Review by Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
4 stars out of 4
After their dedicated followers went through the adjustment phase
of a new member in the group and the new sound that "Phoenix" offered,
Grand Funk was ready to take it all to the next level. What
a better way to do it than bringing in the master of pop himself Todd
Rundgren to produce the record? Rundgren made all the difference in
the world once he got the band into the studio with their new material.
With his well-known expertise of finely honing crafty rock-pop songs,
he helped the boys from Michigan reach the vaunted status of superstars
with "We're An American Band." Todd was able to get the best out of
each member of the band and utilize all of their talents to create
a smash hit album. The title song hit the airwaves and it was an instant
rock classic. No longer were they right on the edge of making big,
they were there at last. Many of their followers felt disappointed
with their decidedly pop sound, yet what this allowed for was a much
wider all-inclusive audience. Personally, I have loved every phase
of this band, they were a great band no matter what style of music
they tried, and they always made everything they recorded with their heart and soul.
"Walk Like Man (You Can Me Your Man)" was their next hit and it featured
the booming rock voice of drummer Don Brewer. Rundgren used Farner
and Brewer with equal measure, and other times to compliment each
other in a song. It was magical and the sound was incredible. I remember
getting the single of "We're An American Band" in yellow vinyl; they
also issued the album in a limited number in that color. I imagine
that today it would fetch a nice price tag. I also always enjoyed
the funky rapid-fire keyboards in "Stop Lookin' Back" and "The Railroad"
was goose pimple time for me every time I heard it, and it still creates
the same feelings and emotions.
Now that this great album is available as a remastered release, it
sounds better than ever. You get four bonus tracks on this reissue,
a generous offering for the collector and diehard fan. Grand Funk
once again dug in and proved to be one of the best bands in the world
with this album. They survived the test of time and change to grab
the prize that so elusively evaded them for so long. I think they
deserved all the rewards and successes that came with making a hit
album. Moreover, they were not done yet.
We're An American Band-1973
1. Creepin' - 7:01
2. The Railroad - 6:07
3. Black Licorice - 4:43
4. Loneliest Rider - 5:19
5. Walk Like a Man (You Can Call Me Your Man) - 4:03
6. Ain't Got Nobody - 4:19
7. Stop Lookin' Back - 4:51
8. We're an American Band - 3:25
Bonus Tracks:
9. Hooray
10. The End
11. Stop Lookin' Back
12. We're An American Band
Credits:
Mark Farner - Guitar, Harmonica, Composer, Keyboards, Vocals
Don Brewer - Drums, Vocals
Craig Frost - Keyboards, Vocals (bckgr)
Mel Schacher - Bass, Vocals
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