Brother to the Grateful Dead grandaddies of that laid back, crunchy, pre-heavy-psych phase of San Francisco rock and roll. For my money though, this is a lot more tuneful, a lot sunnier, and a lot more fun than the Dead or reverby bands like Jefferson Airplane, who're too lazy and hazy for my taste.
The real key is song length: with 13 songs running about 2 minutes each, this is a record that is tight with melody and idea, with none of the bloat you associate with psychedelia. Moby Grape is here to show you a good time, not just stretch out the good time you're already presumed to be having.
I also hear a lot more influence on modern music here, something in the jauntiness and cleanness of the guitar lines, the texture of the harmonies, and the little bursts of creative zig and zag that evoke some of early 00's indie's finest moments. That, of course, makes it go down all the smoother some 50 years later. 50 years! Jesus.
Excellent album-level pacing and flow's the real key though, with a beautiful second side that makes it easy to get swept up into a 4.5/5
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