I commented on another earlier Grass Roots album very early in my blogging (or group email) career.
Back then I said: “I’m really keen to listen to this (notwithstanding its been a sitting in a pile for over a year) … you may ask "why are you keen to listen to a MOR vocal folk rock pop group from the 60s, Frank?"…. well I like 60s pop but more importantly P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri (writers and producers) were behind the creation of the group …and both of them are minor geniuses even thought at the time they were in their early to mid 20s!”
I quite liked that “Lovin Things” album from 1969.
A lot of what I said about that album still applies to this album.
Inevitably, when discussing Grass Roots questions of “authenticity” come up but they are largely redundant because this is pop music. I should say:
- They weren’t a manufactured group in the normal sense of the phrase in the music business.
- They weren’t like the The Monkees but they were a group put together by producers.
- They were, like The Monkees, an already talented group of individual musicians brought together by a third party for a meeting of minds.
Musically, they are the logical extension of Gary Lewis and the Playboys because they play their own instruments though with a dollop of Jay and the Americans, because they have the harmonies. Like both those bands they had great success in the
The albums, of the ones I have heard, are fairly rigidly controlled by the producers but the producers also have given all the individuals enough wiggle room to express themselves and write their own material etc.
So they were an authentic band but one with one ear keenly glued to the radio. And the big pop, sounds from 1969 are all canvassed on this album. There is some country, some straight pop, some psych (albeit MOR), some sunshine pop and a lot of horns no doubt following on from the success of Blood Sweat and Tears.
All the styles are subsumed into radio friendly pop. Is that bad? No, not here. There is still enough balls in the music to avoid blandness.
The album is produced by their regular producer (and founder) Steve Barri. Horns and strings are arranged by Sid Feller with the exception of “Wait a Million Years” and “Heaven Knows” where Jimmie Haskell arranged the horns.
Tracks (best in italics)
- I’m Livin’ for You Girl – Price, Walsh – a big sound pop number, horns, dramatic and powerful vocals. Pleasant MOR but much funkier than say Tom Jones.
- Back to Dreamin’ Again -Nolan – lyrically, not dissimilar, to a Ray Davies song. Very “of it’s time” and very pleasant.
- Out of This World – Lambert, Potter – More big pop sound, no subtlety but undeniably catchy. Lambert and Potter would later have substantial production and writing hits with Four Tops’ Dusty Springfield, Glen Campbell (Rhinestone Cowboy),The Righteous Brothers, Player, and others.
- Melinda Love – Barri, Entner, Grill – I love hand claps in songs, not enough songs nowadays have hand claps. This is in late 60s Hollies territory
- Don’t Remind Me – Entner – a pleasant country rock song in the vein of the The Byrds and The Dillards. More pop and less country certainly but still rootsy enough. And to my ears more preferable to the big brass sound.
- Take Him While You Can – Provisor – sung my Provisor. A mix of styles but trying to be, perhaps, Blood Sweat and Tears?
- Heaven Knows – Price, Walsh – a nice pop song bordering on bubblegum for grown ups, if that makes any sense.
- Walking Through the Country – Provisor – sung my Provisor. Country soul styling but not memorable. To my ears Rob Grills is clearly the better lead vocalist.
- Something’s Comin’ Over Me – Grill – more horns … ostensibly a MOR country folk song, err with horns, done by the Beatles. Hmmm. Not bad but could have been better.
- Truck Drivin’ Man – Coonce – written and sung by drummer Ricky Coonce this is a country rock song a la The Byrds. Nice vocals and melody, but slight.
- Wait a Million Years – Bottler, Zekley – starts off with some future sounds much like Zager and Evans “In the Year 2525” which it sounds a little like. This is a big sound and the top 20 hit but to my ears it’s a good song but not as good as some of the others on this LP.
And …
A strange album – a number of disparate styles but they are all held together by the vocals and the commitment to pure pop. …. I’m keeping it.
Chart Action
US
Singles
1969 I’d Wait A Million Years #15
1969 Heaven Knows Don’t Remind Me #24
1970 Walking Through The Country Truck Drivin’ Man #44
Album
#36 1969
Singles
—
Album
—
Sounds
I’m Livin’ for You Girl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKg0SDx6LL8
Back to Dreamin’ Again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2DPqOeEm7g
Out of This World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KA5mOoyP88
Melinda Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BDbvtrGvvo
and attached
Don’t Remind Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgFMRvw0Gys
Heaven Knows
Live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT6FE4fktOs&feature=fvst
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdej9GWq0dU&feature=related
Walking Through the Country
Live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K4x2NNHv7Q
Something’s Comin’ Over Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKf9dfr6kns
Truck Drivin’ Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MufSVEHBKE
Wait a Million Years
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAgQOx6X9NQ
Live (recently)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGjHF2qcLVM
Others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJlY2QThjoA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuTsvTk3pMg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x6B5eVK7VQ
Review
http://www.allmusic.com/album/leavin-it-all-behind-r8536/review
Bio
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-grass-roots-p4396
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grass_Roots
Website
Trivia
- The Grass Roots are:
*Warren Entner – Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards
*Rob Grill – Bass, Vocals
*Ricky Coonce – Drums
*Dennis Provisor – Keyboards
*Terry Furlong – Guitar
- allmusic: The session men aren’t listed as they were on other albums by this usually formula group, and the disc, Leavin’ It All Behind, actually feels like a cohesive album by a real band, no doubt an important goal for these men — achieving their own identity. Guitarist Creed Bratton had made his exit by this point, so the guitar chores were left up to rhythm guitarist and future Quiet Riot manager Warren Entner, with Dennis Provisor joining the crew on piano and organ, maintaining the four-piece unit, at least on the surface.
