The Best of Grand Funk Railroad
Looking for some quality tunes to add to your collection? Then check out our list of the best Grand Funk Railroad tracks!
Introduction
Grand Funk Railroad not only helped keep hard rock alive in the early 70s – they were primarily responsible for its survival. At a time when bloated concept albums and overblown inflationary sound systems threatened to strangle the life out of rock, the raucous power trio came charging out of Flint, Michigan with a white-hot set of three-chord originals and blistering live performances. The band’s explosive energy and simple, working class anthems resonated deeply with a vast audience that was ready to let off some steam after years of Vietnam War protests and social upheaval, and their massive success caught the music industry completely off guard.
Like their blue collar Detroit brethren in Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes, and Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels before them, Grand Funk Railroad were dismissed by critics as crude and unsophisticated “boogie rockers” more concerned with selling records than making great art. But with a series of gold and platinum albums plus a string of Top 40 hits that included “We’re An American Band,” “The Loco-Motion,” “Some Kind Of Wonderful,” and “I’m Your Captain/Closer To Home,” the band achieved a level of commercial success that was rivaled only by Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones during the early 70s.
The Early Years
Grand Funk Railroad, often called simply Grand Funk, is an American rock band that was popular during the 1970s. The band’s name is a combination of the names of two of the band’s members, Mark Farner and Don Brewer. The group’s biggest hits include “We’re an American Band” and “The Loco-Motion.”
Grand Funk Railroad was formed in 1968 in Flint, Michigan. The band’s original lineup included Farner on lead vocals and guitar, Brewer on drums and vocals, Mel Schacher on bass and vocals, and Craig Frost on keyboards. The band quickly gained a following thanks to their high-energy live performances.
The group’s self-titled debut album was released in 1969 and was a huge success, selling more than a million copies. The album included the hit single “I’m Your Captain/Closer to Home.” The band followed up with the release of their second album, Survival, in 1971.
In 1972, Grand Funk Railroad parted ways with Frost and replaced him with keyboardist David Cline. The new lineup released the album E Pluribus Funk later that year. The album contained the hit single “We’re an American Band,” which became the group’s first song to reach the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Following the release of E Pluribus Funk, Grand Funk Railroad began to experience tension within the band. Farner and Brewer had disagreements about the direction of the group, and as a result, Farner left Grand Funk Railroad in 1976. He was replaced by guitarists Brad Campbell and Billy Elwood.
The new lineup released two albums, Born to Die in 1977 and Good Singin’, Good Playin’ in 1976. Neither album was as successful as previous releases, and as a result, Grand Funk Railroad disbanded in 1983.
The Prime Years
During their “prime years” of 1969–1974, Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly, playing to sold-out arenas and stadiums around the world. Bass player Mel Schacher said “When Grand Funk hit the road in 1969, we were just kicking butt every night. I mean every night we would just come out onstage, and it was just exciting”. They toured non-stop for two years straight before taking a break for six months. The band’s commercial breakthrough came with their 1970 album Closer to Home, which included the hit single “I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)”, a nine-minute opus that remains one of the band’s most popular songs.
The Later Years
The Later Years is a collection of Grand Funk Railroad’s greatest hits during their later years, from 1974-1976. The album includes such classics as “We’re An American Band”, “The Loco-Motion”, and “Some Kind of Wonderful”.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Grand Funk Railroad was a great band that released some of the best rock albums of their time. They are certainly worth checking out if you are a fan of classic rock.
