Spacey production, mostly great songs

This was Grand Funk's second album with producer extraordinaire Todd Rungren. He puts some spacey moments in (check out 'Carry Me Through) and lots of echo, but it doesn't detract from what is, with one exception, a very strong set of rock songs.

I'd buy this album for the title track alone. Drummer/vocalist Don Brewer proves his singing talents, belting this out like it's the last song he'll ever get to sing. And check out the R&B influence - complete with horns - on Mark Farner's To Get Back In. GFR was always influenced by the Motown sound, though that might have been hard to discern on their earlier efforts.

Of course, this was the breaking point for some fans, who simply couldn't stand how much the band had departed from it's loud 'n' proud garage rock roots. And, if you listen to its take on the old pop classic The LocoMotion, I suppose you couldn't blame them. This is a straight throwaway ditty, in my books. (But I still like it better than Farner's Mr. Pretty Boy, a dirge every bit as underwhelming as Mean Mistreater.)

One of the best things about this reissue is the inclusion of Destitute & Losin', a stretched out rocker with plenty of power. It showed the band was still capable of flexing plenty of muscle.

Oh, if you're wondering about the strange cover art, the original vinyl album had a pair of glasses you could punch out of the cover (thus the two grey stars) and check out the artwork in 3-D.