The Place and the Time
Encyclopedia
The Place and the Time is a compilation album
of demos
, outtakes
, alternative versions and live versions of songs by Moby Grape
, released by Sundazed Records
in 2009 in CD
and double
LP
format.
. Many of the songs were previously released as bonus tracks to CD releases of Moby Grape albums by Sundazed Records. The compilation was produced by David Rubinson, who was also the band's original producer. The title is from a song written by Jerry Miller
and Don Stevenson
on the Wow/Grape Jam
album set, originally released in 1968.
of Rolling Stone, "these rarities - among them rowdy audition tracks and Moby Grape outtakes - are a dynamic alternate portrait of the star-crossed San Francisco band at work, fusing pop, soul, blues and country with psychedelic zeal." As described in Mojo
, "...the imperfections accentuate Grape's never-played-safe, gutsy rock'n'roll. There are moments when it sounds like the music is going to explode into chaos, but these professionals could take it to the edge and pull it back at the abyss. Jerry Miller
is a guitar god, Peter Lewis
a folk-rock
master, Bob Mosley
a muscular bassist and blue-eyed soulman extraodinaire, Don Stevenson
a driver of a drummer and more, and Skip Spence
is a one of rock's most original madmen. Why they don't make 'em like Moby Grape any more is arguable- but they don't."
Mark Deming of Allmusic wrote:
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
, outtakes
Outtake
An outtake is a portion of a work that is removed in the editing process and not included in the work's final, publicly released version. In the digital era, significant outtakes have been appended to CD and DVD reissues of many albums and films as bonus tracks or features, in film often, but not...
, alternative versions and live versions of songs by Moby Grape
Moby Grape
Moby Grape is an American rock group from the 1960s, known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting and that collectively merged elements of folk music, blues, country, and jazz together with rock and psychedelic music...
, released by Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
in 2009 in CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and double
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
format.
History
The album was released in April 2009, almost ten years to the day after the death of founding band member Skip SpenceSkip Spence
Alexander Lee "Skip" Spence was a Canadian-born musician and singer-songwriter. He was co-founder of Moby Grape, and played guitar with them until 1969. He released one solo album, 1969's Oar, and then largely withdrew from the music industry...
. Many of the songs were previously released as bonus tracks to CD releases of Moby Grape albums by Sundazed Records. The compilation was produced by David Rubinson, who was also the band's original producer. The title is from a song written by Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller is an American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He performs as a solo artist and as a member of the Jerry Miller Band. He is also a founding member of the 1960s San Francisco band Moby Grape, which continues to perform occasionally...
and Don Stevenson
Don Stevenson (musician)
Don Stevenson is the drummer and a singer and songwriter for Moby Grape, a band which was formed in San Francisco in 1966 and continues to perform occasionally today.-History:...
on the Wow/Grape Jam
Wow/Grape Jam
-Side one:# "The Place and the Time" - 2:07# "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" - 2:58# "Bitter Wind" - 3:09...
album set, originally released in 1968.
Reception
As described by one reviewer, "If you’re not convinced Moby Grape (was) one of the hippest, baddest, realest, and rawest bands of the late 1960s, then grab this new outtakes and live cuts compilation from Sundazed and try to explain otherwise." As described by David FrickeDavid Fricke
David Fricke is a senior editor at Rolling Stone magazine, where he writes predominantly on rock music. In the 1990s, he was managing editor before stepping down.-Background:David Fricke is a graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
of Rolling Stone, "these rarities - among them rowdy audition tracks and Moby Grape outtakes - are a dynamic alternate portrait of the star-crossed San Francisco band at work, fusing pop, soul, blues and country with psychedelic zeal." As described in Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
, "...the imperfections accentuate Grape's never-played-safe, gutsy rock'n'roll. There are moments when it sounds like the music is going to explode into chaos, but these professionals could take it to the edge and pull it back at the abyss. Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller is an American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He performs as a solo artist and as a member of the Jerry Miller Band. He is also a founding member of the 1960s San Francisco band Moby Grape, which continues to perform occasionally...
is a guitar god, Peter Lewis
Peter Lewis (musician)
Peter Lewis is one of the founding members of the band Moby Grape. Three of his better known songs with Moby Grape are "Fall On You" and "Sitting By The Window" from the self-titled first Moby Grape album and "If You Can't Learn From My Mistakes", from Moby Grape '69.- Background :He is the...
a folk-rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
master, Bob Mosley
Bob Mosley
Bob Mosley is principally known as the bass player and one of the songwriters and vocalists for the band Moby Grape. He has also developed a career as a solo artist. Three of his best known songs with Moby Grape are "Mr...
a muscular bassist and blue-eyed soulman extraodinaire, Don Stevenson
Don Stevenson (musician)
Don Stevenson is the drummer and a singer and songwriter for Moby Grape, a band which was formed in San Francisco in 1966 and continues to perform occasionally today.-History:...
a driver of a drummer and more, and Skip Spence
Skip Spence
Alexander Lee "Skip" Spence was a Canadian-born musician and singer-songwriter. He was co-founder of Moby Grape, and played guitar with them until 1969. He released one solo album, 1969's Oar, and then largely withdrew from the music industry...
is a one of rock's most original madmen. Why they don't make 'em like Moby Grape any more is arguable- but they don't."
Mark Deming of Allmusic wrote:
(...) these outtakes, demos, live recordings, and stray items cohere into a fine portrait of what made Moby Grape one of the great (if underappreciated ) bands of their era. (...) the live tapes capture Moby Grape in full flight before the dream began to collapse, and offer a tantalizing picture of how powerful they must have been on a good night. (...) this music demonstrates why Moby Grape still matters to so many all these years later.
Disc 1
- "Indifference" Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
audition recording (1967) - "Looper" Columbia Records audition recording (1967)
- "Stop" Demo recording (1967)
- "Rounder" Instrumental outtakeOuttakeAn outtake is a portion of a work that is removed in the editing process and not included in the work's final, publicly released version. In the digital era, significant outtakes have been appended to CD and DVD reissues of many albums and films as bonus tracks or features, in film often, but not...
recording from the Moby GrapeMoby Grape (album)Moby Grape is the rock band Moby Grape's eponymous 1967 debut album. Coming from the San Francisco scene, their reputation quickly grew to immense proportions, leading to a bidding war and a contract with Columbia Records...
sessions (1967) - "Sweet Ride (Never Again)" Unedited version, recorded for the motion picture The Sweet Ride (1967)
- "Loosely Remembered" Demo recording (1967)
- "The Place and the Time" Alternate version from the WowWow/Grape Jam-Side one:# "The Place and the Time" - 2:07# "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" - 2:58# "Bitter Wind" - 3:09...
album sessions (1967) - "Bitter Wind" Demo recording (1967)
- "Seeing" Alternate version from the Wow album sessions (1968)
- "What's to Choose" Alternate version from the Wow album sessions (1968)
- "Miller's Blues* Alternate version from the Wow album sessions (1968)
- "Soul Stew" Outtake recording from the Moby Grape '69Moby Grape '69Moby Grape '69 is third album by the psychedelic rock band Moby Grape.It is the first album after the departure of co-founder Skip Spence. Spence nonetheless is heard on one song, "Seeing", presumably from the Wow/Grape Jam sessions, and positioned as the final song on Moby Grape '69...
album sessions (1968) - "If You Can't Learn From My Mistakes" Demo recording (1968)
Disc 2
- "You Can Do Anything" Demo recording (1967)
- "Skip's Song" Demo recording (1967)
- "It's a Beautiful Day Today" Demo recording (1968)
- "What's to Choose" Demo recording (1967)
- "Hoochie" Demo recording (1968)
- "Big" Demo recording (1968)
- "Rounder" Live recording (1968)
- "Miller's Blues" Live recording (1968)
- "Changes" Live recording (1968)
- "Looper" Demo recording (1967)
- "Soul Stew" Instrumental outtake recording from the Moby Grape '69 album sessions (1968)
- "Cockatoo Blues (Tongue-Tied)" Demo recording (1968)
- Bonus track available only on double LP
Personnel
- Peter LewisPeter Lewis (musician)Peter Lewis is one of the founding members of the band Moby Grape. Three of his better known songs with Moby Grape are "Fall On You" and "Sitting By The Window" from the self-titled first Moby Grape album and "If You Can't Learn From My Mistakes", from Moby Grape '69.- Background :He is the...
– rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Bob MosleyBob MosleyBob Mosley is principally known as the bass player and one of the songwriters and vocalists for the band Moby Grape. He has also developed a career as a solo artist. Three of his best known songs with Moby Grape are "Mr...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Jerry MillerJerry MillerJerry Miller is an American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He performs as a solo artist and as a member of the Jerry Miller Band. He is also a founding member of the 1960s San Francisco band Moby Grape, which continues to perform occasionally...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, vocals - Skip SpenceSkip SpenceAlexander Lee "Skip" Spence was a Canadian-born musician and singer-songwriter. He was co-founder of Moby Grape, and played guitar with them until 1969. He released one solo album, 1969's Oar, and then largely withdrew from the music industry...
– rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, vocals - Don Stevenson – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals