On the list of ill-fated bands, Moby Grape rank rather high, mainly because the San Francisco-based outfit actually fulfilled the promise of their early singles on a debut album whose disappointing sales proved a momentum killer from which there was no recovery. But additional worthy music was recorded by the group along with solo records, including the eponymous debut by the Grape’s bassist and vocalist. Originally released in 1972 by Warner-Reprise, a new edition of Bob Mosley, “reworked, remastered, and re-released” by John DeNicola, is out now exclusively on compact disc via the producer’s Omad Records.
Don’t lose hope vinyl mavens; according to Omad’s website, an LP reissue of this set isn’t out of the question. Giving the CD a review now can’t hurt in raising the likelihood that a run on wax will end up happening. But upon consideration, it feels appropriate that Bob Mosley is available only on CD, as the format has played a major role in righting Moby Grape’s posthumous standing.
There was a time when Moby Grape were predominantly written about in dismissive terms, diminished as a footnote and too often derided as a byproduct of record company hype. Of course, real heads knew the scoop and could provide opinions to the contrary of this bogue consensus, but the albums were out of print and used copies weren’t easy to find.
Enter Vintage: The Very Best of Moby Grape, a 2CD compilation assembled by Columbia Legacy in 1993, just in time for folks who were becoming disenchanted with the deluge of grunge and alt-rock and were choosing to dig back into the past for inspiration. Vintage didn’t just come out of nowhere, as a couple years prior Oar, the masterful 1969 solo album by Grape member Alexander “Skip” Spence, was reissued by Sony Special Products, also only on CD (although Sundazed eventually pressed a vinyl edition in 2000).
Mosley’s debut didn’t get the reissue treatment during this period (it did make it to CD in 2005 via Wounded Bird) surely because of its lack of posthumous reputation. Oar had become a serious cult item and affection for Moby Grape had been slowly growing before Vintage emerged, but Bob Mosley languished, perhaps in part because of what is now considered a poor sound mix.
The original album isn’t a botch-job by any means, but DeNicola’s undertaking has definitely resulted in an improvement to a record that opens with the ripping rocker “The Joker.” This brings us to another reason for Bob Mosley’s deficient rep; big hunks of the album are straight-up rock in orientation. “1245 Kearny” and “Where Do Birds Go” are other examples of this hard-edged temperament, and there is occasional R&B-ish shading courtesy of the Memphis Horns in “Gypsy Wedding,” “Let the Music Play,” and late track “Nothing to Do.”
These horn-laden selections, while not awful (due to restraint on the part of Mosley), are the weakest on the record, emblematic as they are of the San Fran scene’s turn away from psychedelia toward the far less appealing pastures of groove vamping. Mosley’s rockers are a better proposition, if not always fully successful, as “Hand in Hand” flirts with a Doobies-esque sensibility, but thankfully with the guitar turned way up.
The strongest track on Bob Mosely is also its mellowest, and with a country tinge, as “Thanks” is loaded with Ed Black’s pedal steel. “Gypsy Wedding,” the A-side to the album’s sole single, and “Squaw Valley Nils” both feature electric piano that’s very early ’70s, the latter with a sturdy rhythmic foundation and wailing guitar in the back half.
The single’s B-side “Gone Fishin’” is a singer-songwriterly pop maneuver with a touch of NYC folk running through its veins, and the organ infused “So Many Troubles” offers some tense bluesy glide for the album’s finale. 1971 was a transitional year and Bob Mosley reflects this reality, retaining stylistic aspects from the prior decade as the new mix underscores that its maker was poised to tackle the shifts in tone that helped to define the next. Alas, the album essentially sank without a trace. Today, it offers a vibrant snapshot of its era and reinforces Mosley’s talent.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
B
