6/4/08: Grand Funk: What’s Funk? (1983)You want an inconvenient truth? Grand Funk Railroad was absolutely right to bill themselves as “The Godfathers of Grunge” for their 1997 reunion. Mark Farner, Don Brewer, & Mel Schacher were true heroes of the original Seattle scene. Forget what you heard about Kurt Cobain being influenced by punk. He ripped off everybody, but Cobain was influenced by other Seattle acts who were sick of bands that were all trying to sound like REM and Depeche Mode. Grunge was the embracing of the unhip—and no band has been more unhip than Grand Funk Railroad.
That includes the band’s politics. Mark Farner quickly declared himself a born-again Christian when GFR broke up in ’76. The frontman’s lyrics had already shown some surprising beliefs, as with “Don’t Let ’Em Take Your Guns” from
Good Singin’ Good Playin’. The band’s epic “I’m Your Captain” had also been a big hit on the play lists of the soldiers in Vietnam. GFR has always been proud to have that audience. To this day, Farner likes to wrap himself in the red, white, and blue.
Grand Funk Railroad also had more than one song proclaiming that they were an American band.
What’s Funk?, however, has gone forgotten as a likable and genuinely brave album—and the best of two studio efforts from the band’s original brief reunion as Grand Funk in the ’80s.
There are several reasons why
What’s Funk? wasn’t the most successful album of 1983 with a song called “Borderline.” The second track is a lousy cover of a Motown classic, and the third is a badly dated synth-rockin’ tune. The good news is that Grand Funk gave up trying to please the critics with their opening number. “Rock & Roll American Style” challenged Sammy Hagar for the title of Album-Oriented Rock’s Most Patriotic Act. That kind of thing wasn’t going to win over the music journalists who were worrying about how President Reagan was about to shut down the presses. Really, the critics had heard it straight from the guys in
Heaven 17.
“Rock & Roll American Style” is shameless and dopey, but the song makes a few good points—including that the titular subject didn’t start in England or Australia, before adding that rock & roll “never started up in Canada.” Hey, just like free speech! Seriously, though, Canada’s best acts in 1983 were Bruce Cockburn, Spoons, and Men Without Hats. Max Webster had broken up, so Grand Funk had a point—especially since Honeymoon Suite wouldn’t release their debut until 1984.
Anyway, that was a great opener from Mark, Don, &—er, Dennis. It seems that Mel was a little too busy to participate in the first Grand Funk reunion.
What’s Funk? then looked for even more trouble with a little ditty called “El Salvador.” Those dolts in The Clash were still thriving after an album called
Sandinista!, while Grand Funk was celebrating the brave soldiers taking on the likes of Daniel Ortega—and doing so while invoking a cry for freedom throughout the song.
And that’s pretty much the high points, except for a closer called “Life In Outer Space.” It’s a clear bid to recreate the glory of “I’m Your Captain,” and it almost works. Too bad they didn’t try another song that recreated the glory of “Sin’s A Good Man’s Brother.” Then this album could’ve been a classic. Don’t neglect the importance of that cover art, though. There’s a hot babe, battery clamps, and the Washington Monument standing proud. That has to mean something.
Make it your own: What’s Funk? got an affordable
CD reissue just a few months ago. The fine Wounded Bird label also has Farner’s solo albums from the ’70s—if you’ve been looking for them.
Here’s Grand Funk Railroad’s
official site. (Click on the flag.) And we’ll add that the best live encore we’ve ever heard was King X’s take on “I’m Your Captain.” We don’t mention King’s X nearly enough around here.
