously belongs to the better phase, representing the fourth studio album of the formation, year 1971. "Country Road" opens the hostilities and immediately puts in place the ingredients of the characteristic Grand Funk sound: Farner's guitar, typically little distorted even though extremely amplified, is almost swallowed up after a few measures by the knotty and expansive bass of Schacher, capable of making a quick meal out of Brewer's dry snare and dominating this non-transcendental opening all over the place.

Nothing special in the following "All You've Got Is Money", a Grand Funk-style funk rock, that's to say rough and shouted. The first part is more rhythmic but soon devotes itself to a dragging blues riff, where Farner goes into a solo while together with Brewer emits a series of wild and primitive screams reminiscent of the cover.

But the best comes from here onwards: the blues ballad "Comfort Me" that follows is magnificent! Great songwriting, capable of exuding even class in addition to melodic appeal. Beautifully arranged, it enjoys a calm and restrained verse that then literally frees itself in the rhythmic chorus, still lyrical but full of drive thanks to the melodic/rhythmic work of the bass, of pure creativity, a joy for the ears. It all goes on for over six minutes without ever boring... one of the peaks not only of this album but of their career.

The treatment given to the cover of "Feelin Allright" is similarly great. This mid-tempo vaguely rhythm&blues by the good Dave Mason (Traffic) is rhythmically revolutionized compared to the original, disassembling it into two parts: the verse is dragging, syncopated, and sinuous (no wonder Brewer plays a loud rattle on it) and paves the way for the very catchy and well-known chorus, embellished by a bassline that stands out, completely out of reach both for Traffic and the Joe Cocker Band (who also covered the song a little while before).

Either you have the 'drive' or you don't, Traffic and Cocker never had it (they had other things, mind you), Grand Funk had it in spades. Compare the versions to believe. This album starts a bit understated but then rises gradually, maintaining a good level (it will do so almost to the end) with "I Want Freedom", which also kindly includes the last two minutes "live in studio" before the successful take, the one good for the record, including a couple of false starts. Mark Farner switches to the Hammond organ and what a sound! Over his fantastic registers he and Brewer strongly chatter a schoolmarm gospel chant, cloying yet somehow suggestive. It might be the sounds, the times, whatever it is but it works: an Italian-style and raucous gospel but genuine, earthy, real.

The longest track of the collection is called "I Can Feel Him In The Morning" and owes its duration to a long prelude in which two little girls, completely spontaneously, dialogue about what is good and what is bad and what they have learned is above us all. You can tell it's not a prepared piece, but rather an opportunity seized, a recording capturing them two, lost in childish musings. Over the young voices' chatter, it's Schacher once again who stirs the spirits, setting one of his irresistible bass lines, after which Farner's beautiful voice expresses in its most lyrical tones, far away from the usual rock emphasis. The organ again carves out connecting parts, somewhat in a progressive manner, but this again ends up in gospel, given the theme, with increasingly rich and African-American styled choir parts.

The work closes with another cover, and this time it's the Rolling Stones that are honored. The chosen song is the still fresh (at that time) "Gimme Shelter". Farner immediately engages his built-in fuzz and fills the sound stage with fuzz, confusing the whole a bit, especially his and his drum mate's vocal performance.

Perhaps the most varied and classy record (relative to the genre and the band’s style) by Grand Funk Railroad. Certainly a surprise for those who know them superficially and therefore only through the main, somewhat banal commercial successes that followed this production two years later.