Moby

2 1/2

Last Night feels more like a controlled effort to convince fans he has returned to his dancefloor roots rather then a genuine album that makes you want to move like his old classics Play and Everything is Wrong provided, instead at best mimicking the old prototype with tracks such as "Everyday It's 1989" interspersed with half-cooked attempts to update a stale palate.

The first time I heard this maybe I wasn't in the right mood, I could swear that Moby was a fag or something, and he could be - regardless, the music is still dope. The point is that this album is way cool to listen to when doing nightly hygiene. It took my a little while to warm up to this one. Nonetheless, it's got a real catchy hook, and really killer vibe. I dig it. I would recommend it to someone who likes kitsch (though I deny liking kitsch myself, I just dig this one when I brushing my teeth).

This album had a lot of hype around it. Everyone was saying, "oh, Moby is back!" ...blah blah blah.

I'm still not sure whether I love it or hate it.

Still not selling it, gonna give it MORE time to grow on me. You know these damn talented artists and how they're always 'ahead of their time' and what not. I hope that's the case on this one.

Nice mix of musical genres, light vocals, very musical and open-minded and uncentered. If you are looking for something just a little off the beaten path but not too obscure then this album will soot you just fine.

The blurb above says that this is Moby's "return" after three albums where he was in a "creative stasis." What? Moby's last three albums WERE HIS BEST THREE ALBUMS!! This, however, is standard, uncreative, passe, forgettable dance-music CRAP. Nothing to write home about.

Just bought this CD a couple of weeks ago. I enjoyed listening to it because there's something different about these music compared to contemporary ones. Although obviously they are very modern, you can say Moby's technique of utilizing notes harks back to medieval times. The prolongation of some notes (which are hypnotizing) resembles those of the chants used in religious services. The transitions can be compared to majority of the classical/baroque music. And who could miss the vocals that resemble arias?

This is the album that got me hooked on Moby. I've been a fan ever since.
It goes without saying, I recommend it very highly.

In an era dominated by Grunge and Hip-hop, Moby managed to create an album which will arguably be placed on the best list of the 90's. He introduced the Blues to Electronica and made it commercially trendy.

I will admit when I first bought this album, I did not like it. In fact, I hated it and would have attempted to sell it immediately, but I'd only paid five bucks or so for it in the first place so I kept it, figuring I wouldn't get much of a return. Two weeks passed with me glaring at what seemed to be wasted money in my cd rack before I finally decided to give Moby's "Play" another listen. Boy, am I glad I did.

This cd is something strange and intriguing with tracks that are pure ear candy and I enjoyed every minute of it. It's easy to fall into the "skip-a-song" trap with an album you've heard many times before, but no matter how often I listen to "Play" I never seem to get tired of it. My favorite songs are "South Side" and "Porcelain" but every track is pretty good. I'm not really a techno/dance fan but this album truly made me more open to hearing similar artists.

Just goes to show that everything deserves a second chance.
:]]

I'm giving this album 4 stars not because it has "killer" songs-though it does have good ones-but for the fact that it is very easy on the ear. Moby has a very mellow, rhythmic, black sounding album here. I don't really have the vocabulary to describe his musical influences...maybe you could list them as blues, soul and perhaps gospel. Some of his songs sound sort of school-girly...like maybe the kind of stuff you'd hear black girls skipping along to in America.

Moby melds these African American musical influences with elements of hip-hop and dance music. He also seems to sample material from the source-black men and women. I really can't say whether Moby is doing the originals justice but I can say that I like what he's done with the source material. This is another way of saying that if you are familiar with the source material you may find Moby's treatment annoying. Personally, sometimes I feel the same way about people messing with the originals. One case which changed my mind was Muddy Waters' own revisiting of his blues songs, but with a harder, rock sound [I've reviewed Waters' "Hard again" here. Found it superior to his more "classic" approach, as in "Anthology"].

Anyway, some of my favourite tracks on the album are: "Honey", "Body rock", "Natural blues", "Run on" and "If things were perfect".

"Body rock" might be the most well known song from this album and is the least "black" sounding-well, to my ears at least. It's more of a funk/rock song and thus stands out from the mood of the other songs.

There are some instrumentals on this album-around three. Also, a highlight of the album are the wonderfully poetic, spoken voice songs of "If things were perfect" and "The sky is broken". These tracks are sparse, sensual and soothing.

Overall, the tone of the album is pretty consistent: "black" music but with some modern treatment. You'll hear accoustic guitar, piano and violin, on occasion, along with electronic music-be that synthesiser, or techno beats.

Overall, this album does not overstay its welcome. 18 tracks is quite a lot for a non compilation cd, but it never really palls. Some albums I mark down for having too much padding [e.g. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers' "Blood, sugar, sex, magik"] despite having quality songs on them. This is the perfect cd to "chill out" too, as well as to bop along to, sometimes, with his catchy songs.

P.S. for some reason the rap star Eminem had a go at Moby. In one of his songs he has a lyric along the lines of "Moby you don't know me. Blow me". Not really sure what that is all about! Who started that little tiff?

Meh, I don't like fashion show catwalk music. And the bonus disc is just full of the hypey-techno-push dance tunes, a genre I really, really don't like.

There are several cuts I do like a lot on here, but wish I'd have got -18- instead.

This album is simply wonderful. I listen to it daily, still.
I recommend it highly. Moby is great.

I'm a casual fan of Moby, and I enjoyed this. It has a number of good tracks that I hadn't encountered previously (i.e., on the radio). Well worth the price. The remix CD I could take or leave... perhaps it would be good for a dance party.

Famous DJ's take Moby tracks and really remix them. First CD is a best of, the second CD is why you'll buy the album with a variety of different mixes from the DJs. A good CD to add to your Moby collection.

I am not the massive fan of Moby's music as I once was back in the late '90s and early '00s. I used to own most of his cds but eventually my taste in music changed and I sold my Moby cds. I decided to check out Moby's best of compilation GO: THE VERY BEST OF MOBY after I had a craving for his music. There are two discs, disc one consists of the original tracks and disc two consists of remixes. I found the remix disc absolute rubbish and boring beyond belief. It was so not necessary to include a remix disc in my personal opinion. I am just content with disc one. Since I hadn't heard Moby's last studio cd HOTEL, the songs from that album were new to me. I especially loved "Dream About Me" w/Laura Dawn on vocals. The song is so addictively catchy. Laura's delicate vocals is another reason why I love the song. I am so glad Moby didn't include that rancid version of "South Side" with Gwen Stefani on vocals. Gwen Stefani can't sing period and she totally ruined that song for me when that new version of "South Side" came out. I wasn't too big on the 2006 version of "Go". I prefer the original version. I love Debbie Harry but her voice totally ruined the song "New York, New York". I wish Moby found someone else to sing vocals. As overplayed "Porcelain" was, I still love that song and all the singles from PLAY (as well as 18). GO: THE VERY BEST OF MOBY is a good compilation for casual fans like me.

Another great mix of old soul, ambient, and dance music from Moby. It's a great combination. The ambient provides the spiritual tone; the dance provides the energy; and the old soul provides the added depth. And he's the best in the world at it. It works because you can tell he respects each sound he's using, and not just using it to prove he can, or fit a certain popular sound.

Moby must have a great soul. You can feel it in his music. Very spiritual and life driven. And that shines through whether his songs lean more towards rock, pop, dance, or classic soul. Most of the songs on this album are a mix of soulful-dance-and ambient. There's also a few pop, a few ambient, one rock, and a few dance tracks. As an entire record, it works perfectly. And does wonders for your mood.

The album is simple and straight forward. Moby's lyrics say a lot in a few words. I like the passion and the sincerity. The music is intense yet soothing.

18 was the follow-up to Moby's successful album, Play. Sonically, 18 took Play to "the next level." However, I think the 18 album could have been a bit stronger. Changing the sequencing of the album would have helped it tremendously (the second half of the album has a "sameness" to it, which makes it hard to listen to that part of the album after a while).

For me, 18 is definitely a "mood album"; I have to be in a particular mood in order to listen to it in its entirety. Those fans who enjoy Moby's more upbeat and danceable material probably won't like 18 as much. While this is a decent album, it's definitely not the one I would use to introduce someone to Moby's material (for that purpose, I would use either Everything is Wrong or Play).

I have a hard time listening to this album's "18" tracks in one sitting. The overall tone and sound gets monotoneous and quickly grinds on my nerves. I consider "Jam for the Ladies" to be the only dud. However, there are not any really great tracks on 18 either. Something fans of Moby's previous albums have come to expect. Most of the tracks are average with five or six being slightly better than average (tracks 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, and 17), but even these are more enjoyable when heard interspersed on a personal playlist rather than on Moby's 18 album.

3.5/5 stars.

one of the best thing i hered in last couple of years,true geanius writing.dont miss this specieal cd,atrue ear candy.

I did not find that I enjoyed it as much as Pure Moods, Vol. I

Pure Moods Vol I, I think is still the best

Anyone who's actually reading an online review of a Pure Moods album has to be, in my most humble of opinions, an established fan of the franchise, and I'm no exception: I LOVE Pure Moods. I have all 5 installments and Christmas Moods.

But on Pure Moods III, there is one song that simply does not belong: "Silk Road" by Kitaro. That has to be the most annoying, shrill, plodding sequence of sounds I've ever come across. I only listen to that track about 33% of the time. (I sporadically listen to it, just to see if I can hear it differently that time.) I would like to make a burn of this CD that does not contain that song.

Everything else rocks my socks.

Buy Pure Moods.

If you are looking for meditation or tranquility from daily stress I recommend not only this CD, but the entire collection. I have all the Pure Moods collection and keep buying more New Age music. I feel I've invested my money in good music. I listen to pretty much anything from soft music, Rock, Salsa, Calypso to Dance-Techno music, but when I don't feel like listening to loud music, I listen to these CD collection, specially on a Sunday to reconnect with relaxation to start another heavy woking week. Also, if you like gospel, I'm sure you'll love these even though is not quite gospel music. You just reconnect yourself spiritually in this material world.

Pure Moods volume 3 is probably the second best in the series after the original Pure Moods. With mainstays such as Yanni and Enigma how can you go wrong? Powerful tracks like "Deliver Me" from Sarah Brightman and Peter Gabriel's "Games without Frontiers" highlight this release. As with the rest of the Pure Moods series this is very good and worthy of repeat listenings. Other great CD's include Imogen Heap, any Digital Moodz CD and Enigma's 1st CD or LSD.

Pure Moods: Vol. 3 is one of my favorite New Age CDs, which is such beautiful mix of sublime music from various artists. Suprisingly, the CD both energizes and calms.

Games Without Frontiers by Peter Gabriel has such a satisfying, mellow groove, yet it seems to take the spirit straight to higher plains. It's not only ear candy, but enhances altered states of consciousness.

On Sacred Ground is one of my favorite Yanni songs, and it's on here, too! All I can say is "major goosebumps." It's like being in the Universal Cathedral of Spirit and having God sing to you.

Diva Sarah Brightman adds her smooth soprano voice to the track called Deliver Me. It has a pop groove, but weaved into the background is the etheric keyboards that gives it that flavor that appeals to both the ear and the spirit. When I listen to this song, I feel my heart chakra just blow wide open, receiving the love that the Universe provides in abundance.

Dela Dela by Sacred Spirit starts off with a deep flute reminiscent of a Native American ceremony. Although a pop beat ensues, the song is still undergirded by the strings, which makes it feel orchestral, but very tribal. The tribal aspects is punctuated by what sounds like Native American chanting, but then the female lead takes over once again. It's a song that penetrates, daring you to look away...but you just can't. Then it segues back into the strings, which sucks you right back in to the groove.

The only song I'm not particularly crazy about is Enya's Only If; it's a good song, but so much of Enya's music is overplayed, especially for movie trailers and soundtracks.

This CD contains Christofori's Dream (the 1988 piano masterpiece) as well as songs by Moby, Brian Eno, Enigma, and others, for a total of 16 songs.

Sorry to say, but this is one (well 2) expensive coasters.
I listened to it all the way through & was more than unthrilled.
The next time, I got as far as the diabolical cover version of New Order's Temptation & threw the discs in the bin.
Moby needs to go back to his punk roots & keep this rubbish to himself.
I had to give it a star or my review can't be submitted, but I can award a star for the cd case which is handy to replace any broken ones I might have.

I am a big fan and have all his cd's. But this one won't get played a lot. Double music doesn't mean more enjoyment when the songs are so monotonous they might just be one long song.

I have to admit I had been a bit wary of hearing Moby's last studio album HOTEL. I had been hearing mixed reviews for it, some good and some bad. I decided to check it out finally after I heard the irresistably catchy "Dream About Me" on Moby's best of compilation. I have to admit I enjoyed this cd a lot more than I thought. Yes HOTEL is not PLAY or even 18 but I think it had some pretty decent songs. It was a bit odd hearing Moby's version of New Order's "Temptation". Hearing the whispy vocals of Laura Dawn sing one of my favorite New Order songs set to a downtempo beat was strange but I loved it. There were some filler tracks that were pretty forgettable for me. The second disc of HOTEL was even better. I find myself listening to the second disc of ambient tracks more than the first disc. The music is perfect to sit back and relax to while reading a good book. While I am glad that HOTEL isn't as a bad as I thought it would be, I definitely do think it could have been better. Here is hope for better music for Moby's next studio album.

If you do some digging on this album, you should find that almost every publication panned it, despite its decent record sales. It's often interesting when critics don't like an album, but lots of *real people* do. Inevitably, sometimes it's the public's water-downed tastes, but occasionally it's the critics' pretentiousness and self-indulgence. Regarding Hotel, I suspect it's the latter. In fact, most of these negative reviews consist of harsh personal jabs towards Moby. You get the impression that these critics want Moby to make albums specifically for them; fortunately, Moby hasn't.

To me, Hotel makes a lot of sense. In relation to his best past music, the big change with Hotel is that it's essentially more of rock/pop album, often with the synths remaining in the background. But in spite of this superficial shift, I find that some (not all) of the same elements that originally drew me to his earlier work (from "Everything" to "18") are present here. The music often has a similar effect on me as his past music: It's somewhat introspective and bittersweet but still life-affirming; none of its emotions are simply distinctly happy or sad, they're more real. Likewise, all the songs are still impeccably produced, and the best songs have a similar structure as his electronic material: Numbers like "Slipping Away", "Spiders", and "Lift me Up" almost have a linear cut-and-paste feel. At times this does make for an awkward pop-song verse/chorus structure, as many songs seem more like choruses with filler verses. But a great amount of attention is given to the transitions between parts of a song; similar to the different pieces of his great song "Feeling so Real", but less *out there*. The production feels clean and impersonal, but in the same way that some great electronic music feels clean and impersonal. Vocals and lyrics are used as instruments, along with strings and subtle shifts to push the songs forward. It feels like pop music, but what distinguishes it and makes it great Moby is the focus is on the overall flow; this is best done on "Slipping Away".

At its worst some songs do feel very simplistic (especially "Beautiful") or uninspired (maybe "Where You End" or "Forever"). But there's enough variety on the album to prevent it from getting in a rut. Overall, many songs could use a lot more complexity, but I'm still endlessly intrigued by Hotel, and I'm curious about where Moby will go from here. Did I mention that it's also his catchiest album?

Encountering Moby's "Hotel" was a bit like entering a hotel room for me. Just like the complimentary bars of soap and bottles of shampoo in the bathroom and (sometimes) mints on the pillows, this album came with its own "perk" in the form of a bonus CD. Two albums for the price of one. I approached "Hotel" more fascinated with the packaging deal than the music itself.

Fast forward a few years, and that's still pretty much the case. Disc one is a combination of some really irritating "songs," complete with Moby singing like a 13-year-old boy with first-date jitters, and some instrumental filler. Moby's stabs at synth-pop with choruses and verses and all that make me feel almost embarrassed for him. "Look at us we're beautiful/All the people push 'n' pull" sounds a pretty bad idea to sing over any piece of music, let alone Moby's increasingly faceless brand of pop-fluff. The New Order, "Temptation," is disgraceful. Compositionally, some New Order songs don't have that much structure to them, as is the case with this tune. But New Order made up for shakily sewn songs by way of arrangement and (spirited) performances. Moby forsakes both attributes, leaving the song to pathetically rot in its skeletal form. And I can't believe a grown man actually wrote "I Liked It."

The bonus CD, which you probably already know through its title "Hotel Ambient," is an entire album expounding on Moby's quiet, spacey, ambient instrumentals. I think it's even longer than the "Hotel" album itself. And it's fine, if you want to listen to music that doesn't sound like much of anything at all. The way I see it, the world has its Harold Budd's and Brian Eno's, ones who can twist something interesting out of the ambient style, and the world has its Mobys. A friend of mine once told me he thought that the bonus CD was "a bunch of schlock" and that he could've done an equally quality job on his Ensoniq keyboard in the privacy of his own bedroom. And no, he did not say that as a ringing endorsement of his own abilities.

An album like this gives me pause to look backward and wonder what it was about 1999's breakthrough "Play" that caught everyone's attention. Were we all that starved for a DJ/keyboard guru to represent our life and times? If so, was Moby even worth it? I'm not going to knock Moby for not doing grand things, no, no, no. The follow-up to "Play," 2002's "18," showed that Moby wasn't all that interested in shaking the earth. But passages of "18" felt right given the somewhat disappointing context. The only thing "Hotel" shows is that Moby is one crappy songwriter and that anyone who can afford to buy a decent model synthesizer, even an older model, can make mood music on par with him.

Now, the logic of my rating:
"Hotel" - 0 stars
"Hotel Ambient" - 2 stars
Average = 1 star

For everyone who was too young at the time for listening him.
For everyone who got to know him only by that time when his creations started to belong to up-to-date and soooo cool outfits.
For everyone who is wondering what's this special music that's coming out of the speakers in Target.

For everyone who wants to know how his whole masterwork started.
But most importantly: for everyone who is able to recognize that he is a real genius -and it is really rare today...

I cannot put this album down. Moby released it in the 90s, but it resonates loudly, even today.
Moby's talent is obvious here.
I recommend it highly.

well, the year is 2006, and the album "Everything is Wrong" came out in '95. How sad (but absolutely amazing) it took me THIS long to actually discover this album and give it a chance.

Putting all the wonderful songs aside, I would like to mention one song on this album that is absolutely incredibly breath-taking. Its not even breath-taking, you can't even breath to lose your own breath!

"When It's Cold I'd Like To Die"

This piece is just brilliant. I've listened to it non-stop today and probably tomorrow and the next day. Being an artist/actor - I have written a performance art piece to the minute I heard and in hopes of performing it and getting it out there. Its just gorgeous and I don't even think my words can explain it. I come across many songs as so, but I never ever expected this of Moby (not a bad thing) but like everyone else here, I think I can speak for everyone else here, that this really displays Moby as an artist, and an amazing one.

The ending of the song is perfect, as if the song is just a moment in time, an epiphany, and at the end - it just ALL fades away in an echo. Its as if the song will continue in its next life.

If my piece ever gets performed, i'll be glad to share it with all the fans.

In terms of depth, this is the pinnacle of electronic music. It may not be as cohesive as Chemical Brothers' Dig Your Own Hole, but what Moby does here is breathtaking: he takes every kind of emotion, whether it's love ("Everytime You Touch Me"), elation ("Feeling So Real"), longing ("All That I Need is To Be Loved"), hope ("Into the Blue"), rage ("What Love"), or peace ("When It's Cold,I'd Like to Die") and abandons the notion of techno as pure dance music, and for that, Moby revolutionized electronica. This is the most important Moby album because of the diversity. This album has trance, classical, rave, hardcore...it is simply amazing. Everything great about Moby is right here. Play is also a great album, but if you want a tighter collection of songs, this is the place to start-no doubt. Brilliant. A

"HYMN", AND "GOD MOVING OVER THE FACE OF THE WATERS" ALONE MAKE THIS ALBUM AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ANY ELECTRONIC / AMBIENT MUSIC FAN...BOTH ARE TIMELESS PIECES OF BRILLIANCE, LIFE-AFFIRMING MELANCHOLIC EMOTION THRUST UPON THE LISTENER LEAVING YOU IN A TRANCE OF DEEP THOUGHTS AND CONTEMPLATION... THE UPTEMPO TRACKS ARE DATED BY TODAYS STANDARDS OF SYNTH MANIPULATION AND SOUND COUNSTRUCTION, BUT THEN AGAIN, THE BEAUTY OF ITS AMBIENT AND DOWNTEMPO MOMENTS ARE WHAT YOU ARE REALLY BUYING THIS ALBUM FOR ANYWAY...A MUST-HAVE...

I liked the movie, but I like the soundtrack better. Very good.

This is one of the best CD ever! This one will definetly get your party moving!

Whilst watching the movie it came to me how well the score was chosen, it really adds something to the movie. As in most good movies where they pay a little attention to the soundtrack you can't help but notice. Most tracks are fun listening to on their own, but if you've seen and liked the movie it's definitely worth buying. Some here think it's mediocre, to me it's more 'cult' á la the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. It's nothing too heavy or serious, but just good fun. And what's wrong with that? ;-)

1998, probably the most boring year ever for pop music and this soundtrack reflects it. If you like No Doubt and Matchbox 20 and such you'll love this one. They could have at least put in some cool techno considering the movie revolves around clubbers. Buy the movie and not the soundtrack.

I've never seen this movie, but my wife loves this CD, and as a result I've heard it a lot. Some of the songs I could live fine without forever. Others are fun.
No Doubt is a band that could cease to exist without altering my life in the least, and their song on here's about what you'd expect from them. If you like them, you might like this. If not....
"Steal My Sunshine" by Len is a fun little summer ditty with female backing vocals, a weird Aqua-type male vocalist, and a jaunty piano line.
And "Gangster Tripping" by Fatboy Slim is probably the soundtrack's best selection--the only one I really love. It starts with hard looped rapping and bursts into horns and beats and turn-table swishing, and stays hip and danceable throughout.
The rest of the album's songs are, for the most part, a mix of hip-hop-sampling techno acts. Some are decent, but they're not exceptional.
I'd recommend just getting "You've Come a Long Way, Baby," the 1998 Fatboy Slim album that "Gangster Tripping" appears on. But that's just my opinion.

I have sympathy for the many reviewers who obsess over this band and what might have been, but I don't think they were the revelation that many others do. As far as San Francisco bands go, the Grape were more commercially oriented than all but the Jefferson Airplane. Lyrically, they wrote interesting but hardly unique songs--nothing on the order of the best of Country Joe and the Fish; instrumentally, they were more than competent, but Quicksilver Messenger Service was more accomplished and more adventurous. As for the kind of hyperbole that talks about "5-part harmony"...well, harmony can only extend to 4 parts, and the Grape often sang in 3-part, but doubled voices so that the texture was thickened.
The real story here is that the Grape was more than just the sum of its parts. However impossible Skip Spence must have become, his contributions to the first two LPs were crucial, and each subsequent album pales in comparison to Moby Grape and Wow! Thus, the songs from these two LPs are the heart of this compilation, and as competent and earnest as the remainder are, they can't measure up to the songs from the first two. This is a very good one-disc sampler (though I, too, miss It's a Beautiful Day Today), but my advice is to try to obtain the deleted Sundazed CDs of the first two LPs until such time as they are rereleased in "authorized" versions. Avoid the terrible Matthew Katz-owned San Francisco Sound CDs--they were mastered at incredibly low dynamic levels and sound horrible; in addition they are criminally over-priced.

ok..say you have read all my other reviews and you have never heard moby grape?
maybe you were too young when they were first around?
maybe you never liked them back then and now you may be scared to buy all thier newly reissued cds(albums!).
welp..buy this one.its a super way to start on them.
it includes all thier main songs known to grape heads as well as a few gems .
and it sure has a mean cover doesnt it?
id buy this first if i never heard them.
why did i buy it anyways after knowing them for 40 years?
because i like them! wink.its a good cd!
buy it for your kids!

Just a singles kid in the 60's I bought most of the first album that way-"Omaha" being a favorite-and being in the Great Lakes area I was torn between that feedback-loud and the harmonies of the Byrds. Grape, Buffalo Springfield and Notorious Byrd Brothers VS Cream, the Who and Stones-San Francisco VS Britain.

This collection is fantastic, not as complete as Vintage but a sweet trip back. As nice as the uncensored poster
from the debut album, oddly in-your-face but satisfying. I recommend "8:05", "He", "Motorcycle Irene" and of
course "Omaha". Enjoy the vibe, man.

I am not a rock purist or rock historian, so I cannot comment on the significance of Moby Grape as a band or know enough to describe how it factors into the story of Westcoast Psychedelia. All I know is this is a solid collection of songs with a definite 60s sound. It is great for driving and has a reasonable price tag.

The much malinged and exhustively chronicled story behind Moby Grape goes something like this. The genius A&R team at Columbia Records signed MB in the summer of 1966. Thinking that they had the next Jefferson Airplane on their hands, they set out to launch their new find with a unique and untried promotion. Instead of selecting one or possibly two singles to release, they choose instead to release all 12 tracks as singles. This unfocused and confusing marketing stratgey led to little or virtually no air play on top-forty radio and mired the band for what could have been a huge initial launch.

The follow-up album "Wow" contained fewer songs that could have found their way into a top-forty format and some quirky gimmicks, like the "Gene Autry" track and the "Grape Jam" bonus Lp. But even these could not save Wow from mideocore sales and little or no air-play. So how valid is the theory that the Columbia Record Execs killed Grape or is there more to the story? I'm not so sure if it was a case of poor marketing or simply a band that couldn't produce a pure "radio-friendly". three minute, danceable, humable and not-so-forgettable single.

Even after repeated listenings, I can't help but think that "Listen My Friends" contains some beautiful songs by a band that could not be viewed as short on "chops". No way, these guys could hold their own with most any band of their day, But was the song writing first rate? Could they stack up against The Airplane, The Doors, The Byrds, The Jimi Hendrix Experience or The Who? I'll have to agree with other reviewers who have called them "second tier". Afterall what's so bad about being considered in the same breath as Steve Miller, Country Joe & The Fish, Santana, The Blues Project, Electric Flag, The James Gang, Blood Sweat & Tears, Love and so many other fine bands of the golden era of classic rock.