Although a variety of primarily promotional-driven missteps almost beached
Moby Grape, the Bay Area-based quintet of Peter Lewis (guitar), Bob Mosley
(bass), Jerry Miller (guitar), Skippy Spence (guitar), and Don Stevenson
(drums) were able to produce an undeniably strong debut outing during
1967's Summer of Love. Work on their follow-up commenced in the fall with
a relocation from the Bay Area to New York City, and compared to their
first album, the sessions were marred by a lack of cohesion, as the members
rarely worked together. The piecemeal and modular style resulted in a
more fragmented and diverse sound. Yet Wow is undeniably packed with superior
material from the entire band. "The Place and the Time" acts
as a prelude and is marked by a distinct section ("Mothers and fathers/Think
for yourselves/This is the place and the time") seemingly inspired
by Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention's Absolutely Free. The song
also features orchestration from Joey Scott and producer David Rubinson,
which adds further texture to the proceedings. These similarly include
the suitably ostentatious ensemble on Lewis' minor baroque-flavored masterpiece
"He." On the opposite side of the spectrum are Stevenson's driving
blues-fueled "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" purportedly
based on actual events in the author's past and Skippy Spence's
biker babe ballad "Motorcycle Irene." Mosley's cache is quite
possibly the best of the lot with "Bitter Wind," "Three-Four,"
and "Rose Colored Eyes." Another worthy contender is the upbeat
"Can't Be So Bad," boasting hot R&B horns that punctuate
the driving melody with the fury of the Electric Flag or Child Is Father
to the Man-era (1968) Blood, Sweat & Tears. While considered by many
to be a throwaway, Spence's humor-filled "Just Like Gene Autry, A
Foxtrot" is marked by an intro from veteran radio and television
personality Arthur Godfrey, who is also credited on banjo and ukulele.
Original pressings of Wow required listeners to change the speed of their
turntables to 78, as per Spence's spoken instructions at the beginning
of the cut. Outtakes from the recording session with Godfrey and Spence
are infectiously funny and can be heard as an unlisted bonus track at
the end of disc two of the highly recommended Vintage: The Very Best of
Moby Grape double-disc compilation. Sadly, Moby Grape's run ended prior
to the completion of Wow when Lewis quit and then Spence rapidly declined
into substance-informed insanity. While other variations of Moby Grape
resurfaced throughout the 1970s and '80s including a reunion under
the moniker of The Melvelle's none captured the energy or passion
of their first two albums.
(by Lindsay Planer, All
Music Guide)
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