20 Granite Creek, in the Santa Cruz Mountain was the address for two of the members of Moby Grape, with this album released in 1971 when they reunited with both Bob Mosley and Skip Spence for a reunion of sorts.Critics have been all over the boards on this one, and as with fans, some love what they hear on the outing, some dislike it completely with its harder edges and lack of their historic country flair, while others simply shrug their shoulders, as by 1971 most people had become disenchanted with the hippy movement, and had moved on in search of greener pastures, relegating this collection to the unimportant. As to the material, most of it simply comes across as uninspired loose bluesy rock with a harder edge, and I say that with no disrespect to Moby Grape, it’s just that by this time there were hundreds of bands doing this sort of thing … though when it came to originality, bands such as Little Feat would pick up where Moby Grape left off and shine like a new penny for a new decade.With the above being more or less true, the exception found within the grooves is “Chinese Song,” the only Skip Spence number, and is inspiringly unlike anything Moby Grape have ever done before. From there I’d point to the power of the guitar lineup as they dive into “Goin’ Down To Texas,” which is delivered at a lightning pace, mixed with a bit of funkiness, with the entire production reminding me of L.A. Woman by The Doors, though if you were to ask me to show examples, I’m afraid I’d be at a loss, saying that it’s just a reminiscent feeling the album casts over me.With that in mind, I’d have to inject the notion that the album feels a bit disjointed and not cohesive due to the fact that there seems not to be a person in the band willing to take the lead, make the calculated decisions, take the responsibility, and venture Moby Grape into the 1970’s. Yet when one considers that Bob Mosley was just back from a very short stint in the Marines, diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, and with Skip Spence having been in both psychiatric care and prison, then recording the most bizarro album in all of musical history, it must have been a daunting tasking for Jerry Miller, Peter Lewis and Don Stevenson (the so-called normal members of the band) to welcome and embrace the tattered edges of the group back into the fold. I would also imagine that these psychiatric manifestations were still full-blown, easily sparked, leaving the other members to walk on eggshells to keep things from imploding. Of course to validate this, all I have to do is point to the handful of unsuccessful shows Moby Grape put together in support of this effort, where during those shows Spencer was hardly mentally present, and even so, it wasn’t long before he simply walked off and back onto the streets, homeless and alone. I wish that I could give you a good reason to own this album, even a harmonic one, though it’s matter of factly something that required too much effort to bring into the light, too much effort to hold together, and far too much effort required to live up to the hype.Review by Jenell Kesler

Is this Matthew 'Crapbag' Katz issue a needle drop? Anyone have it? Thanks.

I wrote about a year or so ago inquiring about the scarcity of a reprise two-tone orange/brown label copy of 'Then play On' by Fleetwood Mac I had found that contained 'Oh Well' instead of the usual 2 Danny Kirwan tracks,'My Dream' & 'When You Say'. In a similar instance of this, I have now acquired a two-tone orange/brown reprise label pressing of this Moby Grape 1971 reunion LP. As a huge M.G. fan,I was stoked to find what seems to me a rare variation of this LP. Was wondering if anyone else out there has seen this version? Appreciate any insight/info.

A fine set of rockin’ tunes by these San Fran smellies like “I’m The Kind Of Man That Baby You Can Trust” (this is what laid-back Californian guitar noodling in the best sense of the term is all about), “Goin’ Down To Texas”, “Roundhouse Blues” (what a killer!), and the jerky “Wild Oats Moan” share the rent with weirder numbers frankly seeping out of the far left field like “Apocalypse”, “About Time” (especially the delicate first part), and the flatly incredible “Horse Out In The Rain”, all seamed and enlightened by new member Gordon Stevens’ varied string action on the electric viola, dobro, and mandolin. Finally, Skippy Spence’s entrancing koto plucking on his beautiful “Chinese Song”, I mean the way it contrasts with the intense, grinding rhythmic background, well it all just makes you wonder about the man some more, so dig it.