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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Moby Grape

Moby Grape

1967

Buy At Rough Trade
Moby Grape
Album Summary

Moby Grape is the 1967 debut album by rock band Moby Grape. Coming from the San Francisco scene, their reputation quickly grew to immense proportions, leading to a bidding war and a contract with Columbia Records. The album peaked at #24 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in September 1967.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.97

Votes

9871
Genres
Rock
Country
Psychedelic Rock

Reviews

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Sat Mar 27 2021
4

This hits the sweet spot between rock and roll and the "roots" sounds of country, blues, and friends. Hits it perfectly, as far as I'm concerned, with a delicious dusting of California psych. If the debut lacks anything, it's fully-formed songs: Many pieces sound like beginnings, though that does not mean they are lacking. The playing is good and well-rendered, but short of mind-blowing. The high points are confluences of many factors.

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Fri Apr 16 2021
5

Had to listen off of Spotify but the whole album was a treat!

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Fri Dec 18 2020
4

I'd never heard of this band. It was interesting to learn about their brief rise and very long, unfortunate fall. There's a cult following around this band that perpetuates a mythology about how they were screwed badly by their manager, and should be as big as The Beatles, and so on and so forth. There's no doubt they were screwed, but it also feels like maybe there were some self-inflicted wounds along the way. In any case, they put together a great debut album with a killer sound. The fact that all five members contribute to vocals allows them to do some interesting things, especially with the harmonies. There's some nice guitar work in here as well. Best track: Sitting By The Window

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Sat Jan 30 2021
4

Very much like early The Who. There’s some really jammin’, rockin’ songs like Hey Grandma and Fall On You and some more country, The Byrds style songs like 8:05. Great guitar playing. Recording quality isn’t the best, also it’s not on Spotify? Had to look it up on YouTube. All short, quick hitting songs, only barely over a half hour

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Thu Apr 29 2021
4

Most of these songs are not available on Spotify (Mac edition) This is a shockingly good listen.

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Wed Mar 24 2021
3

Weirdly this ticked all the boxes of the kind of thing I like bit I just found it a bit boring and forgettable.

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Tue Jan 26 2021
3

Pretty good playing, but doesn't stand out. Too many way better albums from that era

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Thu Apr 22 2021
3

1967 guitar tone and styling. This is a pleasant listen but I didn't really take anything from it.

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Wed Mar 24 2021
3

i am sure this is seminal, but I was not blown away

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Wed Aug 31 2022
3

Funny, I'd never heard of Moby Grape and then an hour after listening to the album, they were a topic of discussion on a podcast I listened to about Neil Young and Buffalo Springfield. The gist was, they were brilliant but never really made it. I did enjoy the album but it seemed like pretty standard West Coast fare from the late 60s.

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Thu Sep 29 2022
3

Similar to the Captain Beefheart album I had a couple of days ago, this is alright but I don't think it's aged well and not sure it really belongs on this list. This reminded me a bit of the Grateful Dead, which is not a good thing in my book. Some songs I enjoyed - 8:05 was a highlight for me, and it was interesting to hear the original Naked, If I Want To. I'm very familiar with the Cat Power cover, but I had never heard the original. But mostly this was just okay for me. 3 stars.

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Wed Feb 15 2023
2

Moby Grape is the 1967 debut album by American rock band Moby Grape. This psychedelic country rock album exploded into pop culture as soon as it was released and has been considered one of the greatest psychedelic masterpieces. I didn't find this album as amazing as all the critics did, but it was still a decent enough album that I ended up enjoying it. Good, but not amazing.

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Wed Apr 20 2022
1

Honestly felt like all the songs sounded the same, there was nothing unique or distinctive about Moby Grapes' sound.

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Sun Oct 24 2021
5

Debut album of Moby Grape. Great country psychedelic rock from San Francisco, 1967.

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Sun May 15 2022
5

I knew nothing about this band, yet they produced this stunner. I particularly love those slightly bluesy numbers with that distinctive late-60s bass. Whichever of those great singers had that raspy voice, he is a good as anyone. Ever! That manager deserves to live in he'll with Kenny G being piped in.

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Thu Nov 03 2022
5

I've heard of Moby Grape before, but never to my knowledge heard their music. It's very decent. They do things with genre and timings that work well. Their guitars and drumming work well. Their songs are catchy. I like.

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Fri Apr 07 2023
5

This is a really good album. I've listened to Skip Spence a little bit before but for some reason never dug deeper to find out about this band he was in. Has real strong Buffalo Springfield vibes, which is up my alley. I already have some people I'm going to recommend this to, so I've got to give it a high rating. Standout Tracks: Hey Grandma, Fall On You, 8:05, Come in the Morning, Omaha, Naked If I Want To, Someday, Changes, Indifference

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Mon Jun 19 2023
5

This not just the best LP to come from the SF scene, it's hands down one of the best records of all time. It's full of great songs, solid vocal harmonies, concise guitar solos plus a nice variety of styles. It's hard to pick favourites because it's one great song after another, but stand outs include 'Hey Grandma', 'Omaha', 'Changes' and 'Sitting By A Window'.

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Wed Jul 19 2023
5

I was predisposed against this album simply because it was a total pain in the ass to find and listen to. But I'm glad I took the time to hunt it down because it's great. It's everything I love about the Beatles but with an edge that's all American. It's a perfect 1960s rock album. The harmonies, the guitar tones, the songwriting... it's all so perfect for the time. Even the mixing is iconically 60s with the weird hard-panned drums and guitars. Normally, I'm annoyed by that but this mix is so masterful and balanced that I can't help but admire it. I'll be hunting for this one on vinyl to add to the collection.

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Thu Aug 03 2023
5

Excellent 1960s album that combines San Franscisco psychedelic rock music with blues, country and power pop so incredibly well. It was the first time I've listened them but I'll surely come back to this album many times in the future. Great discovery!

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Mon Aug 21 2023
5

Loved every bit. Listened a few times. A keeper.

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Fri Sep 22 2023
5

so i am a bit biased on this one as i had discovered this album when i was in college and fell in love with it. it's not a "typical" 60s psych rock album but i would say it's adjacent - very similar to contemporaries such as jefferson airplane, the grateful dead, etc. i love every song on this album. the vibe is fun and the songwriting has hooks for days. just a very catchy counterculture album.

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Fri Nov 03 2023
5

Doing this challenge has really worn me out on classic rock so suffice it to say, I wasn't expecting much here. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this. I guess you would call this roots rock/Americana, and I really liked it! I even restarted it once the album (with bonus tracks!) ended, which I basically never do.

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Fri Nov 17 2023
5

Moby Grape is some hardcore hippy shit, and it slaps.

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Thu Nov 30 2023
5

Fantastic rock & roll album. Great guitar work by all the members, from rhythm to finger picking to leads/solos. Harmonies. Drums with flair that get your feet tapping. Solid 5.

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Thu Feb 29 2024
5

Even if you've never heard a Moby Grape song, you've definitely heard a Moby Grape song. Every track on this album is inspired by (or possibly was the inspiration for, who knows?) the best music of this era. There's a great variety of music on this album and it all sounds fucking great. You can hear work from The Beatles, The Who, Velvet Underground, CCR, The Stones, and whoever the hell sang "Radar Love" (although I have no idea when that song was released). There's no fat on this record. Short, punchy tunes that require every beat. It's such a great listen. I had low expectations for Moby Grape's "1969" but this album blew me away. It's one of the most enjoyable albums I've been introduced to by the 1001 Albums app. I've actually listened to it twice through. Moby Grape - shit name, great band. 👍👍

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Wed Mar 24 2021
4

This is what I thought that Zombies album would be more like - enjoyed this one more.

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Wed Jan 27 2021
4

J'ai beaucoup aimé, Beatle-ish en plus «naturel», belle ambiance 70!

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Mon Jun 28 2021
4

Un bon album du summer of love. C’est dommage que spotify n’ait pas toutes les chansons la musique est tres bonne et le son rock and roll 4.25

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Thu Mar 11 2021
4

This album was fine. It didn't really blow me away but I could listen to it again.

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Wed Apr 14 2021
4

Old classic rock, I liked it

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Thu Mar 25 2021
4

Gran descobriment. Un àlbum potent, amb rock, blues, psicodèlia, i molta marxa. Temes potents, guitarres afilades, veus trencades. Un àlbum collonut que desconeixia i que avui m'ha alegrat molt el dia.

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Sun Mar 07 2021
4

Really liked it! kinda put it off for a bit since I was busy (and I kept trying to listen to it while writing my paper about the movie but had to keep pausing to watch the movie so I gave up) but I was pleasantly surprised! I liked the beginning of the album more than the middle/end tho, I will admit

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Sat Apr 03 2021
4

No los conocía y me han gustado. Vaya guitarras tiene el disco y eso que no tiene grandes alardes de solos para el lugar y la época. En canciones destacaría Sweet Ride

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Sat Jun 19 2021
4

4/5 strong beatles vibes, definitely inspired by them. I like it!

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Fri Jul 16 2021
4

This was a fine album. Good bluesy rock, great vocal harmonies and fine songs. Seemed fresh and new. I'm glad to have been introduced to it. 3.75 stars

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Thu Jul 01 2021
4

Muy buen disco. De los que marcaron la pauta para el buen rock. En Spotify no están cargados los sencillos Hey Grandma ni Omaha, así que hay que irse a YouTube o alguna otra plataforma.

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Thu Aug 19 2021
4

Regreso a este mundo con un disco que ni fu ni fa, no me odien sólo me pareció equis

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Mon Aug 23 2021
4

Straight out of the soul of 60s psychedelia, with boatloads of rock and roll tragedy on top of it.

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Fri Aug 27 2021
4

Weirdly this album isn't fully available on Spotify or Amazon Music (there are some tracks, but they are mostly the 'bonus' tracks from a 2007 reissue). So be warned that if you listen on these services you aren't really getting the actual album. Was able to find it on youtube videos. Pretty great record! Something about this era and this style of music that always feels like coming home to me. I'm not a baby boomer that grew up with this stuff in my formative years (in fact, never heard this record before) - I think it's just that this era's blues-based rock is so foundational if you're a fan of rock music.

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Thu Sep 16 2021
4

so spotify blacked out most of the songs, but this was pretty decent

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Thu Sep 23 2021
4

Huh. This one really caught me by surprise! I love the sound, and it's really clean and well done! Never felt tedious or redundant at all. Got some good Jefferson Airplane, James Gang etc vibes... Would definitely listen again!

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Mon Oct 04 2021
4

Aww man, this album is great, but everything that happened after it is such a mess, I feel sorry for them.

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Fri Oct 29 2021
4

This album was all over the place and I enjoyed it. Last track was kind of stressful though and a few weren't available on Spotify.

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Fri Oct 29 2021
4

I don't know how I wasn't aware of this album, or group. It's just a shame the full album isn't on Spotify!

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Wed Nov 03 2021
4

This album took a few listens to get but there's a lot more going on here than the first impression that it made. I like the three guitar thing and the fact that most songs were quite short, clocking in at under 3 minutes and one clocking in at under a minute. Unfortunately, there's something to be said for bands whose first album are their best album. But I think after a few listens the songs are well-crafter enough to give this 4 stars. It's a strong album with some good payout for multiple listens.

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Thu Dec 16 2021
4

Never heard of these guys before. A real find. A shame that some tracks seem to be missing from Spotify, I could easily imagine an alternative universe where the ones I heard would be as familiar to us as the Beatles back catalogue. There must be a story somewhere in how these guys never 'made it.

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Thu Dec 23 2021
4

Surprisingly excellent rock album from a really talented band. It reminds me a little of a lot of things, a little rock and roll, a little country-blues vibe, with shades of CCR, CSNY and the Dead. Some of the more high energy songs can get a little ramshackle or rambling, but when they're focused, it's great music. I absolutely love the guitars, which are exceptional, and in league with some of the best in country rock. I also like the all-band/multi-vocal approach, propelled by a strong lead in Peter Lewis. Go to YouTube for the full album. Spotify didn't have all of it. Fave Songs: Hey Grandma, Fall on You, 8:05, Ain't No Use

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Fri Dec 24 2021
4

Great early psychedelic rock from the Bay Area. Sadly the bad never reached its full potential, but a nice glimpse of what could have been.

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Wed Jan 05 2022
4

Love the guitar parts and harmonies in this album. Lots of cool parts overlapping. Lead vocals are good though not too memorable. Songs are also good but not too memorable.

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Thu Jan 27 2022
4

I liked this album a lot. Good country style rock. Reminds me of The Dead more than anything, but I would so shorter on jams and perhaps a little more rocking. 4 🌟

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Thu Feb 03 2022
4

Wasn't expecting this. Do people know about these guys? It's like if the Byrds slept with Chicago, and had a baby raised by Meatloaf. Teenage Fanclub must love them, power pop owes them big time. Some of the tightest rocking harmonies that've graced my ears. Every song short and sweet, only two breaking the 3 minute mark. Was this who The Monkees wanted to be?

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Thu Feb 10 2022
4

Why didn’t this band do better and how come I’ve never heard of them? And it’s so hard to even find this album to stream, had to go to YouTube. Great guitar work, great bluesy rock vocals. Really dig it 4

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Thu Feb 10 2022
4

The whole album isn't on Spotify which is a bummer. I liked what I did listen to! Reminded me of hey Jude, more folk rock style

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Thu Feb 10 2022
4

What a jam. How annoying the entire album isn't on Spotify or I'd add it to my regular rotation

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Thu Feb 10 2022
4

Enjoyed this way more than I thought I would.

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Fri Mar 04 2022
4

Enjoyed this a lot more than I expected

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Sun Mar 13 2022
4

It's so hard to appreciate albums like this in the same way they must have when they came out. Like in 1967 I'm sure this was mind-blowing stuff but the psych-rock market got so saturated in such a short time that I've heard like a dozen records that sound very similar to this. 7/10

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Sun Mar 13 2022
4

8/10. Short and sweet. Lots of fun old songs that didn't overstay their welcome

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Sun Mar 13 2022
4

8/10 good energy, this is the kind of 60s music i like

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Mon Mar 28 2022
4

A good rock-n-roll album but a bit repetitive.

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Mon Jun 06 2022
4

A maddening album to write about, as it manages to be exactly good enough to warrant 4 stars, and so it's almost impossible to get traction with your prose when discussing it. There are no faults on the album to a fault, and as such it just lacks that touch of character to make it a true classic. Moby Grape possess a reputation among two particular tribes of music snob. Firstly, they appeal to those who wish they were acid causalties in the Summer of Love, as they love the idea of peace and love and especially free love; that last category makes up about 99% of their yearning for the hippy ideal. Secondly, they appeal to your standard Pitchfork reader who will lecture you on how this album is better than Forever Changes, which is better than Fifth Dimension, which is better than Electric Music for the Mind and Body, which is better than Surrealistic Pillow, which is better than The Doors, despite them never having sat down and listened to any of those, all the while living in pitiful terror over the discovery that their favourite film is actually Frozen. So, the album accidentally suffers from the reputation of its advocates being mild cases of douchebag. But why this audience? Well, Moby Grape go down as one of the most legendary lost bands of the 60s, one of the most promising acts crippled by incompetent label bureaucrats, pernicious management, internecine tumults, personal catastrophes and perennial bad luck. Their debut album Moby Grape, therefore, has to be a masterwork to redeem the sorry tale of Moby Grape. And in truth, it's a very good album. It's a very good collection of very good songs. And that's it. My opinion of the album over time is something I find curious. Learning of this album's notoriety, I first tried it about ten years ago, and I was distinctly underwhelmed. It lacked the spark of several of those 60s Californian albums I listed earlier, a few of which I consider masterpieces. Over the last decade, I've given it a few more chances, and I have grown much more of an appreciation for it. But my first reaction, I believe, captured a sad but undeniable truth of this album: it's alright, not great. One can't find a flaw in the playing or the production, but one also can't find a riff or a holler that truly stirs up the blood. It's worth exactly 4 stars, which somehow feels heartbreaking. That said, one offshoot of Moby Grape really does warrant all the accolades: Oar, the sole solo album by deeply troubled bandmember Alexander "Skip" Spence. But that's a different album on the list.

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Thu Jun 09 2022
4

an enjoyable listen, albeit definitely an album of its time. The distinctive west coast/psychedlia vibe shares something with the likes of the Grateful Dead and Spirit. Some lovely catchy numbers, especially Looper.

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Tue Aug 09 2022
4

Psychodelic rock from the height of psychodelia. One of the best of it's kind but no real stand out moments. Just consistent musicianship throughout. (Again Spotify does not have the whole album available - Youtube does)

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Sun Aug 14 2022
4

Psychedelic rock, 1967. Very interesting album by such an underrated band. Maybe not one of the best 10 record of the best year in the history of rock music, but definitely not really far from them. The guitar is the most satisfying part on this great project.

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Thu Dec 09 2021
4

Why are messing with my albums Spotify. Overall pretty fun and weird. Weird in the best way but still odd.

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Thu Sep 01 2022
4

Good ol fashion R&R. Really dig that sound.

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Thu Sep 08 2022
4

Good rock, feels like I should have heard of them before.

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Thu Sep 22 2022
4

I really really liked this album but unfortunately, it wasn't on Spotify so it loses points for that. It was just a really good-sounding 60s rock album that I probably won't ever listen to again since it's not on my main avenue of music consumption.

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Thu Nov 24 2022
4

Kinks early beatles vibes enjoyed

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Thu Dec 08 2022
4

This was solid good ol' blues

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Thu Dec 15 2022
4

Actually very into this. Wish it existed on Spotify so I could actually save some of the songs. Couldn't do standouts because the recording I used wasn't broken up into tracks, but trust me, I liked it.

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Thu Dec 15 2022
4

Not the sound I imagined from the album cover but I love it. How have I never heard them before? They are seriously up my alley. Also the song title "Naked, If I Want to" - amazing

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Mon Jan 23 2023
4

Nice sound! Nice changes, it was a good experience. Glad I searched for the full version in YT as it is incomplete in both Apple and Spotify

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Wed Feb 15 2023
4

It’s good but I felt it gotten a little bit more boring towards the end and I’m not too sure how much I would want to replay it still great and I would recommend 4/5

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Fri Feb 17 2023
4

A quasi-psychedelic, jam, acid glimpse into the late 60s. 4/5.

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Thu Feb 23 2023
4

This actually goes super hard, would absolutely listen again

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Wed Mar 01 2023
4

At the time of this review, the album was not available in its entirety anywhere so there was a bit of hopping around trying to find singles. Unfortunately, that led to a bit of uncertainty about the album itself, but as for the band, it is a mystery to how they have managed to remain under the radar for this listener. Sure, bands of the 60s, particularly the British ones, hogged much of the attention, but this band certainly held their own. Melodic, intentional vocals, the band hits all of the professional musician stereotypes, and for what could be gleaned puts out really good music.

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