Grass Roots

Grass Roots

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
The man behind the decks at New York's legendary 'Body & Soul' night selects some of the tunes that have helped shape a thirty-year DJ career at the Big Apple's most influential clubs. Spanning classic jazz, African, underground disco & house. Grass Roots also features some new & exclusive Danny Krivit re-edits. 2001.

Tracks:

Let's Live For Today
Where Were You When I Needed You
Things I Should Have Said
Midnight Confessions
The River Is Wide
Bella Linda
Lovin' Things
Wait A Million Years
Baby Hold On
Heaven Knows
Come On And Say It
Temptation Eyes
Two Divided By Love
Glory Bound
The Runway
Sooner Or Later

Amazon.com

As a band the Grass Roots were always a shadowy bunch, a front for studio musicians and professional songwriters looking to get their songs on the radio. They scored 14 top 40 hits during their reign in the late '60s/early '70s and their hits were among the catchiest and most enjoyable of the AM radio era. "Let's Live for Today," "Midnight Confessions," "Bella Linda," "Two Divided by Love," and a slew of others are shameless pop made brilliant by multilayered harmonies and arrangements that liberally borrowed from folk-rock and R&B. The Grass Roots may have been product, but what great product. --Rob O'Connor

Album Description

This low-priced disc is far & away the best single-CD compilation ever issued of the Grass Roots' work, 16 chart singles covering every phase of their history, from 1966's 'Where Were You When I Needed You' (in its actual hit version) thru 'Let's Live for Today' & 'Midnight Confessions' to their last hit, 1972's 'The Runway.' Originally released in 1996. MCA.

Customer Reviews:

Great CD!.......2007-05-26

This will certainly take you back in time. The Grassroots had so many hits and they are all here and are the original versions that you heard on the radio! My personal favorite is "The River Is Wide", which gets very little airplay on oldies radio stations. If you are a Grassroots fan, you will not be disappointed.

Grass Roots 2007.......2007-05-08

Just saw the Grass Roots(Grill and others) at the Sellersville Theater, in Sellersville, PA. He was using a cane but still sounded great. This takes me back to my childhood days and listening to the sound bites on this CD I am amazed how well he still sounds. I really recommend you buy this one. He also has a great stage presence and really interacted with the crowd. I would definitely recommend anyone who enjoyed this band in their youth to take time to see them. Yes, even after all these years! The crowd is small, personal and you won't regret it. He even cut a live CD in 2000 that he sells on tour.

POP MUSIC DELUXE = GRASS ROOTS style !.......2007-04-26

Well, what a great CD. Listen, I remember sitting in the backseat of my parents car, I was about 10 or 11 yrs old, listening to KLIF AM radio, Dallas. Hearing The Grass Roots songs through those cheap GM Chevy speakers was almost as good as ice-cream. I had just started playing drums (thanks, Ringo), and the Grass Roots songs propelled me even more. (I am going somewhere with this). Later, in the 80's, I went to a Texas Rangers baseball game where Herman's Hermits, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, The Monkees and The Grass Roots were playing a special show after the game. Well, I will say this, they were all good, but the stand-out (BY FAR) was Rob Grill and whatever Grass Roots band was performing with him. He KILLED the crowd, and let me tell you, those songs sounded as good as they did when I was sitting in the backseat of the car many years before. Get this CD. As a drummer, I've always wondered if Hal Blaine was playing drums on this CD. Hmmmmm. Anyone know for sure? (Hal was a monster drummer in the 60's and played on everything for everyone).

You will listen to this CD for a very long time. POP PERFECTION that STILL sounds GREAT!

An unknown tidbit about "The Grass Roots".......2007-03-28

before American Bandstand had a song "written" for them (by none other than Barry Manilow!) the theme song for American Bandstand was "Midnight Confessions" by The Grass Roots!

Now, I dare you say The Grass Roots weren't an important musical group! Before MTV, American Bandstand was the BOMB!

A definite blast from the past.......2007-03-09

If you remember and loved the Grassroots, you will still love them.

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Grass Roots

Average customer rating:

This IS the Best of the Grass Roots!
org.vs. new remakes by org.
Nice Set of Some Fine 1960's Tunes By A Semi-Forgotten Band!
"Live for Today" is one of the quintessential Sixties songs
rooting

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Grass Roots
The Grass Roots
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005LZS9
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Tracks:

Where Were You When I Needed You
I Needed You
Let's Live For Today
Things I Should Have Said
Bella Linda
The River Is Wide
Wait A Million Years
Heaven Knows
Baby Hold On
Temptation Eyes
Sooner Or Later
Two Divided By Love

Customer Reviews:

This IS the Best of the Grass Roots!.......2007-02-11

If you want to step back to the summers when the toughest decision
you had was when to get up in the morning.... This disc will take you there.
Blessed with tight harmony, clever orchestration, and lyrics to created for
young romance, this disc delivers. Everyone was in compaction with the Beatles during this era, and these folks stayed in that vein.
Sit back and enjoy!
Cathy
Bobby's Girl

org.vs. new remakes by org........2006-04-17

this grass roots cd is the first original i've come acoss in a few years. in the meantime i've happen to find in the now diminshing existence of record stores that carry music of this era the quickly extinction of availablity of titles that are seeked by people of our taste. this past week i bought the dvd of the grass roots entitled "the grass roots.. goldenlegends..new stero recordings by the orignal artists. well you know what age to a band means. the voice goes, so the tunes have to be played at a lower key than the original song, also the singer can't hold the note as long as he use to. so what you end up with is a sound that is close to the original in this case,but falls short of the original sound, the great vocals adjust to the lower key and therefore we lose the original sound. this is the best original recordings compiled and availabe to the public that i've encountered in many years and i find it satisfying that i finally found the orignal voices matched with the original sound matched with the original music. listen to the music!

Nice Set of Some Fine 1960's Tunes By A Semi-Forgotten Band!.......2004-02-18

The best songs here still hold up well. They are "Where Were You When I Needed You", and "Let's Live For Today. Both have some nice melodies and harmonies ,and lyrics that have some meaning even 35 years or so later! This is a fine Series that includes some of the "second tier" musical acts of 25-40 years ago, plus some really top acts of the time, like the Moody Blues and Supremes, and it's fine hearing some of these releases brought back to life! The Grassroots had a few top 40 hits, some of the best of the day too! So this is your chance to catch some of these fine releases that are otherwise somewhat hard to come by today!

"Live for Today" is one of the quintessential Sixties songs.......2004-02-16

The rap against the Grass Roots is that they were essentially a studio band, but that does not take away from the fact that they produced one of the quintessential songs of the Sixties in "Let's Live For Today (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)." The song only made it to #8 on the "Billboard" charts, but has always symbolized for me what Sixties music was all about. You could not point to a quintessential song by the Beatles since the changes from the early period to all the periods that followed showed such changes and growth, but "Let's Live For Today" captures a lot of Sixties musical sensibilities. Just do not ask me to defend my position in a well-reasoned musical argument because I am sure it will fall apart. But I do know that when the Grass Roots moved into the Seventies with their music the results are not as good as what they did in the previous decade. When I get to the point that a song by the Grass Roots no longer reminds me of "Let's Live For Today" then my argument is that they have gone too far in evolving as a group.

All of the dozen songs collected on "20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Grass Roots" cracked the "Billboard" Top 40, with the other pair of Top 10 hits being "Midnight Confession" (#5) and "Sooner or Later" (#9), a pair of songs that evidence the range of the type of songs the Grass Roots recorded. One of the interesting things about the Grass Roots is that you will find that where these songs ended up on the pop charts pretty much reflects how good they are. The best of the bunch after those three is "Wait a Million Years" (#15), and then there is a discernable drop off to "Things I Should Have Said" (#23), "Heaven Knows" (#24) and "Where Were You When I Needed You" (#28). For most listeners these twelve songs will include all of the Grass Roots songs they need to own and probably get to the point where they find songs to skip when they play the CD. In other words, owning this hits collection will make the vast majority of people happy with no need to go on to a larger hits collection.

rooting.......2003-11-13

If you like songs from the heart, you'll like this. Every song is well writen, no wasted tracks.

Grass Roots: The Best of New Grass Revival

Average customer rating:

Newgrass at the top
Career-Spanning Retrospective
Best of New Grass Revival
Grass Roots: The Best of New Grass Revival (Capitol)
New material from a classic band

Grass Roots: The Best of New Grass Revival
New Grass Revival
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Best of New Grass Revival
Laps in Seven
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Now Hear This
When The Storm Is Over/Fly Through The Country

ASIN: B0009ML1RK
Release Date: 2005-06-21

Tracks:

Great Balls Of Fire
Prince Of Peace
Casey Jones
The Dancer
Doin' My Time
All Night Train
Vamp In The Middle
Spring Peepers
Lee Highway Blues
Souvenir Bottles
Sapporo
Steam Powered Aero Plane
When The Storm Is Over
You Don't Knock
White Freight Liner Blues
Good Woman's Love
Reach

Tracks:

One More Love Song
On The Boulevard
One Love / People Get Ready
Seven By Seven
In The Middle Of The Night
Sweet Release
Metric Lips
Unconditional Love
Looking Past You
Revival
Ain't That Peculiar
Callin' Baton Rouge
I'm Down
Angel Eyes
Don't You Hear Jerusalem Moan
Do What You Gotta Do
Singing The Blues
Can't Stop Now

Album Description

If Cream and Led Zeppelin were the supergroups of classic rock, New Grass Revival is the supergroup of bluegrass. Formed in 1972, NGR helped define "newgrass" by rearranging traditional bluegrass standards with electrified style. Fronted by lead singer John Cowan and featuring the virtuoso and improvisational playing of Sam Bush (mandolin) and Béla Fleck (banjo), NGR helped launch the jam-band scene long before the Bonaroo Festival. NGR disbanded in 1990, but their legacy laid the foundation for the Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Nickel Creek, and the String Cheese Incident. Includes 2 CDs, 35 tracks (7 previously unreleased)--all 24-bit digitally remastered.

Customer Reviews:

Newgrass at the top.......2006-03-08

I bought this because of the unrealesed live tracks.These guys are fine players with sam bush being my favorite.So I recomend this to people who want to get to know this great band who were together for 18 years.

Career-Spanning Retrospective.......2005-11-29

With tracks from their King Records debut, their stints with Flying Fish, Rounder and Capitol, as well as previously unissued live and studio tracks, this is THE definitive anthology from one of the most influential bands of the progressive bluegrass genre.

Over the course of nearly two and a half hours of music and 35 tracks, GRASS ROOTS covers New Grass Revival's history from their 1972 debut through their 1989 New Year's Eve farewell show.

"Great Balls of Fire," the first of two tracks from their debut, is a no-holds-barred romp with Sam Bush on Mandolin and lead vocal and the banjo pyrotechnics provided by Courtney Johnson. The second track is the Leon Russell-penned "Prince of Peace."

Not only did Russell take NGR as his opening act in 1973, he let them record at his Shelter studios at the end of the tour. These three tracks from 1974 are all previously unreleased. For these sessions, NGR added a drummer which further alienated them from the bluegrass community. "Casey Jones," an instrumental, and "The Dancer" are fairly typical bluegrass numbers (except for the drums); but "Doin' My Time" with its extended instrumental breaks goes on for more than six and a half minutes. [It's easy to see where bands like the String Cheese Incident and Yonder Mountain String Band were influenced by NGR.]

By 1975's FLY THROUGH THE COUNTRY, the band's lineup solidified to include Bush, Johnson and bassist/vocalist John Cowan and guitarist Curtis Burch. This version of the band would stay in tact through their 1981 LP COMMONWEALTH.

NGR Mach II would emerge in 1983 (and stay together until the band dissolved) with Pat Flynn replacing Burch and Bela Fleck replacing Johnson. Two previously unreleased tracks from an Austin City Limits appearance, "When the Storm Is Over" and "You Don't Knock," showcase the new lineup.

"Seven By Seven," from their self-titled Capitol debut, showed the bluegrass/jazz path Fleck would latter follow with the Flecktones. "In the Middle of the Night" (from the same album) illustrated that Flynn was not only a gifted singer and guitarist, but the band's best songwriter.

Two other previously unreleased tracks are from a 1987 Austin City Limits appearance. The first is a funky version of "Revival." The other is a terrific version of "Ain't That Peculiar."

The final three unreleased tracks are from their Oakland Coliseum New Year's Eve show. They include "Do What You Gotta Do," a stunning 11-minute rendition of "Singing the Blues," and "Can't Stop Now." As the applause erupts, someone in the band responds, "Thanks so much! It's been wonderful!" It certainly has been, and this two-disc set captures many of the highlights of this amazing band. [Running time - Disc 1, 74:53; Disc-2, 74:15] VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Best of New Grass Revival.......2005-08-22

This is a great album but then I've never been disappointed with any of their albums. Side one is the older songs which I love. I just wish they had included more of the songs from the "Flying Through the Country" and "When the Storm is Over" albums. But no New Grass Revival fan will be disappointed. The album cover has a lot of good history about them also.

Grass Roots: The Best of New Grass Revival (Capitol).......2005-08-03

The New Grass Revival defined what an acoustic band could be. The band defined a style of music. The New Grass Revival continues to influence acoustic music three decades after their modest beginning. Mandolinist Sam Bush along with banjoist Courtney Johnson, guitarist Curtis Burch and bassist "Ebo Walker" (Harry Shelor) began playing the "New Grass Style" in 1972. While their music evolved, the band changed personnel slightly through their history, adding John Cowan on bass in 1973. Bush and Cowan had met guitarist Pat Flynn at a festival in Colorado and jammed with him. Bush had known banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck for years. They were selected as the band's two new members in 1981.
Grass Roots is a 2 Cd set that will take you on a trip through New Grass history beginning in 1972 with a version of "Great Balls of Fire" like no other. This is a prime example of how the band revolutionized bluegrass music; no song was immune to being converted to the New Grass sound.
This collection is not just a compilation of old recordings re-released; there are a number of never released tracks. New Grass Revival ended their phenomenal run on New Years Eve, 1989 with a concert in California at the Oakland Coliseum. Their final show concluded with "Do What You Gotta Do", "Singing the Blues", and appropriately "Can't Stop Now", so ends the Grass Roots collection. As a long time fan of New Grass Revival, I wonder what was going on in the minds of Sam Bush, Pat Flynn, John Cowan and Bela Fleck as they burned down the Oakland Coliseum and rode off into the sunset.
This is a collection New Grass Revival songs that everyone who enjoys progressive bluegrass and acoustic music should own. It is an audio history of where this music we love came from, and a clue to where it's headed. Besides that, these boys rocked back then, and their music in this collection still does, ask Garth Brooks!

Rex Flottman

New material from a classic band.......2005-08-03

I've been a New Grass Revival fan since 1989. I discovered them watching a rerun of Austin City Limits. It's a real thrill to see two of the cuts from that 1987 performance on this album. But that's just the beginning for fans. This album also sports two cuts from the band's 1983 Austin City Limits performance. Other highlights are three unreleased tracks recorded for Leon Russell's Shelter Records and three unreleased cuts from the band's last gig on New Year's Eve, 1989, when they opened for the Grateful Dead in Oakland. New Grass Revival was a powerful presence live, and this album makes that case with 10 of its 38 tracks being live recordings. If you know New Grass Revival, you must hear this album. If you've missed out on one of the most exciting bands of the 70s and 80s, this album is a wonderful introduction.

Average customer rating:

Better Than I Thought It Would Be
PRIME MELODIC POP

Let's Live for Today/Feelings
The Grass Roots
Manufacturer: Repertoire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000085WT
Release Date: 1995-12-18

Tracks:

Things I Should Have Said
Wake Up, Wake Up
Tip of My Tongue
Is It Any Wonder
Let's Live for Today
Beatin' Round the Bush
Out of Touch
Won't You See Me
Where Were You When I Needed You
No Exit
This Precious Time
House of Stone
Feelings
Here's Where You Belong
Sins of a Family Fall on the Daughter
Melody for You
Who Will You Be Tomorrow
You Might as Well Go My Way
All Good Things Come to an End
Hot Bright Lights
Hey Friend
You and Love Are the Same
Dinner for Eight
Feelings (Reprise)
Depressed Feeling [*]
Midnight Confessions [*]
Bella Linda [*]

Album Description

2-ON-1 of '67 & '68 studio albums + 3 bonus trx. Including their biggest hit 'Midnight Confessions'. 27TRX:

Album Details

Two on 1. 27 Tracks, Three of which Are Bonus Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

Better Than I Thought It Would Be.......2005-09-17

If you love big, beautiful produced mid 60s baroque folk pop with great singing, then you will like this. I also recommend P.F. Sloan's Anthology (the producer of this album and writer of many Grass Roots songs).

PRIME MELODIC POP.......1999-08-24

This is a beautiful CD representing most of their best work. More depth than their fame suggests for sure, and lots of fun. The melodies and the harmonies are sublime for the most part. Please bear in mind that my main interests are psychedelia and the 60's frisco scene!!

Millennium Collection-20th Century Masters (Eco-Friendly Packaging)

Average customer rating:

Millennium Collection-20th Century Masters (Eco-Friendly Packaging)
The Grass Roots
Manufacturer: Geffen Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000OLHG0C
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Tracks:

Where Were You When I Needed You
Let's Live For Today
Things I Should Have Said
Midnight Confessions
Bella Linda
The River Is Wide
Wait a Million Years
Heaven Knows
Baby Hold On
Temptation Eyes
Sooner Or Later
Two Divided By Love

Album Description

The 20th Century Masters series is the best-selling single-artist line in music history and is being re-released by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) in its ground-breaking, environmentally-friendly packaging format. A first for the music industry, the standard package (both sleeve and tray) will be completely paper-recyclable, continuing the company's long-standing commitment to being "green."

To further reduce the amount of paper in the Eco-Pack, the CD booklet will no longer be offered. Official liner notes are easily accessible on the Internet at http://www.ilovethatsong.com/green.

UMe is the first North American music company to replace the traditional jewel case with recycled paperboard sleeves and the plastic tray with trays made from PaperFoam®, a new packaging technology from Shorewood Packaging, a business of International Paper, that is paper-recyclable and biodegradable. Shorewood Packaging is the first North American packaging supplier to produce disc trays from PaperFoam®.

Average customer rating:

The Grass Roots
This Grass Roots GEM finally makes it to CD...
The GRASS ROOTS Pop Sound Kicks into High Gear!

Leavin' It All Behind
The Grass Roots
Manufacturer: Hip-O Select
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000BQL1XS
Release Date: 2006-12-01

Tracks:

I'm Livin' for You Girl
Back to Dreamin' Again
Out of This World
Melinda Love
Don't Remind Me
Take Him While You Can
Heaven Knows
Walking Through the Country
Something's Comin' Over Me
Truck Drivin' Man
Wait a Million Years

Product Description

For a brief period of time between (about 1966 and 1972, give or take), the Grass Roots were a hit machine: fourteen Top 40 hits, a handful of gold singles, including one tune (Lets Live For Today) that iconically captures its time as clearly as Buffalo Springfields For What Its Worth or Jefferson Airplanes White Rabbit. In the hands of producer Steve Barri, the Grass Roots had grown from a hastily assembled cover band to a full-fledged writing and performing force. Despite having lost lead guitarist Creed Bratton earlier in the year, the band gained keyboardist Dennis Provisor, who turned out to be a valuable addition to the lineup. The first single for the album came out before the rest of the album had been finished, and it was a smash: Id Wait A Million Years. When the record was finally finished, there was another Top 25 track lurking in the grooves: Heaven Knows. But dont overlook such underrated pop gems as Out Of This World and Melinda Love. The latter proves, if youll pardon the double negative, that theres no song that cant be improved with hand claps.

Customer Reviews:

The Grass Roots.......2006-06-19

Don't have the CD remaster but I have a very good vinyl copy of this album . This is definetly the best normal Grass Roots release . Really not a weak cut on it . highly reccomend this if you are a Grass Roots fan .

This Grass Roots GEM finally makes it to CD... .......2006-06-04

Finally, this GREAT LP by The Grass Roots is available on CD...
"Leaving It All Behind" is loaded with some great songs... not only 3 of The Grass Roots major hits, Wait A Million Years, Heaven Knows, and Walking Through The Country... but some of their best pop songs, like Out Of This World, I'm Living For You Girl, Melinda Love... This LP was also the start of Dennis Provisors history with the band... Dennis was the most prolific song writer of the band...
This CD is great and hopefully only the start of other GREAT Grass Roots lps being released on CD... like: "Move Along"
"More Golden Grass", "Lovin' Things", "Alotta Mileage" and "Golden Grass"...

The GRASS ROOTS Pop Sound Kicks into High Gear!.......2005-12-08

First time on CD! And it's a very limited run so obtain while you can.
We've been waiting forever for the non-compilation Grass Roots CD's to see the light of digital day (only 3 others so far) and Hip-O Select has done a great job with this one.
It was here on this album that the formerly folkie/pop group completed the transition to punchy pop. Given the full Jimmie Haskell horn treatment and radio friendly pop production fourishes, Steve Barri turns The Grass Roots into an irresistable hit making machine. And it's not just the 3 Top 40 hits that shine here.
(1. I'd Wait a Million Years 2. Heaven Knows 3. Walkin' Thru The Country)
There are other delights that could easily have been hits, like "Out Of This World" and "Back To Dreamin' Again." New keyboardist Dennis Provisor makes his debut and his contributions are noteworthy, although he would become more of a presence later. He's got 2 songs here but on the next project "More Golden Grass" he would write or co-write about half the album. Provisor's soulful pipes added a new dimension to the group on both lead and shadow vocals.

This group had 14 Top 40 hits and their Best Of compilations always sold well but their regular album releases were marginal sellers at best. And that's a shame because there is lots more to enjoy BEYOND THE HITS if you like 60s/70s feel good pop as "Leaving It All Behind" proves. This is a very satisfying listen from start to finish and there are 2 or 3 essentials here that didn't make the cut for the excellent Grass Roots "Anthology" on Rhino (now out of print).

Here's hoping that more of the Grass Roots catalog will come to CD. There are still several titles that are begging for release. Especially:
"Move Along" (probably their best album)
"More Golden Grass"
"Lovin' Things"

It would be nice to have the other two obscure albums as well,
("Alotta Mileage" and "Grass Roots") but don't hold your breath on that.

Average customer rating:

Astoundingly great sunshine folk-rock
Probably the best album this "band" ever made!
Read on

Where Were You When I Needed You
The Grass Roots
Manufacturer: Rev-Ola
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Let's Live for Today/Feelings
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ASIN: B0007PLZE8
Release Date: 2005-04-04

Tracks:

Only When You're Lonely
Look Out Girl
Ain't That Loving You Baby
I've Got No More to Say
I Am a Rock
Lollipop Train (You Never Had It So Good)
Where Were You When I Needed You
You Didn't Have to Be So Nice
Tell Me
You Baby
This Is What I Was Made For
Mr Jones (Ballad of a Thin Man)
Where Were You When I Needed You [Single Version]
(These Are) Bad Times
You're a Lonely Girl
Tip of My Tongue
You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
Hitch Hike
Eve of Destruction
Where Were You When I Needed You [Third Version]

Album Description

This is the highly regarded debut album from The Grass Roots, one of California's most popular acts of the late `60s and early `70s. Featuring the original classic hit single "Where Were When I Needed You" and the blinding garage punk reworking of Dylan's "Ballad Of A Thin Man". All of the original material was composed and produced by the legendary songwriting duo P F Sloan and Steve Barri so 100% prime US folk-rock jangle with gorgeous vocal arrangements is guaranteed. This is the first of a series of Grass Roots reissues and the first instalment of Rev-Ola records' excavation of the great Dunhill Records label! This fantastic release also features in-depth liner notes by Shindig! Magazine's Jon `Mojo' Mills explaining the band's convoluted origins

Album Details

The Highly Regarded Debut Album from the Grass Roots, One of California's Most Popular Acts of the Late '60s and Early '70s. Featuring the Original Classic Hit Single "Where were When I Needed You" and the Blinding Garage Punk Reworking of Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man". All of the Original Material was Composed and Produced by the Legendary Songwriting Duo P F Sloan and Steve Barri So 100% Prime Us Folk-rock Jangle with Gorgeous Vocal Arrangements is Guaranteed. This is the First of a Series of Grass Roots Reissues and the First Instalment of Rev-ola Records' Excavation of the Great Dunhill Records Label.

Customer Reviews:

Astoundingly great sunshine folk-rock.......2006-01-07

Given that The Grass Roots had one of the most impressive Top-40 runs in American chart history (including the perennials "Let's Live for Today" and "Midnight Confessions"), it's amazing that these early chapters in the band's history are so little known. Adding to the obscurity is that the band(s) heard here have virtually no personnel in common with the better-known version, save for songwriter/producers Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan.

Barri and Sloan are best known for compositions like "You Baby" (The Turtles), "Eve of Destruction" (Barry McGuire), and Secret Agent Man (Johnny Rivers), but in 1965 they found themselves recording their own "Where Were You When I Needed You" with Sloan on lead vocal accompanied by Byrds-like 12-string guitar. The harmony-laden, wall-of-sound chorus is as informed by Spector and Wilson as by the then-burgeoning folk-rock scene. In what would come to be a Grass Roots' hallmark, an actual band had to be recruited to take to the road in the wake of the single's success.

The second Grass Roots (counting Barri & Sloan as GR#1) was a northern California band originally called The Bedouins. Riding the sound of the initial single, GR#2 relocated to Los Angeles and became well-known for their performances at Sunset Strip clubs like The Whiskey A-Go-Go and The Trip. Studio sessions yielded almost enough sides for an album, but a rift with their producer/writers (over how much the band would play, and how much their lead singer would be supported by studio hands) destroyed GR#2 before the albums was complete.

Sloan and Barri pulled together some earlier demo tracks (with Sloan singing) to flesh out the GR#2 tracks, and an LP was readied. In preparation for the album's launch, a re-recorded version of "Where Were You When I Needed You" was released as a single, with Bill Fulton of GR#2 singing lead. Once the single caught on, the LP was released (though, most confusingly, with the earlier P.F. Sloan sung version of "Where Were You"!), but with no band to promote it on the road, it flopped.

The obscurity to which this album was condemned is criminal, as Barry & Sloan's vision of folk rock is a superb combination of The Byrds and Beau Brummels, mixed with sunshine pop elements of bands like The Turtles. Their compositions and cover selections are true ear candy, and the various singers who put their voices to them strike the perfect balance between folk harmonies and garage grit, as on a wonderfully snotty cover of Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man." The band was equally adept at the sort of melodic pop-rock that The Monkees cut so convincingly as they were at tougher garage rockers.

Rev-Ola's magnificent reissue includes the twelve tracks of the original LP, along with eight terrific bonuses. Included in the extras are the single version of "Where Were You," a third version of "Where Were You" (sung by eventual GR#3 vocalist Rob Grill), a fuzz-guitar garage B-side ("You're a Lonely Girl"), and a nice garage cover of "Hitch Hike" This CD defines what great reissues are all about. [©2006 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

Probably the best album this "band" ever made!.......2005-08-30

OK, first things first: as other reviewers have noted, this band isn't "really" the Grass Roots, if you're thinking of the group that had hits with "Temptation Eyes" and "Midnight Confessions."

IN THE BEGINNING, the Grass Roots were P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri, who had been performing/working together for quite some time. They put out a song as the "Grass Roots," it did quite well, they hired a band to actually *be* the Grass Roots (the Bedouins, later the "Unquenchable Thirst," whose drummer eventually played with Gene Clark and Emitt Rhodes), made one album, band gets tired, new band hired, Grass Roots Mk. II born, success. Phew.

"Where Were You When I Needed You" is the one and only album by the first incarnation of the "band," although the liner notes imply that much of the record is, in fact, Sloan, Barri, and backing musicians. No matter. As the enigmatic cover shot implies, you're better off not thinking of the content of the record in terms of bands! Rather, think of it as another entry in the Sloan/Barri canon, and a particularly good one at that.

What we have, then, is a record full of solid, folksy originals, and a slew of well-performed covers. For a 1966 release it's a bit inconsequential, but removed from the weight of 60's chronology it's an enjoyable listen. In fact, I like it better than any of the other albums released under the "Grass Roots" banner, as it's the only one with a consistent focus; additionally, it has little of the overwhelmingly corporate atmosphere that decorates most of the post-Let's Live Grass Roots albums.

This reissue on Rev-Ola replaces the Varese Vintage reissue, although the only difference seems to amount to an extra two tracks (variants of "Where Were You When I Needed You)...otherwise, the audio is likely derived from the earlier release.

Read on.......2005-04-27

This was the debut album....by the original foursome who were intended to be THE GRASS ROOTS...more or less the Dunhill Records version of THE MONKEES...They even came preequipped with their own songwriting duo..For whatever reasons, things didn't turn out as they were supposed to....and the idea was banished...temporarily...

The sound quality is excellent for the period it was recorded...very clean and clear....REV OLA has included plenty of bonus tracks and alternate cuts to fill up the CD....

Now keep in mind...this isn't the same band who charted all those big hits you remember from 1967-75...altho the musical/vocal formula is similar and you might find yourself doing a double take and rereading the liner notes..just to be sure..but not considering that Barri and Sloan were the primary writers of both bands material...

One major similarily this lineup has with the lineup who gave you Midnight confessions.....They were more than capable of nailing down excellent cover versions of other top artists music.

This would be a nice addition to your GRASS ROOTS collection......sort of a..."Blueprint for building a band.."

Average customer rating:

2 albums for the price of one
Music from the sixties that is as fresh as today
a groove!
Very accessible

Grass Roots
Andrew Hill
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004GJVQ
Release Date: 2000-02-15

Tracks:

Grass Roots
Venture Inward
Mira
Soul Special
Bayou Red
MC
Venture Inward (First Version)
Soul Special (First Version)
Bayou Red (First Version)
Love Nocturne

Amazon.com

Blue Note founder Alfred Lion considered Andrew Hill to be his last great discovery, and the reasons are apparent from this fairly obscure 1968 effort. Hill composed demanding yet elastic structures that straddled hard bop and free jazz; as a pianist, his abstract comping challenged soloists with elaborate counterpoint and fresh, alternative directions. Hill is joined here by one of the more conservative groups that he recorded with, but there's a high level of interactivity. He enjoyed a close playing relationship with trumpeter Lee Morgan, and Mingus veteran Booker Ervin contributes his personal mix of kicking Texas tenor and harmonic exploration. A rhythm section of Ron Carter and Freddie Waits completes the band, and the result is thoughtful, complex music that still inhabits the edges of the postbop idiom. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

2 albums for the price of one.......2002-11-22

Let me start off by saying that this album is comprised of two sessions with completely different personnel with the first session being tracks 1-5 and the second 6-10. The first session which was the one that was released back in 1968 is an all-star line up with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Booker Ervin on tenor sax, Andrew Hill of course on piano and who wrote all of the compositions, Ron Carter on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums.
This of course is an album with Hill covering a bit different ground than usual as this album is a lot more appealing to mainstream audiences than some of his other masterpieces of the 60s. But, the album still has that unmistakable sound of Hill.
So the first five tracks, as you would expect from the lineup, is great. There is passionate soloing by Ervin and somewhat more restrained but equally powerful soloing by Morgan. Hill as always never disappoints and never sounds in the least bit cliched or generic. My favorite of the first five tracks happens to be the most accessible, "Mira", which has a great melody and solos. It will stay in your head for days.

The second five tracks feature three of the same compositions and two new ones by a different band featuring Woody Shaw on trumpet, Frank Mitchell on tenor saxophone, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, Reggie Workman on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums. As you would expect, the drumming is propulsive and funky, and the bass lines are tasteful and technically advanced. This was my first exposure to Mitchell and i wasn't that impressed with his playing, although his solo on Bayou Red is quite good. Shaw brings his signature sound to the table which works well with Hill's. "MC" is a pretty uninspired reading and really drags on for nine minutes with not much going for it except Hill's solo. "Soul Special" sounds completely different from the other version and is different in a really pleasing way. The tempo is taken much slower and everyone gets into the groove. "Love Nocturne" is a nice tender piece which has an interesting melody and some good soloing by all.
So even though the second part isn't quite as good as the first, if you put it into the context of when it was released, all you got was the first five tracks anyways, so you can just think of the second five as a bonus. All in all, a great purchase and a great addition to any serious 60s jazz collection.

Music from the sixties that is as fresh as today.......2000-06-20

"Lick" or "cliche" is not in Andrew Hill's musical vocabulary and this "new"release is no exception. I say "new" because four of the tracks have never before been released including the nine minute MC, and the seven minute Love Nocturne. When I think of the musical dross we were subjected to in the sixties when jazz players were scuffling to get a gig, washing dishes, or filled with despair when they saw their real talent count for little, like Woody Shaw, one can only thank heaven the likes of Michael Cuscuna are around to rescue their legacy. Examples of the quality and variety of this include the solo by Woody Shaw on Love Nocturne, the groove set up by Idris Muhammad, Reggie Workman, Jimmy Ponder and Reggie Workman on MC over which Frank Mitchell, Woody Shaw and then Ponder solo; Soul Special with its propelling groove and its typically fabulous piano solo by Mr Hill. But begin with the title song for a close listen: a majestic joyous solo by Booker Ervin and a conversational restrained masterful one by Lee Morgan, a typically sensitive and interesting solo by Mr Hill ending with the sole sound of the woody bass of Mr Carter. Apart from the exceptional players( I mean dig Lee Morgan's solo entrance on Bayou Red!) this CD has Mr Hill's writing to bring it to a level above just another gig. His guiding genius is all over this release and it's mainly for this reason that this reissue in the Blue Note connoisseur series is worth your attention. It is engineered by Mr Van Gelder with quite clear separation in the stereo which was the standard of the day. The programme of music has enough variety and intelligence to reward many, many listenings.

a groove!.......2000-05-06

This is nice finger-popping grooves by a composer who is often more abstract and avant garde.

The compositions are first rate and the rhythm sections grooves and there is fine solo work, especially from the trumpet players Lee Morgan or Woody Shaw.

Very accessible.......2000-02-25

Nice to see this finally released on CD. This was a mainstream effort for Hill, and if you want more challenging Blue Note releases, try, for example, "Point of Departure," "Judgment" or "Black Fire." (The latter two may be difficult to find. The best single source for his music is the seven-CD Mosaic boxed set. "Grassroots" is not included in that collection.)

Still, the change of pace makes this one appealing. Any band that includes Booker Ervin and Lee Morgan is going to swing, and the two manage to make Hill's playing less dark and introspective than usual. On the other hand, the compositions themselves, especially "Mira" and "Soul Special," are mostly bright and upbeat, so maybe the material helped to determine the players. Hill's comments on the original liner notes indicate that he was ready with this release to dip more than a toe into the mainstream.

In any event, Booker is particularly joyful on the title cut and propels the album along throughout with his powerful, bluesy tone. It's a mark of Hill's keen musicianship that he brought in this criminally underrated player for the session. Lee Morgan rarely missed a note throughout his career and this date was no exception. He delivers solidly throughout.

Tracks:

Midnight Confessions
Sooner Or Later
Where Were You When I Needed You
Bella Linda
Feelings
Temptation Eyes
Look Out Girl
Things I Should Have Said
Heaven Knows
I'd Wait A Million Years

Customer Reviews:

Some trivia about this cd cover.......2007-01-29

The songs are excellent but som etrivia about the cover shot:

L to R shot: Denny Ellis, Dave Stenson, Joe Larson (who later returned on the last 2 albums "Alotta Mileage" and "Movin Along"), Bill Fulton.

This was the original lineup that recorded the first album "Where were you when I needed you" All the compositions from that album were composed by Barri-Sloan....This had a "monkees" scenario to it, as the band were hand picked by the song writers to record their collected works. But for mostly marketing reasons, the members were all replaced by the second album lineup. As well as using Barri-Sloan compositions..the new lineup offered up remarkable song writing skills of their own.

This cd represents tracks from that second lineup.

A short but good CD.......2007-01-17

This CD didn't have as many songs on it as I would have liked, but I still like it. It has a few songs on it that were not included in the "Best of" CD. I own both and really like them both.

Temptation Eyes Has It All.......2002-10-09

The Grass Roots are in their prime with this album. Starting with their venerable "Midnight Confessions" and "Sooner Or Later" the album settles into a couple of their better love songs, "Where Were You When I Needed You" (a song a great many of us can identify with), and my personal favorite, "Bella Linda". "Feelings" jazzes the tempo up with its gypsy-like rhythm and heavy reliance on the tamborine. You almost expect a magic carpet to appear and wisk you away to some enchanted Arabian night. Instead the title cut, "Temptation Eyes" gets you a swayin' with its very danceable beat. And thanks to their popular "Look Out Girl" and "Things I Should Have Said", the upbeat rhythm continues. The latter is very reminiscent of a sound best associated with the Beatles. "Heaven Knows" is pure Grass Roots, and another of my personal favorites. The album ends with "I'd Wait A Million Years", but I wouldn't recommend you do so. I'd suggest you waste no time at all. Get to your nearest CD store and grab this grand album while it's still in print. You'll never regret the purchase. TEMPTATION EYES has it all!

Not bad for the money..............2000-06-13

This is a pretty decent CD, especially when you consider it is priced under $7.00. However, if you are looking for just one CD by the Grass Roots, you would be better off to get their "All Time Greatest Hits" CD. It's a little more money, but you get a much better cross-section of Grass Roots music. If, on the other hand, you just want another Grass Roots CD that sounds good, go ahead and buy the "Temptation Eyes". I wasn't disappointed and I don't think you will be either. There is just something special about the Grass Roots.............

Excellent.......2000-04-14

One of the best collections of the works of the Grass Roots on the market! Their Midnight Confessions is great!

Average customer rating:

No, Not the Originals, But Nice...
This whole "rerecording with no disclaimer" thing has to end
Grass Roots Re-Recorded
Buyer Beware!!!!!!!
Only for suckers or hardcore fans

14 Greatest Hits
The Grass Roots
Manufacturer: Hollywood
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000DSXP
Release Date: 1994-08-12

Tracks:

Where Were You When I Needed You
Things I Should Have Said
Bella Linda
Sooner or Later
Heaven Knows
Temptation Eyes
Midnight Confessions
Wait a Million Years
River Is Wide
Lovin' Things
Walking Through the Country
Two Divided by Love
Let's Live for Today
Glory Bound

Customer Reviews:

No, Not the Originals, But Nice..........2007-06-17

These were reportedly recorded in 1978 by lead singer Rob Grill, keyboard player Dennis Provisor (who joined the group c. 1970 and was a recognizable voice on most of their later hits) and studio musicians, a couple of years before the group shut down. (In the mid-80s, Grill bought out Provisor and organized his own Grass Roots group, who at this writing are still out there performing in second-tier venues around the U.S.)

Sure, I prefer the authentic 16-song collection ("All Time Greatest Hits") on MCA, and haven't played this CD since I got the "real" one. And yes, I have problems with record companies issuing re-recordings and not admitting it on the label.

But I don't have any problem with the performances here, judged on their own. They're still great pop songs, solidly performed by Grill, Provisor and company, in renditions never jarringly far from what we heard on the radio 30 years ago.

All things being equal, there's no reason not to buy the other version instead. But if this one, like most re-recordings, is available a lot cheaper and you're not overwhelmed by detailed memories of the originals, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this one.

This whole "rerecording with no disclaimer" thing has to end.......2005-12-17

Fourteen Greatest Hits (1994.) A Grass Roots Compilation.

[I don't normally go for short reviews, but there isn't a lot that needs to be said here.]

The sixties was a time for extensive changes in pop and rock music. More than ever, bands were doing their own thing, branching off from the mainstream, and being themselves. The Grass Roots are one such band of this era. The group managed to create a musical style that was uniquely sixties and uniquely their own. And as such, they were quite the successful band. Many compilations have been released to chronicle the band's rise to fame. Is Fourteen Greatest Hits one of them you should consider buying?

Hell no.

The songs featured on this compilation are RERECORDED VERSIONS. That's right, these aren't the original recordings you likely grew up with and/or experienced all your life. The original versions of the songs were excellent - there was no need to record them. If it ain't broke don't fix it! It's not the rerecording itself that pisses me off the most though, but rather the fact that there is NO DISCLAIMER ON THE PACKAGING that says these are rerecorded! It's bad enough if you're going to do rerecordings, but to not tell the fans and try to pass them off as the originals!? That there is the ultimate sin. If you want a REAL Grass Roots collection, there are plenty of others out there. Get one of those instead.

Final verdict? Simple. Stay away from this compilation. There is no reason whatsoever to buy this, unless you're a die-hard Grass Roots fan who has to hear every note that the band ever played. And even then, whether or not you should listen to this compilation is still very much questionable. This horrific set gets a big fat zero. Get a different compilation instead.

Grass Roots Re-Recorded.......2004-09-11

I don't have this CD. I bought the cassette tape at a used CD store for $2.00. Didn't know it was re-recorded until I played it, but I was still happy to have it, cos I didn't have any thing else by The Grass Roots. You can't find their music round this town. It sounded 'okay' but my favourite song "Bella Linda" definitely gave much to be desired from the original. If you think, this compilation was re-recorded in 1986 or 1987, & the guys still sounded pretty good. But, if you really want the originals, I wouldn't buy this CD.

Buyer Beware!!!!!!!.......2004-07-31

What were Rob and Dennis thinking when they agreed to this nightmare?
This is easily the worst example of re-recordings in music history.
Not even a hard core Grass Roots fan could bear to get past the first song.
This is truly worse than a late night cover band in Bismarck in the club down at the end 'o the street.

Only for suckers or hardcore fans.......2004-05-12

As has been pointed out in previous reviews, these are not the original recordings! They re-recordings passed off as the hits. The only people who might be interested in this are the hardcore Grass Roots fans who want everything they recorded. If you want the real hits, buy "All Time Greatest Hits" instead of this cheap re-recording.

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