Moby Grape - Truly Fine Citizen (1969) Expanded Remastered 2007

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Moby Grape - Truly Fine Citizen (1969) Expanded Remastered 2007

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1969's Truly Fine Citizen was the last gasp for the original incarnation of Moby Grape. The departures of guitarist Skip Spence and bassist Bob Mosley had reduced the once-mighty band to a trio, and sessionman Bob Moore had to be brought in to fill out the lineup. Columbia Records decided Moby Grape needed a break from producer and studio collaborator David Rubinson, and they were sent to Nashville to record with Bob Johnston, best known for his work with Bob Dylan. Johnston reportedly began the sessions by announcing the album had to be recorded in a mere three days, and if the musicians didn't like it they were free to leave. And Moby Grape were in the midst of an ugly legal dispute with their manager that resulted in most of the songs on the album being credited to Tom Dell'ara, their road manager. Given all this, it's a pleasant surprise that Truly Fine Citizen isn't a disaster – it's a loose but amiable set of sunny psychedelic pop-rock with a decided country influence. Guitarists Peter Lewis and Jerry Miller had already shown their country leanings on Moby Grape '69, and here it comes to the forefront with some solid Nashville-style picking, and their harmonies with drummer Don Stevenson remain one of the highlights of the group's sound. There are a few good songs on board, including "Looper" (which had been in the Grape's repertoire since their earliest days), the sunny "Changes, Circles Spinning" and the title cut, a tribute to a mystic healer the band had met on the road. But Truly Fine Citizen was basically a rush job recorded to finish out Moby Grape's contract with Columbia, and too much of the time that's just what it sounds like, despite the obvious talent of the musicians, and the jazzy "Love Song, Pt. Two" and "Now I Know High," which at 6:14 meanders twice as long as the album's second longest tune, are clear filler on an album that's barely over a half-hour long. Moby Grape were still capable of making a good album when they cut Truly Fine Citizen, but they scarcely had the opportunity to demonstrate that. [Truly Fine Citizen had never been available on compact disc when it was reissued by Sundazed Music in 2007 in a remastered and expanded edition. Bob Irwin's new master flatters the album's straightforward production, and seven bonus tracks have been added to the song list. As one might expect from an album cut in three days, there are no outtakes from Truly Fine Citizen available; instead, the disc closes out with three excellent live tunes recorded in 1968, and a demo for "Seeing," which the group recorded on Moby Grape '69. These four cuts all appeared on the out of print Moby Grape compilation Vintage, but three additional performances exclusive to this release are also included – demos of "Looper," "Soul Stew," and "Tongue-Tied," appearing under its original title, "Cockatoo Blues." A fine liner essay by Gene Sculatti and quality packaging make for an unexpectedly glossy reissue of an album with an understandably spotty reputation, though it's genuinely better than its usually given credit for.]

Review by Mark Deming, Allmusic.com

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Moby Grape - Truly Fine Citizen (1969) Expanded Remastered 2007

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Moby Grape - Truly Fine Citizen (1969) Expanded Remastered 2007

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Moby Grape - Truly Fine Citizen (1969) Expanded Remastered 2007

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